El Tesoro Ecuatoriano

Large portions of good food for great prices with quick and friendly service… I’m so relieved that was our experience because we went in there HANGRY… you know, so hungry you’re angry lol. Just like the snickers commercial where the guy is an angry diva and after getting a snickers he returns to normal? Yep, that was me but I sucked up the generous helping so fast that I know she had to be chuckling to herself lol. I had to remind myself to chew, people!
I ordered garlic chicken which came with a salad – the salad reminded me of something I had at Chipotle. So there was the garlic chicken, bed of white rice, salad and French fries. I usually take a pic but there was no time for that lol. My husband had steak, plaintains, avocado with beans and rice. We both cleaned our plate but typically the food is definitely enough to last for for a second take-​home meal. The prices were about $ 10 and if you come in for lunch it’s about $ 7.
It is helpful to be able to speak Spanish for when you order. There was a large movie projector playing what was on TV and there was another adjacent TV so we could watch at the same time. A funny commercial caught my attention and we were both able to share a laugh. Definitely like this place and will be back!

I saw this place mentioned in the daily news several years ago when they were talking about the different types of Spanish cuisine in New York City. Actually took my cousin here all those years ago, and it was good then. They redid it a bit, made it nice there, but it still has that local color that makes it very endearing. only problem was some retarded hipster asking about the acidity of a tomato. Highly recommended for a good Ecuadorian experience!

Might just be the best restaurant in the area for south american food. I tried their arroz con pollo and Pechuga En Salsa De Limon (chicken breast in lemon sauce with rice, mashed potato and vegetables and they were both amazing. Chicken was tender and juicy and season perfectly and the plating of the food was as though it were a fancier restaurant. Service was nice except for the long wait but I can wait for this kinda food any day.

It is ok if you want something hearty. Service is slow but people are nice thus you cannot complain. As for the food: ordered a sirloin and got a flank steak so overcooked that couldn’t really taste any flavor. The vegetables – broccoli and carrots– were a bit overcooked, borderline with falling apart. The mashed potatoes were made from flakes. The rice was perfectly cooked. The steak was covered with a gravy with garlic and mushrooms. Too much garlic. But, I have to give it to the cook: garlic was sweet and not overcooked. Mushrooms were great but just a bit of garlic goes a long way, had too much garlic. I believe the cook prepared the other beef plate on the menu. Not a place I would come back. They do not have a full liquor license. they only serve beer, not even wine. There are better places in Sunset Park to have a not expensive meal.

I had read about this place so last night we decided to call and have dinner delivered. I’m not sure if they take cards but after we ordered they hung up so we ended up paying in cash — so may be worth confirming they can do cards before you order if that’s needed. It was a busy time so delivery took about an hour and change but the food is SO GOOD. It was totally worth it.
We had the Sopa Marinera seafood soup with was a super succulent savory broth with real half crab and what looked like big chunks of lobster or crab meat. There was fish chunks, and I believe plantains as well as calamari and all kinds of delicious other seafood like clams etc.
We also got the Ceviche Triple with Concha, Pulpo and Encebollado (shellfish, octopus and fish, and they called to let us know this had ran out so we switched to a triple with Camaron (shrimp) instead and it was just DIVINE. So tart and such a generous serving — with fresh tasting lime and thinly cut onion and big chunks of that big corn (is it called maiz?). The black clams especially were so delicious in this. I will definitely be ordering both of these dishes again.
We ordered a fish in green sauce that we were honestly too stuffed to finish so that will be had today for brunch. It looks delicious and I cannot wait to try it.
Definitely go here and don’t be afraid to try any ceviches or soups or fish dishes. You will not be disappointed and the value is worth every penny and then some.

Everything was delicious. I had the Encebollado de pescado and my wife had Caldo de bolla. They were so good that we wanted more, so we split a Guatita. All three were very good. For drinks, we ordered Quaker. It felt a little weak and light but good flavor.

Great food, quick delivery. Filete de pescado al ajillo (fish fillet in garlic sauce) was delicious, and their ceviches are worth the money — huge portions and they taste amazing. I get delivery from them all the time, but when I’ve gone in to pick up the staff is always accommodating and friendly — so I’d dine-​in anytime.

True to its name, El Tesoro Ecuatoriano (Ecuadorian Treasure) is a great find, and also not lacking in shiny, bright objects. These objects are mostly plugged in though, and of the neon variety. The lights reflect off the shiny copper tables and through the soups and any other reflecting surface.
This restaurant specializes in the cuisine of the coastal regions of Ecuador, and is not shy about making that clear even outside with a giant shark surrounded in neon. Inside, the menu boasts a full page of seafood and ceviches, probably the main draw of the place. We tried the Ceviche de concha ($ 9.99) which in English translated on their menu to «Black shells cocktail.» It truly was a cocktail of sorts, with a black gooey center to be pulled out of the regular citrus marinade.
Another dish I can never refuse when eating Ecuadorian food is the hornado. The dish is very typical of non-​coastal mountainous regions of the country, but is still done very well here ($ 9.99). The pork is as tender as can be and served under a crusty, marinated skin. The whole plate is fashioned very nicely, piles of each item falling on other piles. This is all possible at a table, but in Ecuador this is usually served on the street quickly in an even more beautiful mess. The mote (hominy) is definitely the central figure here, and ample amounts of the dried and then alkalized corn is heaped right in the middle. The dish is also served with the tostado, a small fried corn bread.
I also wanted to try a soup only available on weekends called caldo de bola ($ 6.99). The ball in the center is beef inside of a plantain mash, but my ball had already burst upon arrival, much to my dismay. No matter though, the bits and parts made the soup especially hardy and I enjoyed every bite. The plate of patacones (fried plantains, $ 4) was also a good deal and enjoyed by everyone.
We had somewhere to be afterwards, but I think we were all wishing we could stay to enjoy more of the $ 3.50 beers, blaring jukebox, neon discs above, and fútbol on TV.

If you’re a giant geography dork like myself, you might be surprised to learn that New York’s Ecuadorian community is almost as large as its Columbian population. With such an explosion of Ecuadorians settling in the City, the food that tastes like home to the many ex-​pats is surely bound to follow.
At least judging by El Tesoro, it has already arrived. Don’t be alarmed by the chintzy indoor neon lights that are wrapped around the interior, or the blaring Ecuadorian league soccer game playing on the TV, or even by the scantily clad Ecuadorian waitresses. Just know that this is some fantastic food at prices that would at least be doubled in Manhattan. As an example, the Ecuadorian version of Paella, complete with crab, shrimp, whitefish, and squid, is just $ 11.
I’ve heard the roast pig is out of this world as well. I’ve also had the chicken with garlic sauce (al ajillo), which is so garlicky and moist that you have to wonder how they made it. (better not to think too hard…) If you ever find yourself visiting the hispanic section of Sunset Park on a nice fall weekend afternoon, be sure to stop by El Tesoro.