Chinatown Restaurant Recommendations

[GaijinGirl]

...but was hoping to get a few good recommendations on a good family restaurant in Chinatown....

Now - my mother in law is bouncing back and forth between Italian and Chinese. (She's threatened to take everyone to a place in the Paramus Mall for her 75th birthday feast!)

While me and Chinatown are best of pals, I like exotic. The FAMILY is Irish and somewhat more mellow in their tastes. So what I'm looking for NOW (sorry, guys!!!) is good, decent, real Chinese food - classy enough for a 75 birthday, but with enough "un-weird" options that my in-laws don't freak out. (And yet, I have a chance to enjoy myself, too.)

I've been researching the options and old posts, and think that Wo Hop or Peking Duck House might be the answer. Or is Wo Hop too 'divey"? (And I know from the old posts to stay away from Fuleen...) Any thoughts would be appreciated.

(Maybe I'll just take them to a Filipino place and eat Baluut in front of them! )

[ned]

I'd vote for Peking Duck, as much because of the atmosphere as the food. Both are nice and both are easy on those unacustomed to Chinatown's delights.

With a couple of excepetions, I don't think the food at Wo Hop is all that great and it's also a little dingy.

[smgarsh]

Wohop is definitely not a place to go. I think its more of a quick lunch place, and its a bit divey.

Peking Duck House would be the better choice.

[NYCCHEF]

Shun Lee Palace

[Pan]

I would suggest Sweet 'n Tart, but some of the personnel have some trouble with English. How about Congee Village?

Edited August 28, 2005 by Pan (log)

[Jason Perlow]

Personally I prefer Sweet & Tart to Congee Village, but they are both solid restaurants.

[Dryden]

Congee Village has some scary stuff on the menu, though, so depending on how easily your relatives get scared, you might be better off at Peking Duck.

[Todd36]

Peking Duck has good duck and not bad Shanghi Style streamed dumplings. Not sure about the rest of the menu. Oriental Garden has decent decor, and offers some american-chinese stuff, although not what they are best at. Not that i've eaten there, but Mr. Tang's in Chinatown might serve your purpose. There's also Shun Lee Cafe on the upper west side, pricy for what you get but not bad, with decent decor and service.

[Pan]

Congee Village has some scary stuff on the menu, though, so depending on how easily your relatives get scared, you might be better off at Peking Duck.

←

Your point is well made, but of course, her relatives don't have to have the goose web dish or pig's blood congee (not even listed in English on the menu). There's plenty of chicken, beef, pork, fish, seafood, vegetables, even lamb on Congee Village's menu. Basically, you can be as non-adventurous as you like; it's up to you.

[Dryden]

Congee Village has some scary stuff on the menu, though, so depending on how easily your relatives get scared, you might be better off at Peking Duck.

←

Your point is well made, but of course, her relatives don't have to have the goose web dish or pig's blood congee (not even listed in English on the menu). There's plenty of chicken, beef, pork, fish, seafood, vegetables, even lamb on Congee Village's menu. Basically, you can be as non-adventurous as you like; it's up to you.

←

If I go with my folks, they just don't need to order stuff like that, and they'll be fine. If I go with my sister, she'll spend an hour reading the menu, freaking out over every thing that sounds "disgusting" to her, and will interrogate everyone within earshot about the specifics of what's on her plate, just to make sure "nothing icky" got in there.

It's not worth it.

[mascarpone]

Perhaps try to get one of the sequestered Rooms at Congee Village. I don't know what your budget is, but I got to congee village early one evening and they let my party sit in those rooms and order from the normal menu (no extra fee). You might also plan in advance and even poll those in your party to see if there are any dietary restrictions and then discuss a menu with the staff of the restaurant.

I went to a birthday party last February at Sweet and Tart and, even though there were several vegetarians present, everthing served was decided upon a week in advance and it was a very nice experience for everybody.

The nice thing about Congee Villiage, opposed to Jimmy Sung's (near Grand Central), is that, because of its location, you can feed a larger group for considerably less. It is my experience, in Manhattan, that when you get out of Chinatown (Jimmy Sungs in midtown, Shanghai Pavillion UES) prices go up and you are served tea in western style cups (Grand Sicuan restaurants are an exception, naturally).

Perhaps you already know this but if you go to Congee Village, order the House Special Chicken; it is a winner and everyone will love it.

Edited August 29, 2005 by mascarpone (log)

[AzianBrewer]

Peking Duck House is a rip-off. They are great 20 years ago when I was lad. It is a tourist trap these days. Ping's on Mott has great dishes and Mr. Tang's is not so bad either.

[GaijinGirl]

Well...actually, voting has completed, and everyone decided on Italian - Robertos, at Arthur Avenue. (I'll report back on that!)

Re: Congee Village - if we'd gone for Chinese, *I* would have loved CV, but--believe it or not--the inlaws are sensitive enough that if they'd even SEEN frog on the menu, they would have griped through the whole meal. (Dryden, your comment about your sister is DEAD ON with what a good number of my inlaws would do, especially my two sister in laws!)

My mother in law probably would have not minded (although she wouldn't have ordered it.) In the past, she's willingly gone with us to Nyona, and enjoyed it. They would have liked the decor, though. I personally have only had drinks at Congee Village - great prices, for a Manhattan drink!

Edited August 31, 2005 by GaijinGirl (log)

[Pan]

[...]Re: Congee Village - if we'd gone for Chinese, *I* would have loved CV, but--believe it or not--the inlaws are sensitive enough that if they'd even SEEN frog on the menu, they would have griped through the whole meal.  (Dryden, your comment about your sister is DEAD ON with what a good number of my inlaws would do, especially my two sister in laws!)[...]

←

I guess I'm lucky I don't know anyone like that.

For the record, I dislike frog, but that's neither here nor there.

[Dryden]

I'm not crazy about frog, either, although the ones I had at Pierre Gagnaire were pretty good...

...but that's a topic for a different board.