NJ eGullet Chinese New Year Dinner at China 46

[pnapoli]

Rachel, Rosie, and Kim deserve a lot of credit for organizing such a large party. Thank you!

definitely. it was so much fun, and the food (quantity and quality) was incredible.

thank you!

[Curlz]

Kudos to Rachel, Jason, Rosie, et al for choosing such a terrific menu for tonight's gathering...it was a great way to sample new dishes and see what C46 is capable of. I'll certainly go back SOON! I think my favorite items were the soup dumplings, the stuffed chicken, and the crab, but I really enjoyed all of it. More specifics to follow, but just wanted to say thanks again--it was great meeting so many of you!

[Fat Guy]

We should do it every Sunday.

[SobaAddict70]

I'll second that, El Gordo.

As I was drinking the soup, I kept thinking of a similar kind of soup that they do at Oriental Garden. The version at OG consists of a stock made from a just swimming, freshly killed grouper, along with tofu, straw mushrooms, mustard greens and Chinese chives. This version at China 46 clearly gives the one at OG a run for its money, and that's no joke. Hmm, maybe a return visit to OG is in order.

I'm only sorry I didn't get a chance to have the rice cake or long life noodles.

Those spicy capiscum (sp) noodles were another hit. Not sure what Sam would have thought if he had been there.

Soba

[Pan]

Let me clarify: I figured those Capsicum Noodles were for long life. I wasn't looking at the official list of dishes. There was no other noodle dish.

[Rachel Perlow]

Yes, there was the rice cake at the end. I assumed we should have some sort of long noodle dish at the end, but Cecil said that rice cakes are for New Years, and long noodles are for birthdays.

[marlena spieler]

oh, you guys, it sounds like your welcoming of year of the monkey, soooo good.

i did treat myself to a selection of longevity buns.

and enjoyed a very divine lion dance.

gung hay fat choy to you all!

[pbrodsky]

I wish to thank everybody involved in organizing this extraordinary dinner. I second the motion to do it more often.

It's hard to pick favorites. I vote for the noodles, the dumplings (all of them), the soup, the shrimp. and the duck.

PS

And I wish to complement Jason on the photographs.

Edited January 26, 2004 by pbrodsky (log)

[Guest johnh91011]

I knew we were in for a long wonderful gourmet evening after I realized that the dumplings were the 1st course (all 3 of them) of 11 to come.

My favorite were the soup, wrapped flounder, the shrimp and the chicken with sticky rice.

We should do this type of get together more often.

John

[jhlurie]

oh, you guys, it sounds like your welcoming of year of the monkey, soooo good.

i did treat myself to a selection of longevity buns.

and enjoyed a very divine lion dance.

gung hay fat choy to you all!

Or as we say around here... gung hay fat guy!

[tommy]

jason, aside from "Peking Duck Exhibit D" , you've outdone yourself with these photos. beautiful.

Edited January 26, 2004 by tommy (log)

[Jason Perlow]

jason, aside from "Peking Duck Exhibit D" , you've outdone yourself with these photos. beautiful.

Exhibit D was either taken by Fat Guy or Rachel...

[Rachel Perlow]

That would be me. He was moving fast and Jason had the camera set to some funky closeup mode. I just snapped away hoping for something decent. I though that pic was kind of cool, it showed some movement.

Edit: OK it sucks.

Edited January 26, 2004 by Rachel Perlow (log)

[Curlz]

Now that I've been telling people about our meal yesterday, I realize that the two things I mention first are the soup dumplings and the flounder, which I left off my original list. I agree that the fish was just beautifully done--simple and delicious!

And what great pics! Thanks again.

[Rosie]

Wanted to also thank Kim for keeping the list. I thought I was in heaven after the dumplings but it just kept getting better and better.

[Suzanne F]

What everybody else already said: a huge THANK YOU to the organizers, list-keepers, menu-choosers, ride-providers, etc. etc. And to Cecil (whom we thought Jason was calling "Sea-salt" at one point; maybe that's because our table had the most bottles of wine?) and the restaurant staff -- Great job!

Many of the dishes were new to me: Chive box dumpling, Ruby Pork, Fried Tofu-skin Wrapped Flounder, Capsicum Cellophane Noodles -- and whether old or new, all were delicious! I have to say, the Sticky-Rice Stuffed Chicken was far superior to the one last year at Sweet n Tart: better presentation, more actual chicken meat, and neat stuff like lotus seeds and red dates in the rice.

It was great to see some familiar faces and some new ones.

And, yes: gung hay fat guy!

[Helena Robinson]

It was so nice to see you all last evening! For those who didn't know, Ken and I were the ones in not-quite-matching red sweaters who sat in the booth at the entrance to the room. I was wearing a turban; Ken later "wore" his camera, which he used to take lots of pictures (and four small videos) of the Lion Dance.

Honestly, Ken actually tried to post the pictures early this morning (like around six), only to discover he no longer had posting privileges on eGullet.

So, for those of you who've been waiting to see these... You can find them here.

I'll post my report about our meal later today or this evening. I spent the morning tweaking my resume in preparation for applying for yet another job.

Looking forward to seeing you again somewhere!

[herbacidal]

And, yes: gung hay fat guy! 

actually, they're northerners, so it probably should be more like:

gong xi fa cai (pinyin spelling)

GONG SHEE FAA CHAI (pronounciation)

And that's only Mandarin Chinese. We haven't even gotten into Shanghaiese yet.

Edited January 26, 2004 by herbacidal (log)

[Rachel Perlow]

Helena - thank Ken for putting up those pics and videos. He probably hadn't posted in several months, which is why his account was set to read only -- Jason refreshed his account for him.

To get the "real life" effect from those videos, turn up the volume all the way! And watch them over and over for about a half-hour!

[kenrbnsn]

thank Ken for putting up those pics and videos

You're welcome ... now that I can post again.

Now that I have a job again (I start next monday), we should be able to start eating out again and come to more eGullet restaurant gatherings.

[howard88]

Thank you for organizing a great evening and a great menu. Your time and efforts are truly appreciated, Rachel, Kim, Jason et al.

I totally enjoyed the company; MarkyMark and Jamie and spouses and Rosie and everyone at our table. My plus three were totally enthused by the food and company.

I loved the capsicum noodles as a starter, great texture and perfect heat. Soup dumplings were delicate and sweet. The tofu wrapped flounder, delicate and smooth. Duck terrific. Rice cakes, very different with a toothsome texture. Ruby pork stuffed in those luscious sesame buns, over the top. Soup, smooth lite and flavorful. I loved it all.

I am in for the next banquet and can't wait.

China 46 rocks. egullet, the best.

Howard

[jo-mel]

Gong Xi! Gong Xi!

After seeing all those fantabulous pictures, I was having taste sensations all over again!

I can't pick a favorite, as each dish had its own merits, but if they were all in front of me, right now, I might pick a Chive Box Dumpling. No --- wait! Maybe a bit of chicken with that wonderful stuffing. But gee--- the Tofu Wrapped flounder was a texture sensation delight --- (even without the ketchup) so I think I'll try that instead!!

AARRGGHHHH! I can't choose!!!

If I had to pick one dish that would be at the bottom of the list, it would be the Seafood Soup ---- BUT--- not because I liked it the least. It was a "superior' soup indeed. I think I didn't appreciate it as much as I would have, if I was able to sip and savor. The strong flavors proceeding it didn't allow its subtle perfection to stand out. But that is just me. It did have its place, tho. It was a little pool of calm between the opening dishes and cleared the way for the wonders to come.

It was great to put faces to names. Next time, I'm going to table hop as there are a few blank spaces I want to fill.

Again, thanks to all who put this together and to Cecil and his wonderful staff. The kitchen is obviously excellent, but the waiters, altho very busy, still gave time to gratiously answer a question or two. A little thanks to the Weatherman, also. He came through for us!!

I will certainly be going back as there are many dishes on the menu I want to try.

[Rosie]

Thank you for organizing a great evening and a great menu.  Your time and efforts are truly appreciated, Rachel, Kim, Jason et al. 

I totally enjoyed the company; MarkyMark and Jamie and spouses and Rosie and everyone at our table.  My plus three were totally enthused by the food and company.

I loved the capsicum noodles as a starter, great texture and perfect heat.  Soup dumplings were delicate and sweet.  The tofu wrapped flounder, delicate and smooth.  Duck terrific.  Rice cakes, very different with a toothsome texture.  Ruby pork stuffed in those luscious sesame buns, over the top.  Soup, smooth lite and flavorful.  I loved it all. 

I am in for the next banquet and can't wait.

China 46 rocks.  egullet, the best.

Howard

For the record I wasn't at Howard88's table but I did try to steal some of their duck!

[ruffian8]

Loved it all-especially the ruby pork stuffed into the sesame bun. And special thanks to MarkyMark, who taught me the proper way to transfer the soup dumplings to the spoon so as not to puncture them before eating!

[Helena Robinson]

Since I know Rosie's anxious for this report...

This was our first experience at China 46. As such, we wanted to try things we'd never (or rarely) had before at a Chinese restaurant, having read all the rave reviews in the past (not to mention more than a few glances at the menu). With that, here's what we had last night:

1. Puffed Tofu and Cellophane Noodle Soup: This featured LONG noodles - so long that the server had a most difficult time serving it, using chopsticks in addition to the ladle. (Eating them was only slightly less challenging.) I loved the texture of the tofu; and the soup was served at just the right temperature, which made Ken very happy (he has a campaign of sorts against soup being served too hot). All in all, a very tasty start to the meal.

2. Spicy Capsicum Cellophane Noodles: The reason we didn't sit with the eGullet folks last night was because we do not eat pork or shellfish. This dish started out as the downer of the evening. When we ordered our meal, we sought to clarify whether the noodles came with any meat. We were told that there was shredded pork, so we asked that it be left off. Well... The dish arrived with chicken and shrimp; which Ken sent back. To the kitchen's credit, they made up a fresh order that contained chicken; which Ken picked out (as much as he could) for me. (I'm not fond of chicken; eating it only when required, if you know what I mean.) Nevertheless, this "fire-breathing spicy (Ken's words)" dish was fun to eat - and made us wonder about the spicy entrees we ordered. We also regretted not bringing any wine - this dish desperately needed a Riesling.

3. Steamed Red Bean Paste Buns: I remember the first time we ever had dim sum (many years ago, somewhere in Massachusetts, invited by a friend in New Hampshire) that this was one of the few things we could eat. Since I hadn't had it since, I suggested we try this dish. Although I liked the dish better than Ken did, it proved to be the right thing to have after the noodles, from which Ken said his mouth was trying to recover.

4. Flounder Filet Sauteed in Spicy Hot Sauce: This was Ken's entree, which he pronounced "very flavorful." Alas, since he was still feeling the effects of the noodles, it took awhile for him to notice the spice in this dish. Also, since the noodles set the "spiciness" bar so high, the dish now didn't seem spicy enough. However, since this was such a large portion, we took it home for this evening's dinner; when Ken said he could really appreciate the spice (pleasant without being overwhelming) and I could enjoy it as well.

5. Beef with Hot Green Pepper and Firmed Bean Curd: This was an interesting-looking dish, with the shredded tofu adding textural and visual appeal. Although it was tasty, this dish was nothing more special than you'd find in any other shredded beef dish most anywhere else.

6. Dessert - Sweet Rice Ball Dipped with Peanuts: This arrives as 8 small balls; perfect for two or more diners. As it was, we only ate half of them. Although they weren't as cloyingly sweet as I had anticipated, they made a satisfying ending to a different kind of dinner.

We're already looking forward to our next visit!