Nothing about the entrance to Weekender Billiard would reveal what lies beyond.

This snooker spot doubles up as one of the very few purveyors of Bhutanese cuisine in the area. The owners are originally from Mongar, in eastern Bhutan. Pema Gyeltshen one of the co-owners actually owned billiard hall in Thimpu the nation’s capital before he moved to the United States. After several years of pursuing alternative careers, he decided to open the same here in Queens.

The menu offers a concise list of interesting dishes. Some of the flavors overlap with Tibetan cuisine – a culture with which they have a lot in common. 

The thing to try is the Ema datse where sliced chile peppers are the main ingredient. These are sautéed in a spicy cheese sauce which makes for a really comforting dish with a stinging bite. Order a side of red rice to mollify the heat of the datse.

There are other combinations of datse dishes available which drown out the chilies such as mushroom and potato but I prefer it in tis pure form.

There was a really delicious soup called kakgur made with pumpkin and topped with the tingle of Sichuan peppercorns.

Its places like Weekender that I love Queens so very much for. Where else could you walk into a snooker hall and stumble upon delicious Bhutanese eats.

Here is some of what we ate:

 

Chicken Chile Shaptak

 

Kakgur

 

Bumthang Puta