New Chinese Delivery Option

[brescd01]

I have known about this option for a while but I never actually tried delivery until yesterday and what we got was very good. New Golden Palace, 801 Washington, 627-2822/89.

They will prepare dim sum at any time of the day. Furthermore, they will deliver it. The food we had was not up to the highest Chinatown standard, but it was recognizably "Chinatown quality" and not "Chinese-American."

Now, to clarify definitions, so far as I know, the ONLY restaurant in Philadelphia without exception (until New Golden Palace), that delivers Chinatown quality Chinese food is Szechuan Tasty House. I would say all the food was on the same level as STH delivery though not on the same level as STH's best dishes. The dim sum ranged from acceptable to very good. In the context of "Chinatown quality" I would say the dim sum was one step below what Lakeside used to serve, and I always considered that one step below the best I had had in NYC. Were I to have a numbered system and the best dumplings I had in NYC were a 5, Lakeside's would have been a 4, STH's food in general would be a 3 with their best dishes a 3.5, the best non-Chinatown delivery I have had here would be a "zero" and I would rate New Golden Palace a "3."

[Andrew Fenton]

Which dishes did you particularly like?

[brescd01]

Most of the dim sum was good not great. Really basic dishes like fried rice or chow fun are good. Salt baked things are okay. Other dishes are spotty. The main quality of this place is that it will prepare dim sum all day all week, and deliver it, as well as that it delivers food that is recognizably "Chinatown" Chinese food.

[KatieLoeb]

See, if I want "Chinatown" Chinese food I almost always want to eat it in Chinatown. It just isn't the same at home. "Take out Chinese" is its own category and what I expect when I order for delivery.

I'm not sure I want those two worlds colliding.

[brescd01]

I am surprised to read you writing that, Katie. You were one of the people most enamoured of Szechuan Tasty House, and I thought STH's claim to fame is that it is heads and shoulders above the glop that most delivered Chinese is. New Golden Palace is heads and shoulders above the glop, plus you can get dim sum any time, both of these qualities are unique. What was Lakside's claim to fame? That it served dim sum all the time. I am not sure anyone thought there dim sum was qualitatively better than dim sum served elsewhere in Chinatown. But on a Saturday Night with a Will Smith or Will Ferrell DVD in the home theater....

[philadining]

...What was Lakside's claim to fame? That it served dim sum all the time. I am not sure anyone thought there dim sum was qualitatively better than dim sum served elsewhere in Chinatown....

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I did. Most of the folks that I've gone out for dim sum with did.

A group of us hit New Golden Palace for (eat-in) dim sum a while back and we thought it was pretty good. But I'm not sure any of us realized that they'd deliver dim sum any time of day, so sincerely, thanks for that info!

Edited June 16, 2008 by philadining (log)

[KatieLoeb]

Don't get me wrong. I love love love Szechuan Tasty House, and because they deliver, I love them even more. Especially because the ambiance there is a bit lacking. But I tend to hit Chinatown late at night, after a shift at work, and there's nothing better than rolling into Ken's Seafood, Xiao Guan Garden or David's Mai Lai Wah at 2:15 in the morning and sitting and drinking the tea, eating the crunchy noodles and people watching, because it's always a show.

More often than not, when I order Chinese delivery (with the exception of STH) I get exactly what I'm expecting, and that's just fine. I even order differently. I'd likely never order General Tsao's Chicken in Chinatown. It's "American Chinese" food. I wish more Chinatown places delivered, but they don't. When I'm sick as a dog with a head cold I'll still call Lee How Fook and drag my sickly ass out to pick up Hot & Sour soup because it's the cure for all that ails me.

I'll certainly give New Golden Palace a try. And thank you for the heads up on it. I think I'll have to go in person first though, so I have an idea of what my options are if I were to call for delivery. If it really is Chinatown quality food, I'd definitely order more the way I do when in Chinatown.

[mattohara]

yeah this is interesting because i just had takeout american-chinese from there. it was late, we were tired and had no menu. we just ordered orange beef and sweet/sour chicken. they were both horrible. but that might be because they're much better at making real chinese food.

also if you're in the area and in the mood for the above dishes check out Asia @ Cafe, just around the corner on 8th street.

[brescd01]

Oy vey, orange beef and sweet and sour chicken, you were just begging for it weren't you? I would predict they would be crummy. Remember, I am recommending dim sum for delivery and basic Chinatown dishes, anything involving sauces is risky.

2:15 AM? I didn't know Chinatown stays open that late!

Edited June 18, 2008 by brescd01 (log)

[philadining]

2:15 AM? I didn't know Chinatown stays open that late!

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Xiao Guan, Ken's, David's all hopping until about 3. I think David's might be open until 4 on the weekends?

[deprofundis]

2:15 AM? I didn't know Chinatown stays open that late!

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Xiao Guan, Ken's, David's all hopping until about 3. I think David's might be open until 4 on the weekends?

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How about Tai Lake? Open til 3am 7 days a week. Good fish and frog tanks too.