Picanteria El Austro

Inexpensive tasty well made traditional Ecuadorian food.
Shrimp Ceviche, Caldo de pata, Guatita (tripe), Pollo Guisado;
all of them deliciously prepared in a rustic setting. The owner and his wife have a consistent flow of food out of their kitchen. La picantería is a must when visiting Jackson Heights.

I’ve been wanting to come here for a long time. Let me tell you why. Let me reveal what goes through the mind of a man whose idea of adventure comes in through his electrified senses in the mouth and his sense of fear. Let me tell you exactly what turns me on.
First off, El Austro is about 50 feet off the main street (37^th ave). The assumed reduced rent should make them rely more on reputation than location for their business.
Second, I love the exterior. It’s hand painted in Ecuadorian colors plus lots of blues and reds. You can’t even see the interior. The glass is covered up with posters and big wavy paintbrush lettering. The sign where the awning should be is a 10-​foot long, white banner with the name «El Austro» in big lettering plus an address and phone number. It’s totally out of another dimension than Starbucks, Pollo Listo, Novo, Indian Taj or any other restaurant west of 85^th street.
Third, I’ve got to admit, even me, the Christopher Columbus of cuisine, I was a little intimidated to go in there. I went in once a while ago, and because there was no takeout menu, I was unable to bring the info back home to deliberate my plan of action when I would return. Don’t knock me, this is the mind of a (insert neurotic, curious, self-​describing Woody Allen quote).
The food… was amazing. They gave me chicken soup — essentially a chicken wing boiled in the soup; it tasted just like my grandmother’s cooking which at the time I was too young to realize. They also gave me a plate with meal of three thirds. One third was a fresh, vibrant salad with of lettuce, cold, thin sliced red onion, and light, crisp peppers. The second third was perfectly made white rice. I cannot make rice like this. Why? It’s just rice, right? White rice. Damn good though.
But those don’t excite you. The last third was corvino (sea bass). The fish sucked in this sauce covering it, which was sweet with a small kick. It had some sour too. It was delicious.
I was kind of expecting a big bill after this, because only a couple of days ago, at another JHeights restaurant, I was mistakenly given a soup with my huevos pericos and my breakfast ended up costing 11 dollars (!). So I was a bit scarred therefore skeptical at this point. Well, I’m cured, I now have politics, err I mean faith in the things I don’t understand — the spanish language with what brings me this amazing food.
Prices for a regular meal are at least 10 dollars. Lunch special is $ 6.00 flat.
Night times, I think this place gets loud. They had kegs and huge amps piled in the front. I am not sure what they specialize in, how they make money, what their angle is, but wow, I ate well here today. I will 100 percent be back for more.
And in case you’re wondering, El Austro means «The south wind» — what a name.