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China 46

Jason Perlow

By Jason Perlow
in New Jersey: Dining

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Rachel Perlow

Rachel Perlow

Posted
Posted

Sorry Curlz. Next Sunday?

You could really see the construction of them, as well. After you bit down into the soupy part and drank that, there was a cube shaped depression remaining in the shrimp paste. I confirmed with Cecil, the stock is chilled and the shrimp ball is formed around a cube of the gelatin.

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markk

markk

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new Dim Sum item at China 46:

FRIED SOUPY SHRIMP SPHERES.

Best. Shrimp. Balls. EVER.

I meant to post about this item a week ago, and forgot!

I was there two weeks ago, and watching the foods go by - there was a couple in the booth next to me, and they were doing pretty good. I saw the fried Shanghai dumpling come to them, which I'd never had, and ordered it. (Afterwards I learned they were first-timers, but I would say they really got the hang of it, and got a really good taste of the place.) There was also an Asian family in the corner, and boy were they having interesting stuff! At one point something WONDERFUL looking went by; I tried to call the waiter over to ask what it was, but the first-timers next to me also saw it (how could you miss it?) and snagged him. Of course it was the shrimp balls, and the last order to boot. I went back a few nights later and had them, and they were indeed wonderful as you say. How do they do it?

Overheard at the Zabar’s prepared food counter in the 1970’s:

Woman (noticing a large bowl of cut fruit): “How much is the fruit salad?”

Counterman: “Three-ninety-eight a pound.”

Woman (incredulous, and loud): “THREE-NINETY EIGHT A POUND ????”

Counterman: “Who’s going to sit and cut fruit all day, lady… YOU?”

Newly updated: my online food photo extravaganza; cook-in/eat-out and photos from the 70's

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jo-mel

jo-mel

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MarkK -- Thjank you for those great pictures! I've gotta get back there!

And also , thank you for the nice pic of Cecil, his wife and the crew. They are one terrific group. BTW -- is the one, front left, related to Cecil? Looks just like him.

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Rachel Perlow

Rachel Perlow

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The more people you bring, the less it costs per person. When we go with a group, it is generally around $25-30 pp, and we're talking A LOT of very good and interesting food. When it is just the two of you, if you want to try a variety of dishes, you might get a little higher than that, but not by much, it depends. Their full menu is on their website, http://www.china46.com/, and it is BYOB, and the Sunday brunch is an amazing deal, especially because it isn't full of crappy chinese-american food, like most chinese buffets.

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lalaland

lalaland

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Thanks for the info...I'm always looking for great Chinese food. It's so hard--I can't eat from our local take out places anymore--it's always so greasy and I'm too grossed out now :)

Has anyone ever tried Cheng Du 46? It's upscale Szechuan (sp?) and Cantonese I think, and it's my absolute FAVORITE Chinese food. Go there and try the Pork with Jingling Bells or the Chicken and Shrimp rolls...they also have delicious spicy dumplings for an app. We had our rehearsal dinner there 4 years ago and I can't say enough good things about the place...

Also, what kind of Sunday brunch do they have at China 46? I've never had Chinese brunch before :wink:

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tommy

tommy

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Has anyone ever tried Cheng Du 46?  It's upscale Szechuan (sp?) and Cantonese I think, and it's my absolute FAVORITE Chinese food.

please go to China 46 and forget the "other" C46 ever existed. the best thing about chengdu 46, imo, is that it's close to Pub 46, where you can drink beers and watch bad cover bands. and that's not saying very much.

lap dog,

tommy

Edited by tommy (log)
tommy:eats.com
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lalaland

lalaland

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Familiar with Pub46 from my college days :), but come on...Have you ever had those chicken and shrimp rolls from the "other C46?" Spicy heaven...

I will have to try China 46 and let you know...

Also, sounds like it's great for groups...do you think we'll have as good an experience as a solo couple at China 46?

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tommy

tommy

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Also, sounds like it's great for groups...do you think we'll have as good an experience as a solo couple at China 46?

yes you will. and any additional discussion of the "other c46" should be considered irrelevant and off-topic and hopefully will be deleted or moved from this thread. :laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:

tommy:eats.com
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Gary Soup

Gary Soup

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Does anyone know what time China 46 opens on weekdays?

I'll be visiting my daughter in NY next week, but we won't have a car until Friday AM when we will be headed upstate (via 80/81). I would like to at least check out C46's xiaolong bao and other Shanghinese "brunch" items. Their on-line menu only mentions the "Lunch Special" from 11:30 to 4:00 but that may be too late for us.

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jo-mel

jo-mel

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Also, sounds like it's great for groups...do you think we'll have as good an experience as a solo couple at China 46?

yes you will. and any additional discussion of the "other c46" should be considered irrelevant and off-topic and hopefully will be deleted or moved from this thread. :laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:

Just one fast last word on "the other C46" - puleeze?

'toc46' has well prepared food, small servings and never enough for a doggie bag. Their menu is SMALL compared to China 46. (I have both menus infront of me, and there is no comparison) 'toc46' has a pretty standard menu. China 46 has it all - standard, plus innovative, and traditional authentic Chinese.

You may now allow this post to self-destruct --tick, tick, tick-----

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  • 2 weeks later...
lalaland

lalaland

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Had date night at China 46...when we first walked in we were a bit skeptical of the decor and lack of crowd, however as time went on, lots of people came in, and many were Asian so we felt that to be a good sign.

We had the sweet rice dumplings, shrimp dumplings and scallion pancake. All were good, but nothing I could go crazy for--I should say with exception that the scallion pancake was the best that I've had in recent years. For entrees I had the spicy and tangy jumbo shrimp. Husband had gung pao (sp?) chicken. Again both were good, but I wouldn't necessary order them again.

Also, given that they weren't too busy yet when we were ordering, we felt a little rushed by the waiter as we questioned him as to what to try...

I know we need to go back and I feel that I should have more closely read the recommendations of egullet-ers to see what was great to order. Any suggestions on what we must ABSOLUTELY try next time?

Thanks,

Lala

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markk

markk

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Any suggestions on what we must ABSOLUTELY try next time?

Yes - try all of the things shown at this link

The big board of specials by the door should also be your guide. When in doubt, consult with the wonderful owner, Cecil.

Overheard at the Zabar’s prepared food counter in the 1970’s:

Woman (noticing a large bowl of cut fruit): “How much is the fruit salad?”

Counterman: “Three-ninety-eight a pound.”

Woman (incredulous, and loud): “THREE-NINETY EIGHT A POUND ????”

Counterman: “Who’s going to sit and cut fruit all day, lady… YOU?”

Newly updated: my online food photo extravaganza; cook-in/eat-out and photos from the 70's

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tommy

tommy

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lalaland, i know how annoying it is to hear that you "ordered wrong", but, you ordered wrong. :wink:

seriously, the recs on markk's above linked site, and just about everything on this thread, are going to be pretty damned good. and like markk said, if you have any doubts, or are feeling rushed or anything, i wouldn't hesitate to ask for cecil's help.

tommy:eats.com
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lalaland

lalaland

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i know how annoying it is to hear that you "ordered wrong", but, you ordered wrong.

OK...We had that feeling when we were there...Will bring friends there sometime soon to revisit.

My only issue re: the specials board is that it's a bit overwhelming. Am I supposed to memorize these before I'm whisked away to my table?

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jo-mel

jo-mel

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LaLa --- Did you examine that menu closely? The first sections are the usual things you would find on just about any menu, but when you turn the page, the second part lists the Shanghai and other regional favorites.

Their Twice Cooked Pork is wonderful, as well as Shanghai Noodles, House Special Saute with Sesame Buns (small diced pork, tofu, garlic sprouts that is sauteed and stub]ffed into the buns), Chicken with Yellow Chives are a few. They are not way out items. At that link, is a link to their menu that you can read at leisure.

Also, see if you can find the thread to the last two Chinese New Year dinners. Plenty of pictures there.

Once you get to their specials, you will be a believer!

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tommy

tommy

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i know how annoying it is to hear that you "ordered wrong", but, you ordered wrong.

OK...We had that feeling when we were there...Will bring friends there sometime soon to revisit.

My only issue re: the specials board is that it's a bit overwhelming. Am I supposed to memorize these before I'm whisked away to my table?

no, you shouldn't be expected to memorize it. any more than you'd be expected to memorize specials that are recited at just about every other restaurant that doesn't print them on a menu (which, in my experience, is too many). but you might consider taking it in for a few minutes. i've never had a problem narrowing down choices from that menu to a few choices. and when you're confused, or undecided, ask cecil. the number of specials on their menu, to me, is one of the aspects of this restaurant that makes it great. i understand that this might not be for everyone, however.

personally, i'm whisked, and then i go back to take a look at the big specials menu with my partners. it's part of the fun for me.

tommy:eats.com
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markk

markk

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My only issue re: the specials board is that it's a bit overwhelming.  Am I supposed to memorize these before I'm whisked away to my table?

No, of course you're not supposed to memorize them.

But you have to get in the spirit of the place and realize the need for the board, and why it should take precedence for you over the large, printed menu, in the same way that you're always wiser to order from any restaurant's list of daily specials.

sign.jpg

Of course, this board is so large and daunting that it could be asked why they don't bring it table side. Still, this is not the kind of place where you stand on ceremony - this is the kind of place where you go to pig-out on sumptuous foods. So what happens is that most people stand around the board with Cecil or Paul and go through the items one by one, and have a discussion, which usually ends in an order being composed and written down.

juicy.jpg

Another thing you can do is take home a copy of the menu (the take-out one is identical to the printed one) and study which are the Shanghai dishes. Then with that knowledge, you'll realize the next time that a number of those are appearing on the board [as if to say they're especially good that night], and Cecil will help you plan a feast.

jp-wonton-f.jpg

Don't let this sound like a lot of work.

lobster-shanghai.jpg

Think of it as an adventure, the kind most diners wish they could have. Lots of diners pay a fortune to go off to far away lands to try to have this kind of adventure, and this one you can have right here in New Jersey.

jp-i8974-f.jpg

So be grateful for the confusion and use it to your advantage - discuss with Cecil as if you're in a foreign country and are not shy, and want the best meal you can get in this "strange new and wonderful place".

jp-i8979-f.jpg

Look at what other people are eating, don't be afraid to point and ask, and don't feel rushed to order a few things from the printed menu when you get there.

shoulder-2.jpg

Well, I think it's the case more or less that each of the regulars whose posts go on and on about how wonderful this place is and who post photos of all the treasures have taken an attitude similar to this, and you're welcome to join in the fun. It's not your mother's chinese restaurant, that's for sure.

(And these are NOT all my photos either, for sure. Many thanks to Jason for allowing me to inverweave his photos into this story!)

Edited by markk (log)

Overheard at the Zabar’s prepared food counter in the 1970’s:

Woman (noticing a large bowl of cut fruit): “How much is the fruit salad?”

Counterman: “Three-ninety-eight a pound.”

Woman (incredulous, and loud): “THREE-NINETY EIGHT A POUND ????”

Counterman: “Who’s going to sit and cut fruit all day, lady… YOU?”

Newly updated: my online food photo extravaganza; cook-in/eat-out and photos from the 70's

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markk

markk

Posted
Posted
Sunday Brunch at China 46 reminder. Mmm.

Are people going today? What time(s) will the various eGulleteers be there?

Overheard at the Zabar’s prepared food counter in the 1970’s:

Woman (noticing a large bowl of cut fruit): “How much is the fruit salad?”

Counterman: “Three-ninety-eight a pound.”

Woman (incredulous, and loud): “THREE-NINETY EIGHT A POUND ????”

Counterman: “Who’s going to sit and cut fruit all day, lady… YOU?”

Newly updated: my online food photo extravaganza; cook-in/eat-out and photos from the 70's

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