Hunan Cottage--Fairfield

[Jason Perlow x]

Orginallly posted on Chowhound on January 29, 2001)

On the recommendation of a nice Chinese couple sitting at the table next to us on Chinese New Year's Eve at Noodle Chu in Parsippany on Route 46 (our current Dim Sum fave in the Morris County area), we were told we could find the genuine Shanghainese/Taiwanese item at the curiously named Hunan Cottage on Route 46 in Fairfield. This intrigued me.

We had never taken Hunan Cottage seriously because it looked like your basic American-style Chinese restaurant, we had passed by it by car several times over the last few years we had been living in this area, presumning we could find more authentic stuff in the area, like Noodle Chu, Ocean King (RT10 in Livingston) and the late Silver Pond. In fact, when we went in, there were a ton of ethnic Chinese eating there on the second night of Chinese New Year. Good sign.

As we sat down we were immediately given your typical, American chinese menu with standard chinese restaurant fare. I looked puzzedly at the hostess, and exclaimed loudly, "What about me saying NI HAO MA to you on our arrival did not tip you off we were serious?". Immediately, she apologized, and snatched the menus away. "Oh, you want the CHINESE menu. Very Sorry!". Be sure to ask for this right away if you go there.

The "Chinese" menu has lots of good stuff, lots of noodle, vegetable and seafood dishes, including crab and pork Xiao Long Bao (soup dumplings). The menu is distinctively Shanghainese and Taiwanese, which is bizarre considering the restaurant's deceiving name. Apparently, the owner is from Shanghai and the chef is from Taiwan, but the chinese name of the restaurant is apparently reminiscent of a famous restaurant in Taiwan. Go figure.

Soup dumplings were juicy and had just the right mixture of crab and pork, with a nice savory broth inside. Definitely the genuine article, most of the patrons there had them on the other tables, so apparently this is what the place is known for. Also had "homestyle noodles with beef" which were sphagetti like, nice and chewy tossed with scallion and shredded beef and napa cabbage in a simple soy sauce, very good, as well as a pickled cabbage soup with pork, authentic and not overpoweringly sour. Scallion pancakes were a bit too chewy and doughy with not enough scallion. Rachel had the crispy deep fried half chicken with accompanying traditional soy/cilantro dipping sauce, very good. Also had bean curd skin stuffed with mushrooms over baby bok choy in a light gravy, also very good. Couple next to us had some kind of shanghainese fried lobster dish, looked excellent.

[Rosie x]

If you liked Hunan Cottage you should also try Noodle ChuRt. 46 Parsippany 973-299-6518

It is in a shopping center. Call for directions.

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Rosie

[Jason Perlow x]

Noodle Chu is a great place -- the owner, Harry Chu, is the original owner of Bill and Harry's in east hanover and also owns Mr. Chu, a really good but more americanized restaurant also in E. Hanover across from the novartis campus on RT10.  Mr. Chu is a  primarily taiwanese-style restaurant and the staff internaly speaks mandarin, very different from Noodle Chu which of course is a HK-style place. Harry is usually holding the fort at Noodle Chu on dim sum days over the weekend.

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Quote: from Rosie on 9:56 am on July 29, 2001

If you liked Hunan Cottage you should also try Noodle ChuRt. 46Parsippany973-299-6518

It is in a shopping center. Call for directions.

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(Edited by Jason Perlow at 4:58 pm on July 29, 2001)

[Rosie]

We ended up at Hunan Cottage last night for dinner. Started out with baby broccoli which were the stems and leaves of a broccoli plant before it starts budding. It was delicious with oil and garlic and is only available for a short time. Then we had a pork shoulder with bok choy. Here it was served with a sauce and vegetables. I think at China 46 it was served with sesame rolls. And of course we had to have a noodle dish so we opted for chicken chow fun. Everything was excellent and we had enough left over for dinner tonight. Meal was $35 with tax and tip. Did you go out this weekend? Be sure to give us a report.

[Rail Paul]

Glad you enjoyed your meal at Hunan. We did take-out there a few weeks ago, and enjoyed it. I noticed then HC had a security guard for the parking lot.

Route 46 in Fairfield has had a significant number of car break-ins, and especially headlight thefts from Acura cars. The Radisson and the Ramada have also reported several thefts.

Ten minutes work on a headlight assembly wholesales for $1500 on the black parts market.

[Jason Perlow]

Hunan Cottage is a solid Shaghainese-style and Taiwanese-style Chinese restarant, despite the regular American-style Chinese menu you get by default if you walk in as a roundeye. You have to ask for the "Chinese" menu to get the authentic stuff.

Although it is a Shaghai-style restaurant it is called "Hunan Cottage" because of some link to a famous similarily named restaurant in Taiwan.

I would say between Hunan Cottage and China 46 we have some of the best Shanghai-style food in the tristate area.

[Rail Paul]

Had dinner there on Friday.

Buffalo fish with a chile/coriander broth, Dee had the shrimp, scallops and snow peas in a spicy sauce. We were the only non-Asians in the place.

[RockADS21]

Proving not to judge a book by it's cover I too have driven by Hunan Cottage hundreds of times without ever giving it a second thought...to it's supporters do you find it better than Hunan Taste in Denville(one of my personal favorites for Chinese/Szechuan)?

[Rail Paul]

Hunan Taste in Denville(one of my personal favorites for Chinese/Szechuan)?

Is Hunan Taste the place on the westbound lanes of 46 as you come down the hill into Denville from Mountain Lakes?

On your suggestion, I would certainly try it...

[RockADS21]

Is Hunan Taste the place on the westbound lanes of 46 as you come down the hill into Denville from Mountain Lakes?

Paul - Hunan Taste is actually on Bloomfield Avenue in Denville just off of 46. Take the split off 46 heading West from Mountain Lakes at the Banzai Japanese restaurant and it is about 1/4 mile up the road on the left hand side. I have been there dozens of times for lunch and a handful of times for dinner and always been very satisfied. The decor of the place which includes a wealth of fishtanks and a fishtank bar is top notch as well.

[Rosie]

Hunan Cottage, 14 Rt 46 E, Fairfield was soooooooooooo good tonight. We started with cod fish wrapped with bean curd skin, and scallion pancakes. Then had spicy and I mean SPICY diced chicken with jalapeno peppers; vegetable chow fun and sauteed snow pea leaves with extra garlic. Bill was $23 a couple---yes a couple. BYO.

[Jason Perlow]

How was business? We went to China 46 on Saturday night and the place was more than half empty. The SARS fears are hitting Jersey restaurants too, we gotta do something.

[Rosie]

How was business? We went to China 46 on Saturday night and the place was more than half empty. The SARS fears are hitting Jersey restaurants too, we gotta do something.

The restaurant was full on a Sunday with large parties. However, there were only two tables of non-Asians. This is usual for Hunan Cottage though.

[tommy]

is Hunan Cottage BYOB?

[Rosie]

is Hunan Cottage BYOB?

YES.

[scarlet knight]

Has anyone been to Hunan Cottage recently? We expect to go with friends this weekend. What dishes do you recommend?

[jogoode]

I was there a couple of months ago and was served a wonderful duck dish -- braised, then roasted crisp and shredded tableside. We were given chewy little buns, to stuff the meat in, and some seasoned salt. I could have eaten this dish all night. Scallops with pea shoots, I believe, were also excellent. A braised pork in sweet sauce, similar to the Ruby Pork at China 46, was good, too. Remember to ask for the Chinese menu. Oh and the pickled cucumbers on the cold appetizer plate.

[Rosie]

Meat dumplings. Pork shoulder. Leek box if they have it. There is a fish that is wrapped in tofu skin and deep fried. Salt and pepper shrimp. Whole fish. The only dish we didn't like was a casserole. Otherwise never had a dish we didn't like. Vegetables are great also.

[Rachel Perlow]

Remember, if the menu doesn't look right (i.e. it looks like every other chinese restaurant ment), ask for the Chinese menu.

[jo-mel]

Meat dumplings. Pork shoulder. Leek box if they have it. There is a fish that is wrapped in tofu skin and deep fried. Salt and pepper shrimp. Whole fish. The only dish we didn't  like was a casserole. Otherwise never had a dish we didn't like. Vegetables are great also.

What was the casserole dish that you didn't like? Do they have many casserole selections?

I HAVE TO GET OUT MORE and go to these places!!! Maybe now that the holidays are over, I can concentrate on my stomach rather than family dinners and decorations!!

[Rosie]

They have many casserole dishes. I think we had the one with fish. If you try it let me know what you think. It's similar to a tremendous bowl of soup.

[menton1]

Remember, if the menu doesn't look right (i.e. it looks like every other chinese restaurant ment), ask for the Chinese menu.

But then, how do you read it?

[eatingwitheddie]

Hunan Cottage was good when we ate there a few months back. Real Chinese food - don't order much off the Americanized menu.

The name is silly though - it's really a Shanghai-style place.

[jogoode]

Remember, if the menu doesn't look right (i.e. it looks like every other chinese restaurant ment), ask for the Chinese menu.

But then, how do you read it?

It's not written in Chinese; it lists dishes that they assume would not appeal to Americans.

If you go late and see customers with interesting dishes on their table, it might be a good strategy to try the old "I'll have what she's having". That's why my party ordered the braised and roasted duck I loved. Another solid strategy is to eat there with Eddie, which I was lucky enough to do, and let him do the ordering.

[Rosie]

I found the Hunan Cottage take out menu. They have 12 casseroles listed. We had the seafood with vegetables in an earthern casserole. Didn't like it. Perhaps we should have had the fish head; buffalo fish pieces with bean curd; lamb and cabbage; or assorted meat and vegetables. If anyone tries the casseroles let me know your opinion.