NYC ILX'rs: Name Your Favorite Chinese Restaurant in Manhattan

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The wife and I are starved for a new place. We're partial to Friend House on 3rd Avenue & 13th Street, but we're looking for someplace new,...and someplace with atmosphere (think big ass gongs and huge, fuckoff dragons, etc.). So long as you're not worried about them being discovered, please cite your faves....

Thanks!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 24 April 2005 20:00 (twenty years ago)

Not so much good for the atmosphere, but Phoenix Garden at 41st and 2nd is the best mid-priced-to-cheap Chinese I've ever had.

― Aaron W (Aaron W), Sunday, 24 April 2005 20:05 (twenty years ago)

Just a personal and probably ill-bred opinion: good Chinese food is a contradiction in terms.

― paulhw (paulhw), Sunday, 24 April 2005 20:06 (twenty years ago)

Is Phoenix Garden the one where they cook the food in front of you or something like that?

xpost

― Aja (aja), Sunday, 24 April 2005 20:08 (twenty years ago)

the atmosphere's not much to speak of, but i'm partial to tan wong on east broadway (practically underneath the manhattan bridge). it's one of those ducks-and-pigs-hanging-in-the-window places with incredibly great and inexpensive plates of roast meats and rice.

― my friend flicka (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 24 April 2005 20:11 (twenty years ago)

I think you're thinking of Benny Hanna, Aja,...which is Japanese, by the way.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 24 April 2005 20:12 (twenty years ago)

if you want gongs and cheesy faux-opulence, you've gotta go to chinese restaurants in suburban new jersey. those places are hardcore. if you go to one in a jewish area, the food will be especially good.

― my friend flicka (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 24 April 2005 20:14 (twenty years ago)

Well, actually, no I don't. The place I'm thinking of is LIKE Benny Hanna, but is NOT Benny Hanna.

I just can't remember the name because I haven't been there for like three years or something.

xpost

― Aja (aja), Sunday, 24 April 2005 20:15 (twenty years ago)

Actually, that should be "no I'm not."

― Aja (aja), Sunday, 24 April 2005 20:16 (twenty years ago)

Anyway, here you go Alex.

http://www.addyourown.com/restaurant.php?rest_id=1448&cat_id=1&city_id=1

― Aja (aja), Sunday, 24 April 2005 20:19 (twenty years ago)

No, Phoenix Garden is not like Benny Hanna. It's just some cheap Chinese place that for some reason is really good. EXCEPT that they don't give out fortune cookies because they're Szeschuan or something. They got mad at me for asking if they had Peking Duck once ("That's Mandarin! We are Szeschuan!")

And yeah seconded about Jersey. My fav part about the Red Auerbach bio was that he always ate at Chinese restaurants when they were on the road because it was consistent no matter where he went.

― Aaron W (Aaron W), Sunday, 24 April 2005 20:19 (twenty years ago)

No Jersey. We're Manhattan snobs with nothing but contempt for all things NJ. Strictly Manhattan, people, stay focussed!

And remember...HUGE, FUCKOFF DRAGONS!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 24 April 2005 20:26 (twenty years ago)

grand international sichuan is one of the best chinese in the city. there's one on st.marks between 2nd and 3rd. dont be put off by the location. its really excellent, as long as you know what to order. they have like threesections to the menu: "American Chinese Menu", "Hunan Menu" and "Sichuan Menu". Obviously try to avoid the first one, unless you really really really like chicken & broccoli or sweet and sour pork. But avoid this place alltogether if you hate spicy. The mapo tofu (homestyle bean curd with hot hot hot and pork bits and more hot hot hot) is so yummy. I'm not sure if this location also has the live chicken menu, which cooks up chicken that was alive like earlier in the day.

― phil-two (phil-two), Sunday, 24 April 2005 20:31 (twenty years ago)

but i dont think they have any giant buddha ice statues or anything like that.

― phil-two (phil-two), Sunday, 24 April 2005 20:33 (twenty years ago)

but sometimes i just crave shopping mall chinese food and go down to south street seaport for some manchu-wok action in the food court. it has a nice view of the river and hot european tour groups.

― phil-two (phil-two), Sunday, 24 April 2005 20:37 (twenty years ago)

and if you dont mind going down to east chinatown. this place called fuleen seafood on division street, omg, yum - the best seafood i've ever had. they have special menu every day of fishies and shrimp dishes. so good. so out of the way.

no atmosphere unless fish tanks and old chinese men picking their noses counts

― phil-two (phil-two), Sunday, 24 April 2005 20:42 (twenty years ago)

is there actually a restaurant called benny hanna or are you trying to say benihana?

― my friend flicka (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 24 April 2005 20:48 (twenty years ago)

hahaha...the latter.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 24 April 2005 20:52 (twenty years ago)

devon aoki (sin city). her daddy is the guy who founded benihanas

― phil-two (phil-two), Sunday, 24 April 2005 20:56 (twenty years ago)

I think we're going to try Peking Duck (since christened "Puking Dick" by me...which, god willing, will not turn out to be prophetic) on Mott Street. Wish us luck.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 24 April 2005 21:27 (twenty years ago)

If you can have wait until Monday, go to Tai Hong Lau at 70 Mott Street for the 2-for-1 Peking Duck Special. It's a good duck.

― Ken L (Ken L), Sunday, 24 April 2005 21:38 (twenty years ago)

Beware of changing tenses midstream- "can wait...go" or "could have waited...could have gone".

― Ken L (Ken L), Sunday, 24 April 2005 21:40 (twenty years ago)

Vegetarian Dim Sum House is my favorite. Across the street from Joe's Shanghai

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Sunday, 24 April 2005 21:48 (twenty years ago)

i'm all about suzy's on bleecker (bw thompson and sullivan or something like that). no gongs or fuckoff dragons, sadly, but the food's pretty delish.

― joseph (joseph), Sunday, 24 April 2005 22:00 (twenty years ago)

my favorite chinese place of all time ever until the cows come home is

a) actually mongolian, and
b) in new jersey,

however.

― joseph (joseph), Sunday, 24 April 2005 22:03 (twenty years ago)

yeah shanghai deluxe (on mott, i think) has a fake stream and a bridge for it, absurd vegetation, steamed juicy pork buns, and the chalkboard specials are only in chinese. also, the waiters are very annoying and often irritable. it is my favorite.

― rebecca s (rebecca S), Sunday, 24 April 2005 22:05 (twenty years ago)

oh yeah suzys! i used to order their lunch special all the time when i lived in nyu housing.

― phil-two (phil-two), Sunday, 24 April 2005 22:54 (twenty years ago)

which is also probably why i was a really gassy college freshma

― phil-two (phil-two), Sunday, 24 April 2005 22:56 (twenty years ago)

xpost

yeah, it seems to be a popular nyu-kid lunch joint (cf. my friends and i)

― joseph (joseph), Sunday, 24 April 2005 22:57 (twenty years ago)

(haha i've now officially put everyone on ILX off from ever going to it now)

i eat there every thursday for lunch, though. seriously, it's good!

― joseph (joseph), Sunday, 24 April 2005 23:07 (twenty years ago)

The Mee Noodle place at 1st Ave and 13th St doesn't offer much in terms of ambience, but they do serve consistently above-average, though perhaps not terribly authentic, Chinese fare, at least in comparison to other inexpensive places in that area.

― o. nate (onate), Sunday, 24 April 2005 23:26 (twenty years ago)

are there any chinese restaurants that have nice ambiance? except like china grill, or chows, or tao - which all have terrible overpriced food. but lots of model-wannabes, and sometimes rappers. but the chilean sea bass skewers at tao are good...

― phil-two (phil-two), Sunday, 24 April 2005 23:32 (twenty years ago)

Well, by "ambiance" I was mainly just referring to Alex's vision of dragons and such. Mee Noodle doesn't have any dragons to speak of. The decor is strictly East Village functional. But I tend to avoid the more expensive places anyway, so I'm not too sure about which Chinese places have truly nice ambiance. There was a very nice Dim Sum place I went to once down in the Financial District when someone else from work was treating that had very classy ambiance. I can't recall the name. It was around Broad Street, I think.

― o. nate (onate), Sunday, 24 April 2005 23:37 (twenty years ago)

I WANT DIM SUM.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 25 April 2005 00:06 (twenty years ago)

We were thinking of Chinese restaurants ala the kind featured in the 'double date" scene in The Fisher King.

We bagged, incidentally, and went to Pyros, a great Greek restaurant in the East Village. And it was mucho yummy, despite the absence of big-ass gongs and huge, fuckoff dragons.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 25 April 2005 01:04 (twenty years ago)

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

― phil-two (phil-two), Monday, 25 April 2005 01:07 (twenty years ago)

And it was mucho yummy, despite the absence of big-ass gongs and huge, fuckoff dragons.

If more restaurant reviews included this kind of information, I would read more of them.

I like Congee on the Bowery. Mostly for the titular porridge, but the rest of the menu's good too. There might be a gong, but I don't think so. No dragons, but there is one of those good-luck kitty statues.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Monday, 25 April 2005 02:53 (twenty years ago)

BTW, and of you ILX people with drivers license free on Tuesday to drive a U-Haul van for me? I have to pick up some small boxes, a CD shelf, blankets, and a lamp on the LES - and maybe a mattress in midtown and move it to bklyn. My license expired ages ago :(

I buy you dinner. Or just give you (a little) money. And lots of gratitude. But that's not worth much, I guess. PLZ!

― phil-two (phil-two), Monday, 25 April 2005 04:03 (twenty years ago)

i like excellent dumpling house on lafayette just south of canal (next to the subway sammmich shoppe). and the veggie dim sum palace on bayard (i think? or maybe it's pell) off mott.

and not chinese but there's an excellent vietnamese place on bowery just north of canal, forget the name, on the east side of the street.

― hstencil (hstencil), Monday, 25 April 2005 04:34 (twenty years ago)

basically alex do you want ruby foo's?

i'd be interested in learning more about the less-common chinese regional/ethnic cuisines. anybody know where i can get some uighur (sp?) food?

i got your back on tha moving tip, phil.

― hstencil (hstencil), Monday, 25 April 2005 04:43 (twenty years ago)

i used to work at ruby foos!!! i got fired though. their food is AWFUL.

i had some really good uighur food when i was in xinjiang province. the kebabs and the bread, so good. i dunno about getting some in new york, though its somewhat similar to much of central asian/turkish cooking. i think

thanks hstencil, u are best!

― phil-two (phil-two), Monday, 25 April 2005 04:45 (twenty years ago)

so if u find a kyrgyz restaurant, its prolly the same food!

― phil-two (phil-two), Monday, 25 April 2005 04:46 (twenty years ago)

i went to ruby foo's once, my college frenz insisted. my gf at the time invited one of her college friends who is a total freek, and he was a bitchy jerk the whole time. uncomfortable. most of my friends have better taste in food these days.

― hstencil (hstencil), Monday, 25 April 2005 04:48 (twenty years ago)

congee village on allen and delancey has semi-glitzy decor (there's a fountain) and excellent food, though if you want the standard sweet & sour yuck stuff you're out of luck. otherwise, here are my favorite nyc chinese joints, which generally don't rate highly in the decor stakes:

new green bo
ny noodletown
xo kitchen
joe's shanghai
goody's
fuleen seafood
marco polo
bo ky (vietnamese, actually)
wonton garden
mandarin court (dim sum only)
jin fong (dim sum only)
excellent dumpling house
sweet & tart (76 mott branch)
grand sichuan (midtown or chelsea)
mei lai wah (buns and coffee/teas)
maria's (likewise)
new good taste
dim sum go-go

― lauren (laurenp), Monday, 25 April 2005 09:29 (twenty years ago)

There's a Ruby Foos near my office. I wasn't that impressed with it, honestly (and it's quite touristy).

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 25 April 2005 10:38 (twenty years ago)

i think i went to mandarin court... is that the one in chinatown? they had ladies with trolleys pushing all the dim sums everywhere, it made me very homesick.

i'm always scared of chinese restaurants where the decor is too good - i always get the impression that it means the food will be rubbish. probably irrational, and i always end up going to some dive.

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 25 April 2005 10:43 (twenty years ago)

decor-wise tho, alex, ruby foo's is sorta what you describe ie. old 30s style dumpling palace decor.

tao is funny if you like celeb-spotting and overpriceyness. dat's where dey got da big buddha.

― hstencil (hstencil), Monday, 25 April 2005 10:45 (twenty years ago)

Stence is dead-on re: Ruby Foo's decor (not sure if it has any -- once again -- HUGE, FUCKOFF DRAGONS -- but it's rife with the rest of it). In retrospect, it seems wildly idiotic of me to decry one restaurant as 'touristy' while searching for a Chinese restaurant with ridiculously cliched decor. Decor, at the end of the day, is -- literally -- window dressing. It's the food that counts, of course, but doesn't anyone else miss the days of over-the-top Chinese Restaurant decor? Y'know, like the type seen in films? Every Chinese place I know here in the great C of NY has pretty much adopted a relatively no-nonsense, Spartan approach (ironic, as we opted to go for Greek food, in the end). Tasteful yet understated seems to be the order of the day. The one place I know with a genuine HUGE, FUCKOFF DRAGON is Jing Fong on Elizabeth Street (an airport hangar sized dim sum joint).

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 25 April 2005 12:01 (twenty years ago)

Everybody OTM re: Ruby Foo's also the over-priced and over-decorated Shun Lee. In Chinatown NYC I'd like to add: Vietnam on Bayard (Pell?)the first place I had Vietnamese and still great though it's a dump. Back in the day all the good Szechuan joints were on East Bway.

If you're nostalgic for old school Americanized Chinese food try the other side of the menu at a Cuban/Chinese rice&beans joint.

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Monday, 25 April 2005 12:15 (twenty years ago)

how was your experience at pylos? i think the food is excellent, although the last time i went the service was totally off. the host's response to our complaint about a corked bottle of wine was to take our waitress off our table and hostilely serve us himself for the remainder of the meal.

xpost to alex

― lauren (laurenp), Monday, 25 April 2005 12:19 (twenty years ago)

Vietnam a.k.a (The) Vietnam Restaurant is indeed excellent.

― Ken L (Ken L), Monday, 25 April 2005 12:19 (twenty years ago)

This was our first trip to Pylos (we'd been meaning to check it out for quite some time). It was hopping, even for a Sunday night. Great place (cool decor, especially in the back). It was quite good, but a bit "saucier" than our previous fave Greek place (Gus' in the West Village, which has since closed down, sadly), but everything was quite good (though I had WICKED heartburn later in the evening). The service was okay-ish. The hostess had a bit of an attitude problem (she looked hugely put upon when we asked if there were any tables for two....what exactly did she expect us to ask?) One extra order of bread (their bread kicks ass) went to a neighboring table (who happily accepted it), but they corrected the problem. No complaints, really, but the elbow-to-elbow seating in the front section isn't for everyone (I normally don't dig that close proximity thing).

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 25 April 2005 12:29 (twenty years ago)

i was lost in midtown once and so stopped in and asked one of the waiters at ruby foo's for directions. he promptly went back to whatever it was he was doing before i walked in, didn't give any help or nothing.

in conclusion, fuck ruby foo's. YAY EXCELLENT DUMPLING HOUSE

― joseph (joseph), Monday, 25 April 2005 12:47 (twenty years ago)

I love threads like this. I never know where to eat (and not go broke) in this damn city.

― Je4nne ƒury (Jeanne Fury), Monday, 25 April 2005 12:51 (twenty years ago)

excellent dumpling house, jeanne. six dumplings for $1!

― joseph (joseph), Monday, 25 April 2005 12:53 (twenty years ago)

Alex, a good Greek place is Uncle Nick's on 9th ave b/t 50 and 51. Try it for lunch one day, since it's sorta near yr office.

― Je4nne ƒury (Jeanne Fury), Monday, 25 April 2005 12:53 (twenty years ago)

Uncle Nick's is good. My wife used to work around there and that was her favorite place.

though I had WICKED heartburn later in the evening
Interesting, because the name Pylos makes me think of the pyloric valve, especially that of Ignatius Reilly.

One more thing about Vietnam- it is actually on Doyers, which is a crooked street off of Pell, it's kind of hard to find because of this, and because they may have changed the name (again).

While I'm on this sidetrack, for those headed to the Tribeca Film Festival, there is a really good cheap Vietnamese restaurant called Nam Phuong on Sixth Avenue (Church Street) and Walker. I get lunch ($6.25) from there all the time.

― Ken L (Ken L), Monday, 25 April 2005 13:10 (twenty years ago)

i like the vietnamese restaurant on university place -- it's americanized yuppie food, but very tasty for that sort of thing.

― my friend flicka (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 25 April 2005 13:49 (twenty years ago)

I'll second Excellent Dumpling and Joe's Shanghai. Never been to Ruby Foo's and probably never will.

― 57 7th (calstars), Monday, 25 April 2005 13:50 (twenty years ago)

I live but a swallow's flight away from that Vietnamese place. Only ate there once....and got a splinter in my tongue from a chopstick (true story). We've ordered in from there since, though, and it's usually pretty good.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 25 April 2005 13:52 (twenty years ago)

and got a splinter in my tongue from a chopstick (true story)

ow!

― my friend flicka (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 25 April 2005 13:53 (twenty years ago)

New alternate ending for "Helter Skelter":
"I've got splinters from my chopsticks!"

― Ken L (Ken L), Monday, 25 April 2005 13:56 (twenty years ago)

ow!

That's just what I said.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 25 April 2005 13:57 (twenty years ago)

ALEX!

You want a huge, fuck off dragon as part of the decor? Like Ruby Foo's decor is the kind of tacky you're talking about, but still lacking...a huge, fuck off dragon?

Then you're looking to go to Shun Lee, off of Columbus Circle. Same type of decor as Ruby Foo's (except all rendered entirely in black and white so slightly more tasteful) plus HUGE FUCKOFF DRAGON.

Food: better than most "fancy" Chinese places, not as good as most cheap Chinese takeouts (is Chinese the only cuisine where this is pretty much a 100% fact?), a little more than anyone should be paying in NYC for Chinese food but not like Tao ridiculous.

But it's the only Chinese place I've been to in Manhattan with the HUGE DRAGON. I think they have a bunch of good luck kitties up in the front too.

― Allyzay do not obtain to make download of yours MP3 (allyzay), Monday, 25 April 2005 14:22 (twenty years ago)

Um, aren't the good luck kitties that keep getting mentioned actually Japanese?

― Ken L (Ken L), Monday, 25 April 2005 14:28 (twenty years ago)

Chinese is pretty much the only food where it's cheaper to buy than make yourself...

― Jimmy Mod Knows You Eat Your Own Farts (ModJ), Monday, 25 April 2005 14:31 (twenty years ago)

forgot to add that tao has a big fuckoff buddha. but only go there if your boss is buying.

― hstencil (hstencil), Monday, 25 April 2005 14:57 (twenty years ago)

BIG FUCKOFF BUDDHA!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 25 April 2005 15:19 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, the big fuckoff buddha at tao is enormous. but its not made of ice like the one at Megu. even though megu is japanese, close enough.

― phil-two (phil-two), Monday, 25 April 2005 16:19 (twenty years ago)

Alex should just watch that Sex and the City episode at Tao instead of visiting.

― h0t h0t h0rsey (Carey), Monday, 25 April 2005 18:55 (twenty years ago)

lauren is OTM re: new green bo. amazing, huge, doughy scallion pancakes and awesome dumplings.

― Ian John50n (orion), Monday, 25 April 2005 21:07 (twenty years ago)

Where is the Ollie's love?

― Mary (Mary), Monday, 25 April 2005 21:17 (twenty years ago)

i want chinese now. don't think you can get it good here in tejas though.

― Miss Misery (thatgirl), Monday, 25 April 2005 21:25 (twenty years ago)

I was just at Ollie's today.

― h0t h0t h0rsey (Carey), Monday, 25 April 2005 21:30 (twenty years ago)

Found this on Chowhound re: Uighur Restaurants

When I was in China last fall I ate at a few Xinjiang Province, Uighur / Muslim restaurants. Some were more of a tourist scene (Afunti in Beijing) and some just great food. I found the cuisine to be amazingly good even at the tourist places. Are their any Xinjiang / Uighar places in New York? I know there may be some places that specialize in kababs, but I am also looking for places that serve the full variety of dishes.

After doing my research the only places I seem to be able to come up with are A Fan Ti and Cafe Kashkar and I have have heard nothing about them.

A Fan Ti
136-80 41st Ave., Flushing
718-358-7925

Cafe Kashkar
1141 Brighton Beach Ave, Brooklyn, NY
718-743-3832
Review: http://www.villagevoice.com/nyclife/0337,sietsema,46895,15.html

― phil-two (phil-two), Friday, 29 April 2005 17:29 (twenty years ago)

ive never been to flushing.. is it far?

― phil-two (phil-two), Friday, 29 April 2005 17:29 (twenty years ago)

wow, cool phil! let's go! flushing isn't all that bad, i went out there for a mets game last weekend. how about baseball + uighur?

― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 29 April 2005 17:31 (twenty years ago)

If you guys are actually going to do this, I'd be up for joining you.

― o. nate (onate), Friday, 29 April 2005 19:06 (twenty years ago)

sounds like fun, but i cant imagine hstencil or any other vegetarians finding much, if anything, to eat at a uighur restauratn

― phil-two (phil-two), Friday, 29 April 2005 21:09 (twenty years ago)

hey let's get Chinese food tomorrow

― stevem in nyoik, Saturday, 30 April 2005 13:28 (twenty years ago)

Hands down, Congee Village near the Bowery.

It's where Real Chinese People Who Miss the Old Country go to eat.

― Ian in Brooklyn, Saturday, 30 April 2005 14:44 (twenty years ago)

twelve years pass...

Heard good things about the Bao on st marks

― calstars, Sunday, 9 July 2017 18:49 (eight years ago)

yeah but that means you gotta go to st marks

― 龜, Sunday, 9 July 2017 19:54 (eight years ago)

What's wrong with st marks?

― calstars, Sunday, 9 July 2017 19:55 (eight years ago)

Lan Sheng --- amazing Sichuan. W.36thSt. between 6th and 7th

― Acid Hose (Capitaine Jay Vee), Sunday, 9 July 2017 21:35 (eight years ago)

Noted!

― calstars, Sunday, 9 July 2017 21:52 (eight years ago)

Tasty hand pulled

― ein Sexmonster (Jimmy The Mod Awaits The Return Of His Beloved), Sunday, 9 July 2017 21:55 (eight years ago)

What's wrong with st marks?

― calstars, Sunday, July 9, 2017 3:55 PM (five hours ago) Bookmark

infested with NYU undergrads

― 龜, Monday, 10 July 2017 01:00 (eight years ago)

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