It’s not unusual for noodle shops to dole out food and drink pairings, but at the sleek Cha Menya, the ingredients come together in the bowl itself. There’s a rare matcha ramen, possibly the only one of its kind in New York City, that incorporates the tea into a rich chicken paitan broth. Fresh greens, organic ajitama, and chunks of chicken chasu float in a vibrant green broth. This new Little Neck spot also offers an appetizer of enoki mushrooms that are fried to golden, unrecognizable crispy stalks and a wagyu mazeman with black truffle shaved tableside. Both are delightful dishes worth ordering.

The crowded restaurant row of Bell Boulevard finally claims its own Korean grill joint. In December, Mister Seoul opened its doors, offering set menus and a la carte options for traditional cuts like boneless short rib (wet-aged for two weeks), ribeye bulgogi, spicy pork, as well as the harder-to-find beef tongue. Take a break from the grilled meats with seafood pancakes, bibimbap, and dumpling soup, and throw back a can of Makku makgeolli in this sleek, neon-lit setting.

Zou’s brings the ancient Chinese philosophy of shi liao — food as a means to heal and nourish the body — into a sleek, modern setting. Each of the dishes here claims to have a nutritional purpose: the steamed milk with fish maws ($25) replenishes the kidney and boosts stamina; the fresh stewed bird’s nest ($45) is offered as lubrication for the lungs during the cold, dry months; and the collagen-laden Buddha Jumps Over the Wall ($65) is a meticulously prepared soup bobbing with abalone and sea cucumber, recognized by many as having anti-inflammatory properties.

Pitmasters Matt Abdoo and Shane McBride have opened the doors at this Queens follow-up to their Pig Beach smokehouse in Brooklyn. The 28,000-square-foot Long Island City outpost is outfitted with one of the city’s largest indoor smokers for firing up their signature classics: peach- and honey-glazed ribs, smoked pork shoulder with hatch vinegar sauce, and their famed Pig Beach burger. New specials like Greek-style smoked lamb shoulder nods to the neighborhood’s immigrant history. Large groups can kick back at picnic tables in a dog-friendly backyard beer garden equipped with a stage for music and a 28-foot jumbotron.

Owner Mark Lee — who is also behind whimsical sweets shop Spot Dessert Bar — tells Eater that he is frying up the crispiest chicken in New York at Rokstar Chicken, a new quick-service Korean fried chicken restaurant located inside a Douglaston supermarket. The juicy, fried wings are served with sauces including soy garlic and sweet chili; and the menu is rounded out with side items like rice, cole slaw, crunchy onion rings, sweet potato fries, and truffle oil fries.

Championed by a mustached submarine mascot, Mariscos El Submarino has been serving ceviches, tostadas, and other Mexican seafood dishes from this narrow Jackson Heights storefront since last year. The restaurant excels at its aguachiles, a cousin of ceviche that comes served in a dramatically large molcajete with tostadas and saltine crackers on the side ($18 to $21). Order the negro version, prepared with shrimp, octopus, tilapia, and a touch of soy sauce.

For a Creole-French-soul food mashup, head to Mother Hen’s Soul Kitchen at the takeout-only Sunnyside Eats food hall. The menu draws from chef and owner Habiybah Washington’s family roots in New Orleans and Savannah, Georgia, and her training at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. The wide range of influences on Washington’s cooking can be found in her fried flounder and grits ($15), which are made with sun-dried tomatoes soaked overnight in Chardonnay, and her lightly braised collard greens ($5) that are full of vibrancy and bite. Washington has plans to expand her menu to include seafood and chicken gumbo, turkey chili, and a hot chicken burger pulled together from chicken marinated overnight in hot sauce.

Jonathan Cordeiro, co-owner of beloved neighborhood spot the Alcove, has teamed up with his father Gilson Cordeiro, also an industry veteran, at this hit restaurant in Sunnyside. Locals have been packing Belo’s dining room for its friendly service and menu full of Brazilian classics with eyebrow-raising details. Highlights include torresmo de barriga (fried pork belly with pineapple chunks and a spicy pineapple dipping sauce); dadinhos de tapioca (deep-fried tapioca cubes with bacon and guava sauce); and feijoada, the national dish of Brazil. Order from an extensive list of craft beers that hail from São Paulo to Long Island City in a cool space outfitted with graffiti murals, hanging plants, and dark brown and blonde wooden slats.

Gula Southern Comfort Bistro spiced up Forest Hill’s restaurant row along Austin Street when it opened in June. The menu of seafood-forward Cajun dishes features charred octopus ceviche in aji amarillo citrus sauce, baked catfish with spicy corn gravy, and a pairing of lobster tail and shrimp atop a bed of mashed potato. Mango barbecue baby back ribs and chicken fried steak round out the menu.

Owner and exacting pizzaiolo Nicholas Manopella ferments his pizza dough to exact standards for 48 hours to achieve an airy bite for every slice. Some of the most popular pies so far include the upside-down Siclian (the tomato sauce is spread on top of the cheese for a juicier slice); the Minucci with sweet fennel sausage with hot Calabrian chile peppers, pepperoni, and a drizzle of Mike’s hot honey; and the Manopella with vodka sauce, fried chicken cutlets, and mozzarella. Slices — both triangles and squares — go for $3.25 to $4.50, and Manopella is also making more of his dough to sell individually for customers that want to make their own pizzas at home.

Porcelain first opened in 2019 with an Austrian-leaning menu and a charming dining room outfitted with a grand piano, mid-century modern wallpaper, and vintage chandeliers. What’s it doing on this list of newly opened Queens restaurants, then? During the pandemic, chef Kate Telfeyan took over the kitchen with a revamped menu that largely looks to Korean, Taiwanese, and Sichuanese flavors for inspiration. Given the casual, order-at-the-counter set-up here, the cafe is just as ideal for pulling up with a book and a cup of coffee as it is for a low-key dinner of nori-dusted pork chops and wine.