Authentic Puerto Rican Goodness in the Heart of Gowanus
Inspired by the flavor, feeling, and flair of Puerto Rico, Kiosko 787 is an authentic Puerto Rican restaurant in the heart of Gowanus, Brooklyn. The brainchild of owner, Alfonso Rosario Yulfo, Kiosko 787 is named after the small Puerto Rican stands that serve "good old Boricua Goodness" all over the island.
Abuela's Cooking With a Twist
Born and raised in Gowanus, Brooklyn, Alfonso grew up immersed in food, family, and Puerto Rican tradition.
Waking up every morning to a bouquet of aromas filling the house, like a warm hug, Alfonso attributes his love for traditional food to his grandmothers (abuelas).
“My abuela (grandmother) Isabella starting to cook dinner early in the morning." he recalled. "The whole house was filled with the scent of Boricua goodness."
The men in the family, who were just as creative in the kitchen, also had a profound impact on Alfonso’s love for Puerto Rican cuisine, customs, and culture.
“My grandfather (abuelo) used to recruit my cousins and I to help in the kitchen,” Alfonso recalled, “grating the green bananas and tarot for the alcapurrias and pasteles."
“My dad, who has always been the creative person in the family, and learned to cook from his dad, passed down his passion for authentic Puerto Rican cooking to me.”
“I have always loved to entertain and share my family’s recipes,” he added, “so much so that my friends were always telling me I should open a restaurant.”
Inspired by the cuisine, customs, and colorful flavor of Old San Juan, Alfonso recalled the moment an opportunity to open a restaurant fell into his lap. Having never worked in the food industry, Alfonso jokingly quoted Paulie from Goodfellas, “I don’t know how to make a restaurant!”
“Seriously though,” he continued, “I’ve been a contractor for over 20 years and had zero food service experience —I’ve never even worked as a waiter.”
But, in 2022, a space in a 100 year-old building in the heart of his hometown of Gowanus, a down-to-earth, family-oriented community with tree-lined streets, majestic parks, and historic brownstones, became available.
A former industrial zone set along the Gowanus Canal, this eclectic neighborhood is a mix of artists, families, and young professionals with an array of locally-owned boutiques, laid-back bars, converted warehouse studios and lofts, and casual dining spots.
“But what Brooklyn didn’t have at the time,” Alfonso pointed out, “was many authentic Puerto Rican restaurants. So when an opportunity to open one presented itself, I decided to give it a shot.”
Though he never ran a restaurant, this highly experienced contractor certainly knew how to create one.
“I wanted the building’s facade to look like the vibrant cafes in Old San Juan, with a Spanish feel and an island vibe.”
Alfonso quickly got to work, designing the space in the spirit of his adopted island home. While the space was undergoing renovations in preparation for the restaurant’s opening, he decided to head down to Puerto Rico to learn all he could from his favorite restaurateurs.
“I had the recipes and menu down pat, but I needed to learn how to operate a restaurant in traditional Puerto Rican style,” he continued.
With fond memories of his childhood kitchen, hanging onto the apron strings of his abuelas (grandmothers) Mita and Isabela, he set out to learn all that he could about running a professional Puerto Rican kitchen.
“So before we opened our doors, I spent over four months in Puerto Rico, going from one restaurant to another, picking up various tricks of trade like how to prep and source ingredients, and plate Mofongo.”
A beloved dish, with roots in African and Taíno culinary traditions, Mofongo is a Puerto Rican staple, made primarily from fried, mashed, and seasoned green plantains.
Offering reimagined, authentic Boricua flavors with a modern twist in the heart of NY, Alfonso pays homage to the flavors that were passed down to him through generations with every dish served.
At first, this colorful cafe only offered take-out, but early in 2024, when the space next door became available, Alfonso decided to expand and add seating.
“It was a huge undertaking,” he recalled,”I had to blow a giant hole in the wall to connect the two spaces,” he added.
Opening the new dining area in February of this year, he remarked “was an instant success.”
But unexpected growing pains proved to be a challenge.
“We only have seating for 20, but on a given weekend, we serve upwards of 600 people.”
Just minutes away from Brooklyn’s Barclay Center, this area comes to life at night, and explodes when the Nets play a home game. “It was becoming difficult to serve the amount of customers that were coming in the doors.”
"Partnering with Sauce has helped us by stepping in and (streamlining) the delivery process, helping to handle the crowds."
And the Gowanus community is tight, with fellow restaurants like the owners of Freakin Rican and Counter & Bodega stepping in to help with the overflow.
“We have a tremendous group of businesses in Gowanus,” Alfonso offered, “just like I remember it from my childhood days growing up here."
Keeping it Authentic
When asked what sets Kiosko 787 apart from similar establishments, Alfonso replied, "We are committed to keeping it authentic. Our talented team takes beloved classics and transforms them into culinary masterpieces, offering a fusion of tradition and innovation.”
In addition to the ingredients and seasonings, it’s important to Alfonso that the service remains authentic as well.
“We serve everything freshly prepared, which takes a lot of time and requires patience.”
Unlike other “Spanish” fast food-style restaurants, “we consider ourselves to be purely Puerto Rican,” he continued. “Though there’s Spanish, Cuban, and Dominican influence, we consider our food to be Puerto Rican---plain and simple.”
Even in this short period of time, the menu has changed substantially since we opened. With 85% of the menu created by Alfonso himself, he is very particular about every aspect of every dish.
When asked to name his top five menu items, Alfonso offered the following:
Top Five Menu Items
Savory, golden Mofongo estilo del Malecón de Naguabo Puerto Rico, made from mashed plantains, garlic, and pork cracklings topped with succulent slices of New York Strip steak and tender shrimp.
Tender slices of NY Strip Steak marinated in a delightful blend of sofrito and garlic.
Wild caught large shrimp in Puerto Rican-style garlic infused olive oil.
#4: Chillo Frito / Caribbean Fried Red Snapper
Inspired by the flavors of the Malecon De Naguabo, Puerto Rico Waterfront Restaurants, Chillo Frito is a one-pound Fried Red Snapper seasoned with authentic Puerto Rican spices.
Impeccably prepared, this mouthwatering, 12-hour roasted succulent, tender, and juicy roast pulled pork leaves customers craving for more.
Christmas Puerto Rican Style
But it’s the Christmas Dinner Menu that sparkles during the holiday season.
A festive feast that embodies the island’s traditions, the Kiosko 787 Plato Navideño (Christmas Plate) that includes a 15-Hour Roasted Pork, iconic rice and pigeon peas, and a banana leaf filled with savory pork, is as festive, and full of flavor as the season itself.
Much longer than the traditional 12 days, the Puerto Rican Christmas season lasts longer than practically any place on earth.
Beginning immediately after Thanksgiving, marking the unofficial start of the holiday season, the season of Advent is chocked full of parades, live music, food, crafts, and dancing in the streets, a reflection of Puerto Rico's rich traditions and joy-filled approach to Christmas.
From Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) on December 24th and Navidad (Christmas Day) on December 25th, festivities continue with more food, gifts, and gatherings.
On December 28th, Día de los Santos Inocentes (similar to April Fools’ Day), is observed with pranks and celebrations, adding another layer to the season.
Christmas in Old San Juan A cornerstone of the Puerto Rican Christmas, Three Kings’ Day (Día de los Reyes) which commemorates the visit of the Magi to the baby Jesus, takes place on January 6th.
Octavitas (January 7–14) are eight additional days of celebration involving smaller gatherings, music, and activities.
An annual tourist attraction in Old San Juan, La Fiesta de la Calle San Sebastián, held in mid-January, marks the unofficial end of the Christmas season, featuring parades, music, and dancing in the streets.
Nuyorican: Puerto Rican New Yorker
Spanish for 'rich port', Puerto Rico, a self-governing archipelago located 1,000 miles southeast of Miami between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, has a population of 3.2 million.
Second only to the island itself, 1,800,000 Nuyoricans, (a Puerto Rican/New Yorker) call the Big Apple home. With such a great concentration of residents with Puerto Rican lineage, Alfonso is thrilled to bring the delicious, powerful, and authentic cuisine from his tropical home-away-from-home to Brooklyn.
And the word is getting around, with diners coming from as far as Rhode Island, Philly, and Boston, stopping in to check out Kiosoko 787.
“I opened Kiosko 787 out of a love for my family, community, and Puerto Rican culture."
A culinary haven in the heart of Brooklyn where traditional Puerto Rican flavors are reimagined with a modern twist, “It might not be my Abuelas’ Kitchen, but I’m sure they are looking down proud!"
100% Puerto Rican Owned
488 Carroll Street, Gowanus, Brooklyn, NY
Feliz Navidad!
By Eileen Strauss
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