China 46

[Rachel Perlow]

Wow! I won't be throwing anything, but I will say I've never seen this kind of behavior there before. What a shame it ruined your Mother's Day. For what it's worth, I've found that it usually seems the asian families are seated in the first room and there are more caucasians in the nicer looking room.

Also, we've talked to Cecil about what to put on the tables at the beginning of the meal. He would like to give everyone the seaweed with sesame oil, but has found that many non-chinese people still ask for the fried noodle chips and then don't touch the greens. They didn't even put those on the table? I guess you won't be going there on your own again anytime soon, but you could have just asked for the greens, they would have been brought, I'm sure.

FYI - I know that Cecil has read eGullet and I will forward him this post. Perhaps he'd care to respond. It may have been a stressful, busy day, but I agree that there's no excuse for fighting with a customer.

[tommy]

relatively unacceptable.

the "special green stuff" is seaweed salad.  round-eye doesn't usually enjoy this, and is usually given the fried noodle things with the duck sauce and hot mustard instead.  if they didn't bring the fried noodles out, then they probably just forgot.  however, all egulletters, regardless of eyes, enjoy the seaweed, and you probably would have as well.  it's not really "special treatment" per se.  sorry that tainted your experience.

you could also have asked for it (mrs. tommy always has to ask for the fried noodles...yes, she loves the fried noodles   )

what did you order?

[tommy]

i would also like to suggest that it is very common for restaurants to "hold" tables for whatever reason.  maybe sly stallone might stroll in, maybe the manager's daughter might stop by, maybe that room is shorthanded and all of the tables can't be covered.  whatever the reason, it happens.  it is usually best to accept it and move on, hopefully enjoying your dinner.  with that said, i have so much clout at china 46 that i once had a party of 10 displaced so that me and my 2 friends could have more room  

[Rachel Perlow]

I think he's joking, but I'm not sure. He goes there way more than we do!

[Jason Perlow]

Hmmm.

On both occassions, what items on the menu did you order?

[thereuare]

The items i remember from the first trip were Peking duck, and a shrimp in an orange type of sauce.

This most recent trip we had: chicken with broccoli, double delight, peking duck, kung bo chicken, chicken shaumane(??).  Also had a few egg roll, spare ribs, vegetable dumplings, and soup.

As i said, the complaints weren't food related.

[dodge621]

Sorry about your bad experience

Other good Chinese restaurants in North Jersey include

- Lotus Garden

What are the others top Northern NJ Chinese restaurants

[Rosie]

Take a ride to Hunan Cottage on Rt. 46 in Fairfield and ask for the Chinese menu.

[Jason Perlow]

thereuare:

It sounds like you havent had any of the Shanghainese stuff. None of the things you mentioned are specialties of the restaurant.

A bad service experience, however, is still a bad service experience.

[thereuare]

Jason,

I ordered things that were recommended from this message board.

The shrimp dish i had the first time there was a recommendation received from this board (although i think the thread is now gone).

This time around i ordered the Kung Bo Chicken after trying it the first time at Grand Sichuan on 9th Ave... then reading a recent post how China 46's version was different, yet one of the best renditions of the dish the poster had ever had.

I can't help the rest of my family who insists on ordering "Americanized" chinese food.  But i will stress once again (to be fair), the food was not the problem.

[tommy]

I think he's joking, but I'm not sure. He goes there way more than we do!

yes, i'm joking.  but to think that some people don't get preferential treatment, with or without reservations, might be a bit naive.  thereuare suggests that we egulletters get preferential treatment, so we all acknowldedge this fact.  that party of 6 that walked in and was seated in the better room might very well have been regulars.  again, that's just the way it works.  

more importantly, i don't think the management's resistance to accommodate the seating request of thereuare's party was a personal affront, but rather a (probably warranted) business decision.

i'm not making excuses for any behaviour on the restaurant's part, but rather offering a very valid explanation.  

also, i'd only go to a restaurant that i wouldn't mind subsequently hating on a big holiday like mother's day.  sh*t *always* goes wrong on those days.  rarely enjoyable.  thereuare, next year you can bring your family over to my place for some ribs!  

[Rachel Perlow]

Boy, nobody's posted about China 46 (their website has been recently upgraded I think) in a while (at least not in this thread).

Anyway, 9 eGulleteers & spouses went there for Chinese New Year last night. They have a special menu, but most of it appears on the regular menu so we decided to order a la carte:

• - OX Tongue & Tripe in Hot Sauce
  - Spicy Capsicum Cellophane Noodles
  - Steamed Little Juicy Pork Buns (Soup Dumplings)
  - Pan Fried Shanghai Buns (Crispy Puffy Buns)
  - Chicken Stuffed with Sticky Rice - This was very different from the version we had at the recent

Chinese New Year celebration in NYC. In that version the chicken skin was very crisp and there was little meat left under the skin. The stir fried sticky rice was mostly like that I've had elsewhere (Silver Pond in Fort Lee comes to mind), but when cooked with the chicken skin took on another savory element from the schmaltz. The version served last night was a braised dish. The chicken was deboned, but there was still meat under the skin. Instead of crispness being the major texture, it was tenderness, and the skin wasn't the point, in fact I pushed mine to the side. The meat itself was very tender with a delicious gravy from the braising liquid. And the rice was uniquely flavored with nuts and dates among the bits of pork and other small diced unidentifiables.
- Superior Ruby Pork (with Sesame Buns) - "It's not a banquet with out Ruby Pork!"
- Seaweed Dipped Flounder - only disappointment of the evening. Some felt it was too greasy, that maybe the fry pot was too small for the amount of fish so the temperature dropped when the large amount of batter dipped pieces were added. It was also questioned whether the fish was flounder or not. It was very mild, but thicker than most flounder I’ve had.
- Sizzling Lamb - on the specials board - stuff in Sesame buns
- House Special Saute - stuff in Sesame buns - Anyone else think we ordered too many sesame buns???
- Baby Yochoy with fresh Bamboo and Shitake Mushrooms - We had to get some vegetables!
- Salt & Pepper Shrimp - To peel or not to peel? Do you eat the shells or not is the question.

In addition, Cecil brought out some Steamed Lamb Dumplings for us to try - after we were all too stuffed to move. They were good, but I'll have to go back and order them at the beginning of the meal to decide how delicious they were.

Well, I think that's everything, I'm sure someone will remind me if I forgot something. Oh, and the price? $30 per person, including tax and a more than 20% tip.

[Rachel Perlow]

Ah yes.  The whole hotel/motel thing.  I wasn't thinking...<p>I've driven past that place for years.  As motels go, it looked pretty sleazy.  I noticed the renovation as well, but I'm wondering why they are bothering--it's not exactly a prime location EXCEPT for ehem... hourly rentals.<p>Geez.  This is a family website.  I'll shut up.  "Go to China 46".  That's all this needs to be about. :)

Took long enough but the motel renovations behind China 46 appear to be almost complete. There's now a banner up declaring it to be a future site of a Days Inn. The new exterior makes it almost attractive. (egads!)

[tommy]

and those *meatballs*. what are they called "dragon meatballs" or something? they reminded me of the meatballs i had at craftbar. not the flavor so much, but the texture and consistency. and i think there was a little cinnamon in them. as we all know, cinnamon is *always* the secret ingredient.

[helenas]

as we all know, cinnamon is *always* the secret ingredient.

after i had prepared the wonderful mushrooms long braised with cream and piece of cinnamon in it, i'm almost ready to agree (and i hate cinnamon )

Now gotta have those meatballs! Anybody planning to be in China46 this weekend?

[Rachel Perlow]

They are Lionhead Meatballs. They are not on the regular menu, but are frequently on the Specials Board. If they are not on the Specials Board they cannot be made to order (we asked), as they take a very long time to prepare. But, as I said they are frequently on the board. If you are driving a distance (helena), you may want to call ahead and ask Cecil if they are on the board the day you are planning to go.

[Double 0]

Took the family to dinner here last night (Sun) for a great meal. We started with soup dumplings, scallion pancake and taro buns. All three were hits. We wanted to try a fresh bamboo shoot preperation, but the owner told us that the season is almost over and they were out . The nexct item we tried to order was roast chicken northrn China style, also out , so we headed for the regular menu and ordered the beef with smoked chile pepper. It was very hot , my daughter loved it and I gave it a 7.5. Next up was steamed shrimp in a clear (almost buttery) garlic sauce. This was the table favorite, we ordered extra rice to get every drop of the wonderful garlic sauce. Last came the Loin's Head with baby bok choy. Four large meatballs in a brown sauce, just perfect.I don't get to go as often as I like to because its a bit of a schlep. In my mind this is the best Chinese restaurant in No. NJ and maybe in the state. The last few times I was there it wasn't very crowded, that's a shame

[Rosie]

I agree 150%. It is one of my favorite Chinese restaurants. Also like Hunan Cottage on Rt 46 in Fairfield. So how were those "Loin's Head"?

[tommy]

we stopped in last week and had the same shrimp in garlic and the lion's head meatballs. mrs. tommy had never had the meatballs, and proclaimed them as "fluffy." they sure as hell are. and delicious.

my impression of the shrimp was "butter" as well. but i don't think there's a stick of butter in the whole place. the sauce, as double 0 says, is just delicious. one of my favorite dishes.

oddly enough, we cleaning out a closet in the living room, where i sometimes keep newpaper for the fireplace. for some reason, mrs. tommy glanced through the few papers that were there, and saw the china 46 review from the NYC from december 30 of 2001. just days after we had been there for the first time. we reminded ourselves that we need to return, as often as possible.

[Double 0]

I agree 150%. It is one of my favorite Chinese restaurants. Also like Hunan Cottage on Rt 46 in Fairfield. So how were those "Loin's Head"?

I've been trying to go to Hunan Cottage for years. I'm in Fairfeild all the time for work, but can never get anyone who's adventurous enough to go (going by yourself is a waste). Work associates are more of the one from column A, one from column B types. The Loin's Head were sort of like extra light matzo balls (in consistancy, not flavor). I wish my meatballs were that light.

[Jason Perlow]

Had a HUGE meal with 10 people at China 46 on Saturday. We ordered so much stuff that we ended up coming home with a full grocery bag of leftovers and everyone was STUFFED at the end of the meal ("Ugh! I cant eat another giant salt and pepper prawn! I'm full!"). Ended up being like 25 bucks per person, the food was unbeleivable as usual.

But here's the bad news guys. China 46 was more than half empty on Saturday night. Prior to the SARS fears, this place would have been PACKED. Cecil, the owner, tells me "business has not been so good lately".

We can't let the most serious Chinese restaurant in NJ become threatened with shutting its doors because of paranoia. Stop in and have some seafood and Shanghainese delicacies, PLEASE.

[tommy]

We ordered so much stuff that we ended up coming home with a full grocery bag of leftovers and everyone was STUFFED at the end of the meal ("Ugh! I cant eat another giant salt and pepper prawn! I'm full!").

i find it hard to believe that a mountain of food was ordered.

i haven't been following the SARS thing very closely, but is it actually impacting a restaurant in NJ?!?!?! that's not good.

[=Mark]

i haven't been following the SARS thing very closely, but is it actually impacting a restaurant in NJ?!?!?!  that's not good.

Reminds me of an incident over 20 years ago. A Mexican place (Casa Comida) had just opened up on the Long Branch boardwalk in the spring of 81. Although tiny, it was the best Mexican I had ever had in the area. Within a couple months they were regularly standing room only with a line out front.

Towards the end of the summer, a faux TexMex dive up in Middletown was linked to the better part of a hundred cases of hepatitis over the tri-state area. for the next month we could go into Casa Comida on a Saturday night, prime time, and be the only table seated.

It is obvious that "People Don't Think." All that is neaded to set the avoidance mechanism in play is any vague association. Then it was "Mexican = hepatitis." Now it is "Chinese = SARS." Strangely the fact that some of the more virulant strains of SARS are in Canada. Has anyone noticed a similar drop in business at local Canadian restaurants?

[201]

Sad to say, but people in my extended family have expressed concern over my dining in Asian restaurants lately. Did anyone see South Park last week? It was a very good one in which some Native American casino owners wanted to destroy the town of South Park in order to build a superhighway between their casion and Denver. To do this, they infected South Park with SARS (by rubbing naked Chinese men on blankets then given to the citizens). Stan's father said it best when he told his son, "We've been infected with SARS *cough, cough*... there's only a 98% chance of survival. Soon only 98% of us will be left *cough, cough*... you have to carry on the name of our people" or something to that effect.

Anyway, enough about South Park... the point is that it would be a damn shame if China 46 really is suffering a lack of business because of this. I'm realizing right now that I've never actually posted about this restaurant, so let me just go on record saying that China 46 is excellent. I can't get enough of that spicy ox tongue and tripe appetizer, or the crunchy puffy dumplings, or the ruby pork in sesame buns, etc... I had the lion's head meatballs recently too and they were very good, but I think the version I've had at King's Chef down on Route 1 in Woodbridge was a bit tastier (I'll have to verify that sometime). China 46 deserves to be a very succesful restaurant because there really aren't that many of its kind in the area. I know I don't get there as often as I'd like to because unfortunately most of my friends aren't interested in anything more than Americanized Chinese food and it sort of defeats the purpose to bring them there.

[jhlurie]

Something that might help, would be if the local papers (NJ section of the Times, Bergen Record, Star Ledger) actually wrote news stories about this, and went and talked to Cecil and other local Chinese restaurant owners.