09/03/08

Real Chinese in Chinatown

by chitoryu12

When I first saw this place, I was hesitant to walk in. The restaurant had freshly-cooked pigs, geese, ducks, chickens, and all other animals hanging on racks by the window. Also, I'm 6'4. When I went in for breakfast, I started to worry if I would be able to fit. It's a very tiny, one-room dining area with a few chairs by the door. I couldn't even sit in the chairs to wait, lest I kick the cashier in the head with my long legs.

When I finally got the menu, I was confused. There was an endless variety of dishes, from standard beef and brocolli with rice to jellyfish and suckling pig. Except for the more unusual dishes, each category had over a dozen offers. One thing that caught my eye: the price. Everything was so cheap you wondered if there was anyone on Earth who couldn't afford this place.

The food was brought extraordinarily quickly and I dug in. It was real, authentic Chinese. Everything tasted absolutely perfect, and I knew that they didn't buy just cheap, low-quality ingredients. My mother and I had full meals, so big we had to box them both up, for just over $18. It's also open until 3:00 A.M., so if you ever make the mistake of wandering down Chinatown at three in the morning, pop in for a bite.

• Pros: Tasty, authentic Chinese, very cheap, ultra-fast service.
• Cons: Anyone over five feet tall will be cramped, no ambience whatsoever.

04/21/08

Chinatown Resident speaking out

by mengNYC

I really dont know why people come here. Although its location is prime for its owners, the food and (lack) of service is definately not in favor of the patrons.

Food: Its pretty good, but is it better or even slightly better than its one-block away counterparts? No. In fact, the only thing that ir rates number one in is the price. (thanks to its corner location)

Service: Ah, theres the rub. Never in my life I have seen such awful service, AWFUL in every way. The waiters were fine but as soon as you reach the cashier, they will literally dump and throw your change at you. There was this one lady, watch out for the heavier set lady...she even searched through $5 bills for change, keeping nice crisp ones for herself while giving me the old ones.

I know this is a popular place thanks to bribed newspaper and magazine articles but if you dont believe me, Be my guest and try it out and enjoy getting your change back.

• Pros: Average Food
• Cons: Service, AWEFUL despicable cashier

09/30/07

I wish there were a zero stars rating

by smallish

This place is mind blowingly disgusting. Two friends and I wandered in after a recommendation from a friend and then from a woman walking into the place who noticed we were lingering outside trying to make a decision. She told us we couldn't go wrong and that this was the greatest and cheapest meal to be had in NY. We were seated soon enough, however at a communal table with some people who really seemed to be mentally ill and or homeless. One middle aged white man across from us greedily dug into a plate of meat covered in milky yellow goop and watching him unknowingly get that yellow gel on his face while he ate made me lose my appetite before the food had even arrived. The wonton soup was good enough though not fantastic enough to warrant stepping into this place,. God only knows where they source the shrimp from. The lo mein was unbearably salty and disgusting. The soy sauce chicken on rice was cold, undercooked, and hideously pink and raw looking. We each ate a bit and then got out of the place as soon as we could. Thankfully the tab was only $18 for 3 people and drinks. We left feeling as though our senses has been assaulted and the MSG after effects that followed only made things worse. Our thirst later that night was insatiable and today, the day after our ill fated meal, my entire face is swollen. While my biggest problem is retaining about 3 gallons of water, one of my friends is actually suffering from a bad MSG reaction; her face, lips, and tongue have been tingling all day and I certainly am not feeling normal. Seriously, this is THE MOST DISGUSTING PLACE TO EAT and I'm not one to avoid grungy ethnic food joints. Sickening food, horrible staff, gross interior, weird patrons, MSG, etc. etc. etc. THE WORST. EWWWWWW. As we were walking out we caught sight of a couple by the door mounging on 'porridge' and I was truly overcome by the feeling of wanting to die.

• Pros: nothing
• Cons: food, patrons, decor, MSG