Chinese (and Chinese-ish) Food
I'm branching out of my designated area here to write on a topic I am very passionate about. Chinese food.
Throughout my life, I've always loved Chinese food. From take-out ordered from our favorite hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant on Christmas Eve or dinners out at P.F. Chang's on birthdays, Chinese food was a go-to for my family. And growing up in city with a large Asian population, there was never a lack of "good" Chinese food.
But after spending a semester abroad in China nearly four years ago, my definition of "good" Chinese food has changed drastically. And let me tell you, here in the U.S., it isn't always easy to find. And when you crave Chinese food like I do, that's a problem.
So imagine my joy when I arrived here in New York City, a city with one of the best Chinatowns in the U.S., second only to San Francisco. I took it upon myself to discover some of the best of the best places to get Chinese food and drinks here in the city. *Disclaimer, I only really explored in Manhattan and Brooklyn. However, Flushing, Queens supposedly has even better Chinese food than the Manhattan Chinatown. Go explore it for me.* That being said, here are some of my favorites:
Breakfast 早饭 (zǎofàn):
In America, our breakfast food is easily distinguishable from lunch and dinner food. Something about it just tastes different. In China, the lines between acceptable breakfast food and lunch/dinner food are much more blurred, with many dishes crossing over onto either side of the imagined divide. But one Northern Chinese dish has rooted itself as a morning staple across China - jianbing 煎饼. Found on nearly every street corner, small stands supply the masses with this savory breakfast treat.
Of the few jianbing places I've found, this seems to be the most authentic. This restaurant takes the form of a food truck that travels around the city, and the street food nature of The Flying Pig just makes it feel more like the real deal. But in spite of its transient nature, this little restaurant is working to make itself a real part of the community. They get all their meat from Albanese Meat & Poultry, a local, old-fashioned Manhattan butcher owned by a man named Moe who has worked in the shop since 1945. Additionally, Flying Pig is another one of the few Chinese places you'll find with gluten-free options. Check out their Instagram account each day to find out where they'll be located.
Things to order:
Beijing Original - The classic choice. This jianbing is made from what can best be described as a crepe with fried egg on it, all wrapped up and holding in layers of scallions, cilantro, chili sauce, sweet sauce, and crispy wafer. Even as one of my favorite foods, I couldn't finish mine, it was so huge, so come hungry.
Dim Sum 点心 (diānxīn):
Hailing from Guang Zhou (广州), this Cantonese-style Chinese food is a great way to introduce yourself to the flavors of China. Restaurants tend to take one of two different approaches to how they have patrons order food. In some, a cart is paraded around the restaurant with an assortment of dishes, when the waiter passes by with something you'd like, just ask and they'll put it on your table. In others, in lieu of a traditional menu, you are given a sheet with a list of the many dishes offered. Just mark a number indicating how many orders you'd like by the dishes you want. Both of these ordering styles are unlike most Chinese restaurants, instead of large family style dishes, dim sum orders are small. One order of a dish typically comes with just enough for a few people to have a taste. And as you eat, feel free to call the waiter over to order more.
The oldest dim sum place in New York, around since 1920, This place is the real deal. The food I had here tastes like it came straight out of the kitchens of the Cantonese members and investigators I served on my mission. If you want authentic, this is the place to go. That being said, it can be a bit polarizing. Cantonese food isn't for everyone. Truthfully, it's not my favorite. I prefer bolder flavors, while Cantonese food is know for its mildness. But for some people, that is perfect. My sister (who is a less adventurous eater than myself) loved it. The chicken feet we ordered though, were no one's favorite (but still worth sharing a small plate with friends, if for the experience alone). And for gluten-free eaters, this is one of the few authentic Chinese restaurants you'll find that are safe to eat at, with gluten-free items designated on the menu.
Things to order:
Soup Dumplings 小笼包 (xiāolóngbāo) - Technically speaking these aren't Cantonese, soup dumplings are a delicacy from Shanghai. Put they are small, and delicious, and shouldn't be missed. Volcano shaped dumplings filled with soup in addition to your usual meat filling, eating these takes a little effort. The soup inside is very hot, so don't try shoving the whole thing in your mouth at once. Instead, pick it up carefully with chopsticks (a fork won't work, if you puncture the dumpling the soup comes oozing out and the experience is ruined) and hold your spoon underneath it. Bite a tiny hole at the top to let the soup inside cool. Once cooled, you have two options. One, pop the whole thing in your mouth and enjoy. Or, as I prefer, suck the soup out of the hole, and then eat the rest of the dumpling.
Pork Sui Mai 烧卖 (shāomai) - Pork Wontons. Classic and delicious.
Pan-fried Dumplings 锅贴 (guōtiē) - Think potstickers. These fried dumplings are guaranteed good. Though heads up, like a lot of the dishes at Nom Wah, it is served boiling fire lava hot. So best to let it cool a bit before eating.
Scallion Pancake 葱油饼 (cōngyóubǐng) - I know, it sounds weird. But this basic dish is always a crowd favorite. One of the most common side dishes throughout all of China (the Chinese version of a basket of fresh bread or breadsticks), it doesn't get more classic than this. The fried dough with chopped scallions throughout is a safe bet for even the pickiest of eaters. If you have some less-adventurous eaters with you, this is a good place to start to get everyone warmed up.
"The Original" Egg Roll 本樓香酥春卷 (běnlóu xiāngsū chūnjuǎn) - This isn't like any egg roll you've ever had before. I always wondered why egg rolls were called egg rolls when there never seemed to be anything particularly egg-y about them. This one explains why. Huge enough to need to be cut in half, these veggie-filled rolls are wrapped in an "egg crepe" Think batter-fried fried egg. It's unique, it's delicious, and it's - oddly enough for a dim sum place - something I'd like eating for breakfast.
House Special Roast Pork Bun 本楼叉烧包 (běnlóu chāshāobāo) - These are some of the few traditional-style steamed buns I've found in the city. For that reason alone, they are worth trying.
Steamed Buns 包子 (bāozi):
Like I mentioned above, it's not always easy finding traditional style steamed buns (or baos as they are frequently called) here in the city. For the most part, I've come across the trendier sandwich style. At first, I was skeptical. I ate the traditional style almost daily in China, and at first glance I assumed this was an Americanized junk version (think Panda Express). Boy was I wrong. These sandwich-style baos allow for the veggies and herbs placed inside to maintain a fresh, uncooked texture which is a huge win. Here are two great places to check them out.
Ever watched Fresh Off the Boat? The ABC show, based off of a memoir by the same name, follows the life of Eddie Huang, aTaiwanese-American boy growing up in the '90s, trying to find his place in his parents' Chinese culture, the white culture of his neighborhood, and the black culture associated with the rap he loves. Baohaus captures all of that. Founded by Eddie and his brother Evan, the tiny shop opened up in 2009. Check it out and eat some real good food, all while listening to the best rap and hip-hop has to offer.
Things to order:
Chairman Bao - A classic taste of Taiwan, this bao is filled with the rich, fatty goodness that is Taiwanese style pork belly. When people talk about melt-in-your-mouth delicious, this is what they mean.
Taro Fries - A great mix of traditionally Chinese ingredients with American cuisine. These slightly sweet fries with just a little bit of heat are to die for. Dip them in the Haus sauce and enjoy. But don't forget the napkins!
The only restaurant on this list that isn't in Manhattan, Dumplings & Things is located in Brooklyn and Queens. The baos here are sandwich-style, like at Baohaus, but their speciality lies in the special Peking Duck baos, available only one weekends. Cash-only.
Things to order:
Peking Duck Bao - Really the main reason to go. This rare filling is super tasty and one of the more affordable ways to try a taste of Peking Duck (even if it isn't in the most traditional format). Hurry though! You'll want to arrive early because these sell out fast!
Noodles 面 (miàn):
After rice, one of the great staples of Chinese cuisine are noodles. And when it comes to Chinese noodles, the variations are endless. Fried or in soup. Rice or wheat. Barely wider than a strand of hair or as wide as your finger. You name it, and there is a version for you. But among all of these options, my personal favorite is the hand-sliced (刀削面 dāoxiāomiàn) variety. Notoriously difficult to find here in the states, this type of noodle from Western China is a much for show as it is for taste. In China, you'll often see chefs place the large block of noodle dough on their head, then with lightning fast speed begin using knives to slice large strips of dough from the block and fling it into a pot of boiling soup. The resulting thick, uneven noodles are delicious, with more bite than your average noodle or pasta.
Super Taste:
This restaurant is the definition of hole-in-the-wall. A tiny shop, easy to miss, the dishes are served in plastic take out bowls and you can hear the chefs in the kitchen talking throughout the shop. I stumbled across this place in the non-touristy part of town by accident. You'll be hard-pressed to find non-Chinatown locals frequenting this place, which is how you know it is so dang good.
Things to order:
Spicy Beef Noodles 岐山臊子刀削面 (qíshān sàozi dāoxiāomiàn) - Ok, I'm not sure if that English name is correct. I couldn't find a menu online that had both the English and Chinese names of dishes, so I had to do my best to guess which English name matched up with which Chinese dish (they don't translate literally). But if in doubt, show the waiter the Chinese name and you'll get what you want. This particular dish is a house specialty at Super Taste. The meat is plentiful and the serving size huge. But get ready to get messy and do lots of slurping (it's not considered rude), and maybe don't wear your favorite shirt. The soup tends to splash a bit.
Steamed Pork and Chive Dumplings - The Chinese seriously know how to do pork! These huge dumplings are full of flavor, even without dipping them in one of the sauces that can be found of the side of the table (I can't say the same about Super Taste's beef dumplings. They're good, but not that good.). Your sauce options include the obvious soy sauce and the more traditional black vinegar. I have tried so hard to find this particular kind of vinegar in the states with zero luck (each time I think I've found it, it turns out to be some weird Chinese version of Worcestershire sauce. Not cool.). Super Taste is the first stateside place I've found that has this sauce, and that is a reason to go here all on its own. Get these dumplings as an entree or to share, but they certainly aren't a side dish.
Bubble Tea 波霸茶 (bōbàchá):
Calm down all you Molly Mormons, I'm not encouraging you to break the Word of Wisdom. While bubble tea shops are most well known for their milk teas (珍珠奶茶 zhēnzhūnǎichá) that most often use a black tea base, bubble tea shops are also great places to get fruity juices, slushes, smoothies, and more, all while getting your boba fix. Boba are small round balls made from tapioca. Generally flavorless, they are put in drinks primarily to add texture and fun. And texture + fun = yummy. Some people are familiar with the popping variety of boba, common at frozen yogurt bars, but the boba in these drinks are typically larger and solid. Sip down the drink, but don't forget to chew the boba before you swallow them.
While I lived in China, I went to this drink chain at least 1-2 times EVERY DAY. Coco is to me as Starbucks is to coffee lovers. Unfortunately, while not expensive, Coco here in the States is nowhere near as cheap, so daily trips weren't really quite an option. But this Taiwanese brand is still good enough to visit more than once. The New York menu is nowhere near as extensive as the menus in China, which means a more limited selection of Word-of-Wisdom-approved drinks, but there are still plenty of options. Oh, and this place is cash-only, so come prepared.
Things to order:
In order to make things easy for you, I'll list all the menu items that are ok to drink, and then give descriptions/commentary on my personal favorites. *Menus may vary slightly location to location. If you are worried at all or wondering about any drinks, tweet a picture of the menu item (please include the Chinese characters) to @mabauss and I will let you know what's in the drink. That's how much I love and want you to check this place out.*
Any Fresh Milk drink
Any Chocolate drink
Lemon Rooibos Tea
Honey Aloe Vera - This sweet and tangy drink doesn't come with boba, instead it comes with juicy chunks of aloe vera. I know, you're wondering what the heck you're doing eating/drinking the stuff you put on sunburns. But the fun thing about aloe vera is that the jelly-like chunks are perfect at absorbing the flavors around them. Each chunk gives a super refreshing burst of flavor.
Lemon Aloe Vera
Winter Melon Tea w/Sago - I'll be honest, I haven't had winter melon tea with sago, but I bet it's good. But if you're not feeling the sago, just ask them to leave it out and add boba instead. Winter melon tea isn't tea at all. It's more like a glorified version of sugar water. But tastier. Derived from the sugar that forms when you boil winter melon down, the sugar is then dissolved in water and drank (drunk? drunken? drinked?). It's hard to describe the flavor in any way other than sweet, but it is still a unique sweetness that you likely haven't had anywhere else. This is a Taiwan classic. Ask any missionary who served there and they will confirm, winter melon tea (or dōngguāchá as it is called in Mandarin) is a gift from the gods.
Rooibos Tea Latte
Rooibos Tea
Mango Yakult
Grapefruit Yakult
Orange Yakult
Taro Slush - Taro, a plant primarily know for it's tubers (think yams, potatoes, etc.), is commonly used as a flavor for desserts throughout Asia. Taro treats, always at least slightly purple in color, have a sweet flavor, somewhere along the lines of vanilla. This slush, which really has a consistency closer to that of a liquidy shake or smoothie, is a fantastic way to try out this common Asian flavor.
Mango Slush
A "Chinglish" name meaning tea time, Chatime serves just that and more. Really easy to get to, a branch of this store is located right outside of the SW Canal Street subway entrance. While my heart belongs to Coco and I always recommend it first, Chatime is arguable the better option. Aside from the fact that it takes debit and credit, it has a more exciting stateside menu, and access to my drink (you know, the one I would order 1-2 times a day at Coco in China, but which Coco inexplicably doesn't offer in the U.S.).
Things to order:
Kumquat Lemon Juice - This drink is my jam!! Very tart and sweet, I like this drink best served hot. I know, hot juice, it sounds weird. But it feels so healthy, and like chicken noodle soup, drinking a cup of this makes any hint of sickness that might be coming on feel like it is fleeing for its life...you know, like, in a good way.
Passion Fruit QQ - What the heck is QQ? It's Chinese slang for chewy, which in this case means lots of boba and more. This passion fruit juice drink comes chockfull of boba and coconut jelly (similar idea to aloe vera, but with a bit more bite and more distinct flavor). If you're not sure about how you feel towards chewy things in your drinks, save this one 'til you find out. But if you are a loud and proud boba lover, this drink is for you.
Dessert 甜品 (tiánpǐn):
The Chinese have, in Americans eyes, an interesting relationship with dessert. That is, they don't like food that is overly sweet. Unlike American desserts which threaten a diagnosis of diabetes with one bite, Chinese desserts are much milder, much more understated than Americans are generally used to. In many cases, dessert simply takes the form of fruit. And when baked goods are involved, they are lighter, more along the lines of angel food cake in texture.
On first glance, this bakery/ice cream joint is hardly Asian. Everything is in English. The patrons include people from all cultures and backgrounds. If anything, this place appears to be just another hip food joint. But as you taste the menu items, the Asian influence starts poking through. This is where I grasp firmly to the "Chinese-ish" part of this post's title. Milk Bar is the bakery offshoot of the famous Momofuku restaurant. Founded by David Chang, a Korean-American chef, Momofuku is a Japanese phrase that means "lucky peach," though the name is also intended to be a tribute to Momofuku Ando, the Taiwanese-Japanese man who invented instant ramen (yes, college students, he's the man to thank). This restaurant has ties to food and culture from all across Asia, which is how I justify this making it's way into this post. Milk Bar's desserts are sweet, but not overpoweringly so. Just enough to satisfy a craving, without giving you a sugar rush or headache.
Things to order:
Cereal Milk/Fruity Cereal Milk Soft-serve Ice Cream - You're wondering what the heck cereal milk is, I get it. You know when you finish a bowl of cornflakes cereal, and there's all that leftover milk at the bottom of the bowl? That yummy, just slightly sweet milk that's been absorbing all the sugary goodness from your cereal? That's cereal milk. Now imagine that flavor in ice cream form and you've got cereal milk ice cream. The fruity version is the same concept, but instead of cornflakes, think Fruity Pebbles.
Corn Cookie - Cornbread meets cookie. Boom.
Crack Pie - Given this name because it's just as addictive as crack, this pie is rich, but not because it's gorged with sugar. Instead, this pie gets its vice from loads of butter. If you've ever had a Canadian butter tart, this pie has a similar flavor, just a little less sweet.
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The map is showing up now, but I still need it centered on the page, which it isn't doing.