Your favorite Chinese restaurant dishes in NY

[Pan]

So, what'll it be?

I'll take the black pepper eel, the cold beef tendon in hot oil, and the juicy buns at Yeah Shanghai Deluxe; the cold cucumber, cold tripe and tongue in hot oil, and Chonqing Style Chicken at Sichuan Dynasty in Flushing; Aui Zhou Chicken at Grand Sichuan on 50th St.; Tofu and Mixed Vegetables and Roast Chicken with Whole Garlic Cloves from the two-sided Chinese-only menu at Congee Village; and the lamb casserole at Super Taste House on Division St.; and I'll finish off with kaya-filled pao and a piece of cold coconut gelatin at Jing Fong for dessert.

What about you?

[tryska]

my queendom for decent garlic sauce. on anything, but preferably broccoli. they don't make it right down here. :(

[slkinsey]

We love the spicy cold beef tendon at Grand Sichuan. And the freshly killed kung pao chicken is, of course, one of their great dishes.

Chonqing Style Chicken

I wonder if this is what Fat Guy and I ordered by mistake one time, thinking it was something else. When we ordered it the waiter's eyebrows shot up as if to say, "these guys are ordering this?" Then, when Steven said to make sure everything was nice and spicy, he chuckled and said, "oh, don't worry... it's gonna be spicy, all right!" Anyway, what came to table was something that looked like an enormous bowl of whole red chilis. Mixed in among the chilis was around 10% worth of bone-in chunks of chicken. Once we were finished laughing, it turned out to be really good.

For people like me who do most of their eating in Manhattan, I'll be interested to see how many dishes are not from Grand Sichuan. I used to be big on the Joe's Shanghai soup dumplings... but China 46 has spoiled me, I'm afraid, and for one-third the price.

[Jason Perlow]

Kung Pao "no long time refrigerated" Chicken at Grand Sichuan international Midtown. No question is the best rendition of this dish ANYWHERE in NY.

[scamhi]

Grand Sichuan on 2nd Ave and 54th

second sisters rabbit (hacked rabbit pieces with lots of chili oil and scechuan peppercorns)

Pan, the above is a great dish similar to the beef tendon dish at Yeah

fish filet with bean curd flower ( ma po tofu with lightly fried fish filet)

Grand Sichuan on 9th Ave and 24th

Sour string beans

tea smoked duck

fried baby quail

Joe's Shanghai on Pell

Braised bean curd over spinach

eel with yellow chives

Oriental Seafood Garden on Elizabeth St

Casserole of eggplant stuffed with shrimp paste and fish maw with black bean sauce

ma po tofu

[SobaAddict70]

GS in midtown: in addition to the ones above, pork belly with chestnuts; pumpkin, homestyle

GS East on 2nd Avenue in Midtown East: stir-fried chicken skin and chiles. Haven't been back there in a while.

Oriental Garden: besides what scamhi mentions, steamed oysters in black bean sauce -- these are GIANT oysters topped with scallions, ginger and black bean sauce. They'll make a convert out of oyster haters.

Blanched "live" shrimp with dipping sauce. These are shrimp that are lightly blanched for ten or less seconds, barely enough to cook them and served in their shell. Almost as sweet as candy.

Soba

[Fat Guy]

The almond-crusted shrimp at Sweet 'N Tart are right up there. I'd place those in the category of best-as-in-unique-and-excellent as opposed to best-rendition-of-a-particular-dish. Are you all with me on that distinctions?

[Rachel Perlow]

I love those. I've begged the management at Silver Pond (Fort Lee, NJ) to put them into their dim sum rotation.

[Eric_Malson]

As much as I love Grand Sichuan, Wu Liang Ye on W. 48th St. wins on two counts: "double-cooked fresh bacon with spicy capsicum" (the best twice-cooked pork I've tried anywhere) and the cold appetizer "hand-shredded chicken with spicy sesame vinaigrette". This location, btw, has better food than than the other ones.

I have slightly different favorites at GS 9th Ave. @ 51st:

Braised beef filets in chili sauce

Sliced pork (belly) with garlic sauce (cold appetizer)

ma-po tofu

smoked tea duck

...and another vote for their beef tendon in red pepper sauce

And in the "best-as-in-unique-and-excellent" category, their stir-fried cured pork with garlic shoot, form the "Mao's home cooking" section.....outstanding. Also, if you ask them, they will prepare beef the same way as their Au-zhou chicken, and I think that dish is even better.

Joe's Shanghai:

the best dish I've tried here was a half (I think) steamed chicken which was served on a big platter in a very light sauce (wine sauce, maybe? I can't quite remember)....simple, fresh, marvelous. The soup dumplings paled in comparison.

[jogoode]

Keep'em coming. I'm taking notes. Strangely, I haven't eaten much Chinese food in NY. (And no I haven't been to Grand Sichuan. )

[jogoode]

my queendom for decent garlic sauce. on anything, but preferably broccoli. they don't make it right down here. :(

down where?

[Pan]

The almond-crusted shrimp at Sweet 'N Tart are right up there. I'd place those in the category of best-as-in-unique-and-excellent as opposed to best-rendition-of-a-particular-dish. Are you all with me on that distinctions?

Yes, good distinction, and it makes me think of a dish I've had at the Chelsea Grand Sichuan, also from the "Mao's Home Cooking" section Eric Malson referred to:

Duck with Bitter Melon.

The diced bitter melon complements the black pepper-covered duck really well. My father and I liked this dish very much, but the melon was too bitter for my mother. Some dishes that I think are great are not for everyone.

[Fat Guy]

As much as I love Grand Sichuan, Wu Liang Ye on W. 48th St. wins on two counts: "double-cooked fresh bacon with spicy capsicum" (the best twice-cooked pork I've tried anywhere) and the cold appetizer "hand-shredded chicken with spicy sesame vinaigrette". This location, btw, has better food than than the other ones.

Because I live within delivery radius of the East 86th Street branch of Wu Liang Ye, I have a ton of experience with this menu. I agree wth 48th Street location is better on balance, but if you engage in good management practices vis-a-vis the 86th Street location you can do just as well. There are actually quite a few Wu Liang Ye dishes that I'd say are bests, when they're good:

-Shredded chicken & mung bean noodles with spicy garlic soy vinaigrette. I think this is a superior dish to the mung bean noodles dish at GSIM, which Jason and I fondly refer to as "Klingon noodles."

-Julienne jellyfish with scallion pesto. Of the jellyfish dishes I've had, this is the best, FWIW.

-Dan dan noodles. WLY's version is superior to GSIM's.

-Tea smoked duck. I've had it several times at WLY and only once at GSIM, but I didn't think it was particularly good at GSIM.

-Sea cucumber with Sichuan chili and minced pork. Bizarre, excellent dish.

-Cellophane noodles w/ minced pork, also known in some quarters as "ants climb on tree." WLY's is the best in town in my opinion.

-Crispy tangerine prawns. Man does this dish suck when the restaurant has an off night, but on the occasions when they nail it this is a superb dish: it's the only orange/tangerine flavored thing I've ever approved of in a Chinese restaurant.

[bpearis]

Congee Village: Razorclams with Black Bean Sauce at Congee Village; Congee with frog and preserved egg; this eel casserole thing, don't know the name. snow pea shoots w/ garlic

NY Noodletown: the salt-baked squid (or soft shell crab), the roast baby pig, the shredded duck with flowering chives, the pea shoots, sea bass with lemon sauce. It's kinda hard to go wrong there.

Funky Broome: pork-stuffed lotus root hot pot; tiny little whole deep-friend snow fish (you eat it head, bones and all); anything BFT style (fried and showed in minced peppers and cilantro)

Dim Sum Go-Go: the roast chicken with crispy garlic stems; white sea fungus w/ chinese broccoli; most of their dim sum is very good (snow pea leaf and three-star dumpings are my faves)

GS International @ 9th and 51st: wontons in red oil; braised beef fillets with chili sauce (hottest thing i've ever eaten in my life); that "green parot" spinach dish; smoked tea duck; tofu family style; gui zhou spicy chicken; red cooking pork with chesnuts

The dumplings at Fried Dumpling.

[Fat Guy]

Fried pork dumplings at New Green Bo. As much as I enjoy the Fried Dumpling and Dumpling House dumplings -- and for value they can't be beat -- I've got to give New Green Bo the crown.

[Jason Perlow]

Fried pork dumplings at New Green Bo. As much as I enjoy the Fried Dumpling and Dumpling House dumplings -- and for value they can't be beat -- I've got to give New Green Bo the crown.

Really? I've never had these. And I've never been to the restaurant, actually.

[slkinsey]

Still... the Fried Dumpling and Dumpling House dumplings are very good, and the amazing fact is that you and I can go there and eat ourselves into a stupor for something like seven-fifty. And that's not apiece, that's for both of us!

[Jason Perlow]

I love those. I've begged the management at Silver Pond (Fort Lee, NJ) to put them into their dim sum rotation.

I've never seen these at any NY/NJ area dim sum place besides Sweet and Tart. I agree, the toasted slivers of almond over the shrimp paste covered shrimp and deep fried are an amazing combo.

[slkinsey]

Fried pork dumplings at New Green Bo. As much as I enjoy the Fried Dumpling and Dumpling House dumplings -- and for value they can't be beat -- I've got to give New Green Bo the crown.

Really? I've never had these. And I've never been to the restaurant, actually.

I sense an outing in the offing.

[bpearis]

Still... the Fried Dumpling and Dumpling House dumplings are very good, and the amazing fact is that you and I can go there and eat ourselves into a stupor for something like seven-fifty. And that's not apiece, that's for both of us!

$7.50 could stuff four people to the gills at Fried Dumpling.

[slkinsey]

Still... the Fried Dumpling and Dumpling House dumplings are very good, and the amazing fact is that you and I can go there and eat ourselves into a stupor for something like seven-fifty.  And that's not apiece, that's for both of us!

$7.50 could stuff four people to the gills at Fried Dumpling.

Okay... but, for the sake of clarity, Steven and I can easily eat enough food for four people between the two of us.

[tryska]

my queendom for decent garlic sauce.  on anything, but preferably broccoli.  they don't make it right down here.  :(

down where?

atlanta ga.

apparently rather than garlic sauce, they do oyster sauce for everything. and it's sweet. :(

[eatpie]

Egg Rolls from Bill Hong on E 56th St

BBQ Pork Chop Noodle Soup, Cuttle Fish Balls at Bo Ky on Bayard

Minced Squab with Lettuce Leaves at Phoenix Garden on 40th

Soup "buns" at New Green Bo

Garlic Chicken at Dim Sum Go Go

Peking Duck at Shun Lee Palace

[Bux]

I like the garlic chicken at Dim Sum GoGo, but I think it was even better at Sweet-n-Tart.

I really like the flavor and variety of dumplings at Dim Sum GoGo, although I should note in both cases that I haven't been there lately.

The sauteed turnip cake at Sweet-n-Tart is also exemplary.

Unfortunately a few of my favorite Shanghai dishes were from Shanghai Village on Grand Street, but it disappeared from sight in October. The soup buns were contenders. They had a great Shanghai noodle soup and a dozen other dishes we loved and we were still working our way though the menu.

Joe's Ginger is not the favorite that's closest to us. Love the braised bean curd with spinach and meat sauce though I'm not sure it's as good as the one I remember from the related Joe's Shanghai.

Funky Broome had a lot of unusual, interesting and good dishes, but the insane noise drove me away eventually.

[SobaAddict70]

Okay... but, for the sake of clarity, Steven and I can easily eat enough food for four people between the two of us.

Obviously you haven't yet had the pleasure of going mano-a-mano with JJ and me.

Soba