Street Food—Chinatown Edition

[weinoo]

Last night, we saw a show in midtown, and then took the subway home; the first train to come lets us off near one of my favorite street food vendors. The cart, which is on the NW corner of Grand Street and Chrystie Street, is manned by what appears to be a husband and wife team...

 

 

They work well together. She takes orders and money AND helps cook. Everything is on skewers, and cooked over charcoal (Royal Oak), which combines nicely with the scent of gasoline from their generator alongside.  Significant Eater demurs - but I like the stuff, though I generally take a bunch of skewers home and get them nice and hot in the steam oven!

 

[Duvel]

No pictures of the actual food ..?

 

 

[weinoo]

3 minutes ago, Duvel said:

No pictures of the actual food ..?

 

Hmmm - not last night, but I still have a few I plan on having for lunch today, so...

Edited December 14, 2021 by weinoo (log)

[weinoo]

@Duvel...

 

 

Chicken wings, pork, lamb, enoki, and rice cakes.  

 

Many people stand right near the cart to eat their skewers. I tend not to, because by a certain point in the evening, half the people hanging around are, as the cops might say, skells.

 

These are daytime skells, still playing the old shell game...

 

 

Do NOT play this game, if you happen to come upon it in your strolls!

[rotuts]

I saw a PBS cooking show recently 

 

cant remember which one , button ATK nor MS

 

and the guest was Chinese and discussed the 

 

breakdown ( over COVID ) of many small eateries 

 

and the possibilities that these types of businesses

 

might not recover  sufficiently to add to the vitality of

 

an area like Chinatown .  Any Chinatown.

 

pics were I think NYC.

 

Your Thoughts , from Street Level ?

 

in thinking about this :

 

It was Grace Young  , on Sara Moulton's show :

 

episode 1005.

 

 

Edited December 14, 2021 by rotuts (log)

[weinoo]

2 minutes ago, rotuts said:

Your Thoughts , from Street Level ?

 

Not that surprising, but on my recent walks through Chinatown, it was very busy - like almost pre pandemic levels of people on the street, going about their tasks.

 

More "for rent" signs than in the past for sure. And plenty of new places opening up like all the time.

[KennethT]

I have to stop by that place some time... I was looking for some good Chuan'r now that my beloved Le Sia is no longer in my neighborhood....

 

And who the hell falls for the 3 card monte (or shell game) anymore????  What is it, 1981?

[Anna N]

1 hour ago, weinoo said:

Chicken wings, pork, lamb, enoki, and rice cakes.  

Boy would I be happy to see something like that on my street. Ha ha. The suburbs are not welcoming venues for such wonders. 

[scott123]

I like to think of myself as being open to other cultures... but... chicken tendon?  Beef tendon, absolutely, but, chicken?

[heidih]

14 minutes ago, scott123 said:

I like to think of myself as being open to other cultures... but... chicken tendon?  Beef tendon, absolutely, but, chicken?

Well a non native English speaker might mean "tender" by that spelling. Or it miht be cartilage like this https://asian-recipe.com/chicken-cartilage-yakitori-recipe-nankotsu-10123  Sure @weinoo will clarify

[Anna N]

18 minutes ago, scott123 said:

I like to think of myself as being open to other cultures... but... chicken tendon?  Beef tendon, absolutely, but, chicken?

A tendon is a tendon!  

[Kim Shook]

2 hours ago, weinoo said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is that on the upper left?  The one with the leggy things?

[heidih]

51 minutes ago, Kim Shook said:

What is that on the upper left?  The one with the leggy things?

I was wondering how you'd skewer enoki mushrooms - that one is a candidate for clever?

[Duvel]

1 hour ago, heidih said:

Well a non native English speaker might mean "tender" by that spelling. Or it miht be cartilage like this https://asian-recipe.com/chicken-cartilage-yakitori-recipe-nankotsu-10123  Sure @weinoo will clarify

Nope, tendon it is. Cf. the beef tendon written under it and check the Chinese. Not an English typo.

 

The tendon is a tough fatty part with - well - the tendon running through it somewhat under the breast fillet. It withstands the heat of the grill well and gets a bit “crunchy” when grilled without drying out.

Edited December 14, 2021 by Duvel (log)

[heidih]

51 minutes ago, Duvel said:

Nope, tendon it is. Cf. the beef tendon written under it and check the Chinese. Not an English typo.

 

Of course I didn't - my horrible habit (needing breaking) of typing before fully thinking it through  Thanks for your clarity and clarification.

[weinoo]

The upper left is indeed enoki, wrapped with a little bit of, let's say pig fat.

 

The pork skewers tend to lean, ummm, towards fat. Lamb is more meaty, and I've never tried any of the beef things. Chicken hearts, tips, and gizzards are great, @scott123 will be happy to learn. I couldn't believe it when the woman told me it was $23 - then I realized I'd ordered 2 of most everything!!

 

Everything is seasoned aggressively, with cumin, salt, and spicy if you want it that way...and who doesn't?

 

The wings and everything else I devoured for lunch today were all fantastic.

 

I still have to try the fish ball, the fish tofu, the chives, the sausage, and the hot dog.

 

Note the exhaust fan...which exhausts directly at every single passing car, bicyclist, idiot on an electric scooter, moron on a segway, and pedestrian - if they're stupid enough to walk that way.