Adam P.

My friend's thaali was around $6 I think. They are fairly inexpensive. One of the daily specials was potato and pea samosas for 75 cents each.

I don't know the address. I'll post it when I pass by next time. It's located in a small-strip mall on Route 46 East in Parsippany in the same location where the American Lobster Company used to be (quick internet search - 1555 Route 46 East). And yes, those are plastic plates, as they are a take out place. However, there are plenty of nice wood tables to sit out. There is also an adjacent area that I didn't check out that may be a more formal dining area - I'll take a peek next time.

There seems to be plenty of Indian restaurants sprouting up in Parsippany lately, but this one seems a little more interesting than the rest. They specialize in many different kinds of breads - especially dosas. I counted 13 different kinds of dosas on the menu, along with puri/poori breads, roti and some others. I'm expecting they may have even more dosas, since they are converting into a non-vegetarian restaurant (as of today). Today was my first time eating there and I decided to try the masala dosa, which was a giant dosa filled with potatoes, lentils and a light tasty sauce inside. It was served with a fresh coconut and black mustard seed? chutney and sambhar. The dosa was huge, and apparently they have an even bigger sized-one (paper dosa). One of my co-workers ordered the daily lunch special called a Thaali, which is a lunch box filled with various small daily special items. It looked and tasted very good from what I sampled. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the food they are churning out. I will definitely be back to sample some more dishes. Here are a few pictures I took: Masala Dosa: Thaali: Chana Puri/Poori:

I've eaten at the one in Parsippany, as it is close to my workplace. I have to say that I actually enjoy the food they serve. I'm not too keen on the "mock meats" - or as they say on their menu "ingenious blends of ingredients" - but their tofu dishes are pretty good. Since all their stir-fry's are cooked in olive oil, their "Tofu with Tomato and Basil" is very tasty.

Speaking of dumplings...Has anyone tried the Dumpling and Cellophane Noodle Soup listed on the specials board yet?

Ahhh...Those jiaozi. I've had those on the brunch menu listed as "pork & pea shoot dumplings".

Now that I think about it, I've eaten there late a few times and have seen what they eat together as a group when the restaurant is about to close. I saw the rolly-polly fish heads (on tray or in soup). I've also seen large banquet trays of chicken feet, thinly sliced dry beef with hot peppers and giant bowls of Shanghai casserole-looking soups. I have yet to try those jiaozi...I haven't seen them on the specials board. Does Cecil write them as "jiaozi" or some other english translation?

So what did you eat, Qing?? And --- since you have the inside info, what do Cecil and the others eat? ← I would like to know as well. I have been to C46 many times and never bothered to ask the owner (or any of the co-workers) what their favorite dishes are. The past few meals have left me in a state of near food frenzy (j/k...sic). If I remember correctly, Qing, you were extremely helpful in getting me acquainted with some of their best dishes when I first came to eat there.

Wow. I just had an(other) absolutely fantastic dinner at China 46 tonight. I have been on a quest to try every dish on their menu (a daunting task, considering they have so many specials), and stumbled upon a MUST TRY dish off their regular menu for spicy chili lovers; Beef with Vegetable in Roast Pepper Sauce. This dish was amazing. It is their spiciest dish. It will make you cry, figuratively and literally (maybe). It is served beef stew style, similar to the curry beef stew at Penang. It contains melt in your mouth beef with cabbage, cilantro, scallions, thinly sliced garlic, rehyrdrated dried chilis (via the broth) and lots of spicy fire-roasted green chilis. It was sublime; ethereal. A nice smoky flavor and spicy as hell. If they dumped some pinto beans and a little cumin, it would probably win an American chili contest. Highly recommended. I spoke to Connie on the way out and she said they make it with fresh de-boned flounder as well...I think I'll try that next time!

I agree with the previous post. It is also my favorite Chinese take-out place of choice. The "Authentic" items are good, but in no way compare to the same dishes you would find at the likes of say, China 46 or Hunan Cottage. What they do, and they do it well, are American-style Chinese dishes (gourmet take-out).

I'd recommend The Seasons, a good American-style Chinese restaurant with a few authentic dishes to boot. It's right off the Route 3, Bloomfield Ave exit. Hang a right onto Bloomfield Ave; you'll see it on your right in the Styretowne Shopping Plaza.

I have also been there a few times since its opened; most recently yesterday. The food is sublime - I definitely recommend the sweet potato "nest" - but I would concur that the service is scatterbrained. The waiter seemed a little tired and uninterested last night, but it probably stems from the fact that he was the only server there in a nearly packed restaurant! Service improvements still need to be made.

Is that in a good neighborhood? If my memory serves me, that area is pretty seedy. ← Yes, both locations are indeed very seedy. That is why I always order take out!

Haven't been to River Kwai. What dishes would you recommend there? ← For appetizers I would definitely recommend the steamed mussels in chili-lemongrass broth, barbecued crispy duck salad and any of the soups. They also have this new very unique appetizer they call "Angel Wings", which is a molded chicken drumstick that has a batter that tastes very much like McDonald's chicken McNugget batter(!) and it is stuffed with bean thread noodles, ground chicken, and various other veggies. It is served with two different kinds of sweet and/or spicy sauces. Very unique dish to say the least. For entrees I would recommend the crispy duck with green curry, Pad Prik King, Thai omelete and one of my favorites, if they have it - Turnip Cake Pad Thai. Also, alot of their dishes feature asparagus, and one of the best that features it is Pad Nam Mun Hoy - stir fried choice of meat with asparagus, mushrooms and scallions in oyster sauce. Their desserts are also very good, but it requires much willpower to resist heading next door to the Applegate Farms ice cream shop. ← Where in Passaic is El Chevere? What would you reccommend? ← I have only ordered from their first location at 258 Monroe Street in Passaic. Oddly enough, their website only lists their new location, which Rosie previously listed. The online menu also doesn't list one of my favorite dishes - pollos ala brasa. Here is the web address for the second location: http://www.polloselchevere.com/menu/ The dishes I would recommend are: Pollos ala brasa - Marinated rotisserie chicken. Chuleta en Salsa de Ajos - Pork chops in garlic sauce. Basically it's deep fried pork chops smothered in gravy with just about an entire head of thinly sliced garlic on top. Yum! Any of the fried rice dishes - I don't know what they put in the fried rice, but it tastes better than any version I've ever had at any Asian restaurant. Tallarin Verde con Bisteck - Fried green sphaghetti with steak. Basically fried spinach lo mein with steak. I would also recommend any of the ceviche or fish dishes of your liking. Also, all these dishes wouldn't be complete without a side of maduros - fried sweet plaintains and several extra orders of the green hot sauce (aji) to put on everything.

Haven't been to River Kwai. What dishes would you recommend there? ← For appetizers I would definitely recommend the steamed mussels in chili-lemongrass broth, barbecued crispy duck salad and any of the soups. They also have this new very unique appetizer they call "Angel Wings", which is a molded chicken drumstick that has a batter that tastes very much like McDonald's chicken McNugget batter(!) and it is stuffed with bean thread noodles, ground chicken, and various other veggies. It is served with two different kinds of sweet and/or spicy sauces. Very unique dish to say the least. For entrees I would recommend the crispy duck with green curry, Pad Prik King, Thai omelete and one of my favorites, if they have it - Turnip Cake Pad Thai. Also, alot of their dishes feature asparagus, and one of the best that features it is Pad Nam Mun Hoy - stir fried choice of meat with asparagus, mushrooms and scallions in oyster sauce. Their desserts are also very good, but it requires much willpower to resist heading next door to the Applegate Farms ice cream shop.

I'm obviously biased towards Asian food, but here's the list: China 46 - Ridgefield A Taste of Asia - Chatham Wondees - Hackensack Penang - East Hanover River Kwai - Totowa El Chevere - Passaic

The best Peruvian rotisserie chicken in NJ (with green aji), by far, is found at El Chevre on 258 Monroe Street in Passaic. The place is your typical hole in the wall, but the food is outstanding. They also do the best fried rice dishes that I have ever tasted as well as some traditional items, like the purple corn koolaid concoction. Just be prepared to point at the menu if your Spanish speaking skills are lacking. I noticed they also just opened another restaurant in Passaic on Main Street, but I haven't tried that one yet, and I don't remember the exact address.

It really is sad to see such a fantastic restaurant have so few customers. The food is absolutely phenomenal and the service is great. This place is a food lover's paradise. With the voluminous amount of dishes they serve and the quality of those dishes, you could literally spend an entire year just trying different items. A personal thanks to everyone at this forum who recommended this place. A google search for authentic Chinese food in NJ led me to here, which inexorably led me to this restaurant. It seems word of mouth paid off for me and I hope it will for others. I just need to think of new and clever ways to get my friends and coworkers to go to this restaurant.