Gonna be in NY pretty soon, and given the legendary status of C-Town NY, I’m sure somebody here has tips on Chinese food there, preferably Taiwan style if possible. Nothing fancy required, just something that will remind the wife of the nice homestyle Taiwanese she grew up with. Also it doesn’t necessarily have to be in Chinatown, as long as it isn’t too hard to get to. Thanks in advance!
Flushing, Queens?
Or Manhattan?
The “Best Chinatown NY” is at ‘New York, New York’ in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Staying in Queens, but probably spending considerable time in Manhattan.
In Flushing for Taiwanese food.
Red chopstick on 41st Street - Taiwan street vendor food in a sit down setting. Most expensive stinky tofu I’ve ever had.
Laifood on 38-18 Prince St - Taiwanese style seafood. Their drunken oyster is pretty good, if you like raw stuff. It’s not on the menu. You have to ask for it in Taiwanese/Chinese.
There is another resturant near Laifood on 39 ave. Right next to the underground parking lot entrance of the Sheraton. Called “六合…something” I think. But anyways it has some of the most authentic Taiwanese biandan (lunchboxes) I’ve had on this side of the Pacific.
Mahatten has about 5 or 6 Bubble Tea Cafes around the Elizabeth, Bayard, Mott block. Good for a quick snack.
On Doyers St, there is a dive, can’t remember the name. But the Chinese subtext says “Taiwanese style food.” Popular with the frugal international student college crowd. Good for a light dinner or lunch.
Thanks for the tip, I’m thinking we’ll go for the seafood place, and of course at least one stop for Bubble Tea.
Every Chinese bakery has bubble tea now. So it is not that hard to find.
The only one worth mentioning, if you’re into a stronger tea flavor, is Ten Ren Tea at 135-18 Roosevelt Ave. It’s a kungfu tea shop, so there is actually a lot of “real” tea in their bubble tea.
Sago Cafe at 3902 Main St is also pretty neat. Has that HK hip feel to it. And it is a good sit down experience for a quick snack.
There are a couple of places in Flushing that make milk tea “slushie.” Good in the summer time. There use to be one right behind Sago on 39th ave, across from the church, before you reach the Sheraton. Too many storefronts there to remember their names. They use to have a take out window.
Big Wong (don’t remember the exact location) for some HK style congee, and various snack shops where you can sample the goods. There’s also a restauarant in an alley called Joe’s Shanghai where the Xiao Lung Baos are really good.
Every Lee, Kim, and Zhang has bubble tea around here. Tien Ren is great for buying tea, but their bubble tea is a bit overpriced IMO. Stop in at Century Cafe for not-too-pricey bubble tea/milk tea & coffee/fruit slushies.
Def. go to 六合 on Prince/39th, but Flushing Mall (further down 39th St) has a decent food court with TW ice, cold drinks, and a wide range of TW-style food with a much more casual feel.
And, acdropout is right – try the place on Doyers. They have night market-style dishes at good prices. Their do-gan and salt-pork is spot-on.
If you’re in the East Village, go to Saint’s Alp Teahouse (on 3rd Ave and 10th). It’s a HK brand, but still big the the Taiwanese in the area. Also, there are a bunch of great Japanese places on St. Mark’s Place from 3rd Ave to 2nd Ave, in case you get sick of all of the TW options.
Found another Taiwanese Style resturant. Also a mix of street vendor and larger seafood fair. It’s on Main Street and 59th Ave. It is definitely not downtown Flushing, so street parking is possible. But it is really authentic. Right down to the friendly Ah-bei with a Minnan accent. Really crowded on weekends as well.
But there is a Chinatown ice cream store right next door. So you can grab a snack if the wait is too long.
Just remembered a mainland style resturant that deserves mentioning. Lot 28 on the Corner of Main street and 40th Road. First floor is take out, 2nd floor is full service. Decor is very hip and relatively new. Also very crowded on weekends. But service is interesting in the developed world. Had a very indepth discussion on the existance of 冰開水 in Taiwan. Took me a while to figure out why “Cold boiling water” would be such a problem to get in a glass. To be told that our party could only get 開水 or 冰水 in a glass was entertaining enough for her to deserve a large tip.
mmm…Street food…
Thanks for all the tips everyone, and keep em coming since my trip is still two weeks away.
Street Food…
There is a Hala Stand on 56th Street and 6th ave in Mahatten. The guy opens at 6pm and there is a long line by 7pm. They have their own t-shirts. They are that good. I recommend an everything over rice with extra sauce.
Dirty Water Dogs stands are everywhere. But I could recommend Gary’s Papaya or Papaya King in the city for a cheap fix me up. You can google up their addresses.
Also in Flushing you will see a lot of street vendors. I recommend a lamb-on-a-stick guy on Main Street and 39th ave. He stands in front of a bank (or what use to be a bank). It’s on the same block as Joe Shanghai. Makes a mean chicken-on-a-stick too. At a $1 a stick, can’t go wrong.
Just got back from NY. We ended up trying Joe’s Shanghai in Flushing, which was fantastic. The bakeries and Bubble Tea in that area were great too, as was the street food. Anyway, thanks for all the tips!