Today's review roundup includes: Hemsin, Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar, Cesca, Mix, Café La Palette
NYTimes Diner's Journal William Grimes visits Hemsin (39-17 Queens Boulevard (near 39th Street), Sunnyside, Queens):
Hemsin is an easygoing restaurant with deli counters on the left displaying all manner of kebabs and flaky pastries. Big ovens behind the cases hold the secret to the restaurant's success. All day and all night they produce pide, the puffy, round flat breads, crisp at the edges and chewy in the center, that make the foundation for Hemsin's so-called Turkish pizzas. Lahmacun, a $2.95 pizza snack, is topped with ground lamb and assorted vegetables chopped into bits.
"Meat pita" sounds unappealing, but it's one of the best of the pizza-style dishes on the menu, topped with small chunks of lamb and sautéed bell pepper. Other toppings include kashar cheese, sun-dried beef and sausage.
The rest of the menu is devoted to classic Turkish dishes.