Spicy Moon — Shattering the Oxymoron of “Vegan Chinese Food” while Celebrating Sichuan Cuisine
First visit: February 2020
Price: Affordable
Cuisine: Chinese, Sichuan
Vibe: Eclectic, hip, cozy
Address: 328 E 6th St, New York, NY (East Village)
Veg options: Everything is vegan!
COVID-19 delivery: Yes!
The eclectic storefront in East Village
“Vegan Chinese food” is an oxymoron. “Vegan Sichuanese food” sounds like a typo. Since I was born in Chongqing, which was part of the Sichuan province until 1997, I grew up on a predominantly carnivorous diet. All of my favorite hometown dishes, including huíguō ròu (twice-cooked pork), yúxiāng ròusī (literally translates to fish-flavored shredded pork, but is essentially shredded pork in garlic sauce) and làzǐjī (commonly known as Chongqing chicken in American restaurants) were meat-based. Even vegetable dishes, such as stir-fried bok choy and wok-tossed string beans, were frequently enhanced with minced pork or leftover chicken broth. My parents and grandparents, who grew up in poverty during the Cultural Revolution with limited access to animal products, hammered into me the belief that eating meat at every meal was the key to a long, healthy life. “Aiya, look at wài pó,” my grandma would always lament, “bad health today because meat too expensive when me and wàigōng were young.” I was raised to believe that meat is to health the same way that the sun is to light and oxygen is to life. In my mind, vegetarian food was reserved for monks and angsty, rebellious teenagers, with no place in the life of the average person.
My aunt’s homemade yúxiāng ròusī
Eventually, after educating myself and reading countless books and articles on the merits of a plant-forward diet, I came to the conclusion that “everything in moderation” is probably the right mantra to follow, and that incorporating more plant-based foods into my diet would probably do me some good. As much as I loved (and still love) meat, I loved my body more, and I was prepared to sacrifice a steak or two if it meant waking up feeling better every day and leading a healthier, more balanced life. Thus, I decided to begin eating more plant-based meals and to significantly decrease my consumption of animal products. I don’t want to get into a debate about whether eating meat is actually bad for you, but I think we can all agree that eating more fruits and veggies is something your doctor wouldn’t frown upon. Plus, eating plants is better for the environment than eating meat, which to me was the convincing cherry on top of an already compelling sundae. PSA: As I’ve stated in my bio, I am not vegan nor am I vegetarian. Your girl’s just trying to do better for herself and eat her greens.
To be honest, adopting a plant-forward diet has been much easier than I thought it would be. Most restaurants will let you sub out animal-based ingredients for plant-based alternatives such as tofu, beans or mushroom. Being Chinese, I grew up eating tofu pretty regularly (shoutout to mápó dòufu and dòuhuā(1), both Chongqing specialities) , so it wasn’t really a huge step to start replacing animal products with soy and other plant-based products. This was the easiest to do at health-conscious, fast-casual chains (e.g. Sweetgreen, Cava, Dig Inn, etc.), where you can simply omit meat and cheese from your salad or superfood bowl, followed by Thai restaurants, where fried tofu can easily take the place of animal protein in pad thai or pad see ew without significantly altering the flavor profile of the dishes, and the most difficult to do at authentic Chinese restaurants, where the meat itself is often memorialized in the name of the dish (think: twice-cooked pork, peking duck), and substituting chicken for tofu in your kung pao chicken (yes, contrary to popular belief, kung pao chicken, known as gōng bào jī in my province, is an authentic Sichuanese food) would almost certainly get you a death glare from the auntie refilling your lukewarm water(2).
Some dòuhuā that we had when we were in Chongqing
That’s why I was so excited when I learned that there was a 100% vegan Sichuan restaurant in the city that was actually good! I first heard about Spicy Moon from a NYC-based vegan influencer who goes by the handle @veganeatsNYC on Instagram. To my surprise, even a few of my carnivorous friends had been there before and had genuinely enjoyed the food. That was more than enough to convince me to drag Patrick and my lazy ass down to East Village on a dreary Sunday morning in the dead of winter.
As we approached the restaurant, my eyes were immediately drawn to the neon appliques that made up the psychedelic, web-like pattern on the store’s floor-to-ceiling window. My first thought upon seeing this was: “there’s no way this place is authentic! It’s trying way too hard to be another one of those edgy but underwhelming East Village eateries”. As I opened the door, I was shocked to see how small the restaurant was. There were a total of 25 - 30 seats crammed closely together in a long, rectangular space no larger than our tiny studio apartment. This was quite surprising, as I’m used to frequenting cavernous Chinese restaurants built to accommodate hundreds of guests, most of them multigenerational families, directed by the uniformed wait staff to squeeze around round tables topped with red tablecloths and lazy Susans. Spicy Moon is definitely a more intimate restaurant -- good for dates and small get-togethers, but not for annual family reunions. It was a good thing that Patrick and I had made a Yelp reservation in advance, or else we likely would have had to wait for a table.
The small but cozy interior
As soon as we entered the restaurant, we were immediately greeted by the staff and directed to a table for two towards the back (thank goodness because it was cold as f*ck that day). After we had settled in, our waitress brought over a glass pitcher full of room temperature water and gave us a few minutes to peruse the menu. The menu was printed double-sided on a 4” x 5” sheet of disposable paper and was accompanied by a pencil that you’re supposed to use to check off the dishes that you want to order. After a typical period of indecisiveness and me trying to convince Patrick that we needed to try everything on the menu because my eyes are bigger than my stomach, we decided to go with the mountain yam puff appetizer, followed by dan dan noodles, snow pea leaves with garlic and a tofu dry pot with jasmine rice.
After we handed our order slip to our waitress, I left the table for a hot second to use the bathroom, and the food was already on the table by the time I got back. At that point, Patrick had already previewed the dan dan noodles and informed me that they were possibly the best Chinese-style dry noodles that he’s ever had outside of China (when we were in China last summer, we ate noods every day and had zero regrets). With my hopes elevated and stomach screaming from hanger, I immediately stuffed some noodles into my mouth before Patrick could finish the entire bowl, and I was not the least bit disappointed.
The glorious dan dan noodles ($9.95)
These dan dan freakin’ noodles were 100% the best dan dan noodles I’ve ever had— even without the additional brownie points that they get for being vegan! The noodles themselves had the perfect amount of firm chewiness (believe it or not, it’s a herculean feat to be able to find noodles with a QQ(2) texture outside of Asia; they’re more often than not sad and soggy), and the sesame-based sauce was deliciously fragrant and juuust spicy enough to provide a pleasant kick without sending you running for tissues and milk. A lot of so-called dan dan noodles that I’ve had in the States taste one-dimensional, with sesame paste and store-bought chili oil being the only identifiable ingredients. Spicy Moon’s version, on the other hand, was complex: I could taste the sesame and chili oil, but I could also taste garlic, vinegar and the Sichuan peppercorns that gave the dish its quintessential málà flavor. The best part is that Spicy Moon was somehow able to deliver an authentic tasting Sichuan noodle dish without the pool of excess oil that typically sits waiting for you at the bottom of most Chinese noodle dishes. My only regret with this dish is that we didn’t order more.
The rest of our dishes were all very delightful, albeit nothing could measure up to the elite status of the dan dan noodles. The mountain yam puffs were essentially fried potato balls that came with a side of vegan queso. Not “authentic” in the traditional sense, but delicious nevertheless. The stir-fried snow pea leaves (my favorite vegetable!) were cooked just right, and the tofu dry pot had just the right amount of málà spice. I’ll be honest though, maybe it’s because I’ve had phenomenal lamb and beef dry pots that have made me biased towards meat-based versions of the dish, but the tofu dry pot didn’t blow me away. Next time, I would try a different tofu dish; perhaps the mápó tofu or the cumin style tofu. (Note: After I had initially written this review, I ordered the mápó tofu for delivery at the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. I don’t want to exaggerate, but it was definitely one of the best mápó tofus I’ve ever had. Even Patrick liked it, and he doesn’t usually like tofu! The sauce was spicy and wasn’t too numbing like a lot of mápó tofu dishes are, and the tofu was super soft and had a delicate, silken texture. It was definitely super oily, I’ll admit, but the flavors of the oil paired perfectly with the jasmine rice that came with the dish.)
Mountain yam puffs with vegan cheese ($6.95)
Snow pea leaves with garlic ($9.95)
Tofu dry pot ($15.95)
One interesting thing I noticed is that I didn’t feel nearly as bloated as I usually do coming out of a Chinese restaurant. Maybe it was because I felt good about myself since my meal was comprised entirely of greens and grains, or maybe it was because the magical dan dan noodles had cast a spell on me. Whatever it was, I definitely felt lighter and healthier than I had ever felt after a carb-heavy Asian meal. TL;DR, if you typically avoid going to Chinese restaurants because you hate that uncomfortable, greasy feeling that you get in your gut afterwards, fear not. Spicy Moon will leave you feeling satiated without putting you in a food coma.
Tips:
Make a Yelp reservation if you can, especially if you have a group of three or more.
Get the dan dan noodles. Just do it!!
The prices can add up if you order a bunch of appetizers, but you could easily make this an affordable meal by just getting a bowl of noodles. The dan dan noodles that Patrick and I shared would probably have been enough for one person.
In summary:
Hangry Alice rating: 5/5
Must get dishes: Dan dan noodles, mápó tofu
Skip: None— everything tastes great!
Notes:
Dòuhuā translates literally to bean flower, but the dish itself is essentially a tofu pudding that is typically eaten with chili oil and rice in my province.
In China, warm or room temperature water is the preferred way of drinking water, as it is commonly believed that cold water upsets the body’s natural chemistry and can cause indigestion and cramping.
According to the Michelin Guide, QQ is the bounciness associated with fresh handmade fish balls, glutinous rice balls, and certain types of noodles. The term originated from Taiwan, where Q sounds similar to the local word for “chewy”, but it’s evolved to mean a little more than that. The Asian version of al-dente, QQ foods are soft but not mushy - they must offer some resistance to the bite. Read more here.
Il Bambino — Creative Paninis that Pack a Punch
First visit: September 2019
Price: Affordable
Cuisine: Western, Italian, paninis
Vibe: Neighborhoody, homey, relaxing
Address: 34-08 31st Ave, Astoria, NY
Veg options: Many vegetarian options; limited vegan options
COVID-19 delivery: Yes!
The storefront
Il Bambino is the sort of place that I never would have wanted to try had I not stumbled upon it by accident. I'd always thought of paninis in the US as very mediocre, wannabe Italian food— the type of thing that you would get catered for an office luncheon if you wanted to present something a tad fancier than a Subway sandwich but were too cheap to order from the gourmet family-owned deli down the street. However, the day I discovered Il Bambino low-key turned out to be one of the best food days of my life.
Patrick and I were on our way to try out Mom's Kitchen and Bar after a fun but exhausting kickboxing class in Astoria when, as if on purpose, my shoelace came untied. As I was fixing my shoe situation, I noticed that there was a cute looking cafe right next to us with an image of a pig painted on a window that sat below a cheery striped awning. We weren't super committed to Mom's, so we decided to check out this new place after scrolling through some glowing Yelp reviews. The second we walked in, we were greeted warmly by the staff and were seated immediately. It was relatively early, about 11:00am, so there was a fair amount of seating still available (by the time we finished eating though, the restaurant was packed). We ended up sitting at a table against a wall decorated with tattered handwritten recipes on college-ruled paper.
The entryway
It was a Saturday, so we were handed the special brunch menu, which is only available on weekends (including Fridays) and Holidays. The menu was relatively simple, yet had a lot of variety. I immediately noticed the quirky menu item names, many of which gave a nod to the humble pig in some way or another (very appropriate for a place with a pig on its window and paintings of pigs displayed throughout the dining space): The Shrine to Swine, Weekend at Béarnaise, My Boyfriend is a Pig, etc.
The interior
We ended up ordering three paninis and one crostini (wayyy too much food) and were absolutely blown away at the flavors. These paninis were unlike anything I had ever tasted before: the homemade aiolis and sauces were so fragrant and flavorful that it felt like I was eating at a fancy Michelin-starred restaurant rather than a neighborhood sandwich spot. We decided right then and there that this was going to be our new weekend morning post-workout spot. Since that first Sunday in September, we've been back almost every weekend— even trudging through hail and snow some weekends to get there. We usually take a megaformer pilates class at a studio called Form50 (10/10 would recommend) in Astoria on Sunday mornings, and we almost always make a stop at Il Bambino before training back to Manhattan. After a few months of trying nearly everything on the menu, I came up with a list of my absolute favorites:
1. Wake and Bake ($13)
Left: Wake and Bake
Right: Filthy Sombrero
Berkshire smoked ham, scrambled eggs, Tuscan cheese spread, cracked pepper aioli
Two words: cracked pepper. Il Bambino's cracked pepper aioli is out of this world. It's spicy without being overwhelming, and it is unbelievably fragrant. We've tried a few different paninis with the cracked pepper aioli, and they've all tasted spectacular. Our favorite is the Wake and Bake, which we’ve had two ways: with mozzarella (our preferred cheese) and with Tuscan cheese spread (the original cheese). Although I typically prefer mozzarella, I have to say that the Tuscan cheese spread is the way to go with this one. The creaminess and milkiness of the spread really complements the spiciness of the cracked pepper. The eggs are lightly scrambled to a perfect gooeyness that helps hold the bread together. I used to hate scrambled eggs because of how dry they typically are, but Il Bambino's eggs are so creamy and delicate that they melt in your mouth alongside their cheeses. The Berkshire ham is smoky but light, not overwhelmingly salty like some hams can be. I'd never thought that I'd ever crave a panini, but the Wake and Bake is one that I find myself regularly thinking about.
2. Pig in Japan ($13)
Back: Pig in Japan
Prosciutto, scrambled eggs, rosemary aioli, scallions, mozzarella
I love Japan, I love rosemary, and I love prosciutto. This panini is basically all of my favorite things sandwiched between two deliciously crispy pieces of bread. In most dishes, rosemary is just a supporting actor / actress but, in the Pig in Japan, the rosemary is the star of the show. As with their other aiolis, the rosemary aioli hits you in the face like a truck, but in a way that makes you say "oh yes, hit me again". The eggs in this panini are as soft and gooey as always, and the prosciutto is the gentle, meaty blanket that wraps everything together. The scallions sprinkled throughout add some additional textural interest and a freshness that helps break up the heartiness of the dish.
3. The Speck ($12)
Front: The Speck
Speck, apricot butter, crisp apple, goat cheese (sub mozzarella), rosemary oil
In addition to savory paninis, Il Bambino also has a large selection of sweet paninis. The first one we ever tried was the We Got Nuttin, which is your basic nutella panini with strawberries and banana. It was very good, but nothing special. However, the Speck is one that is definitely noteworthy. Think of the Speck as a charcuterie board in panini form. Speck is a cut of meat that has a slightly smokier and sweeter flavor profile than prosciutto and pairs so well with the sweet and sour notes of the apricot butter. Patrick and I don't really like goat cheese, so we elected to swap it out with mozzarella. The apples add an additional layer of sweetness and a refreshing, crisp texture, and the rosemary oil is a dialed down version of the rosemary aioli and ties everything together. I'd recommend ordering a sweet panini in addition to a savory panini to get the full Il Bambino experience. Some other sweet panini's that we've tried and would recommend are the Filthy Sombrero with dulche de leche, granny smith apples, goat cheese (sub mozzarella), rosemary oil) and the Prosciutto with gorgonzola dolce (sub mozzarella) and fig spread.
Other honorable mentions:
The Love Handles
The Love Handles - Scrambled eggs, chorizo, dirty chips, Tuscan cheese spread, spicy mayo. The dirty chips are soooo good. This is definitely a heavier panini, so I would recommend this if you are very hungry and in the mood for something very hearty.
Notorious P.I.G. - Smoked bacon, scrambled eggs, aged cheddar, truffle spread. One of the first paninis we tried here. Really good truffle flavor.
Butternut squash soup - This is one of the specials, so they don't have this on their menu every day. Served with homemade garlic bread, the soup is super creamy and naturally sweet. Honestly one of the best butternut squash soups I've had.
Cookie buttah latte - I was hesitant to try this one, since flavored lattes are typically super sweet and artificial tasting. However, they actually make their own cookie butter here, so I decided to give it a chance. And oh, am I glad I did. This latte is heavenly: sweet yet delicate, creamy yet light. Would definitely recommend this as a mid-morning pick-me-up.
Il Bambino is my of my favorite places in New York- not just because the food is spectacular and affordable, but because the staff and owners are so warm and welcoming. Every time I go, I feel like I'm going to a friends' grandma's home. The fact that we're willing to go out of our way to Astoria for this place says a lot about how awesome it is. I still want to try their baked goods— they have a cornflake cookie that looks divine, as well as a large assortment of other sweets.
Tips:
Come on a weekend so you can try their special brunch paninis
Get a soup or latte to go with your meal
They have a ton of vegetarian options (e.g. a delicious looking mushroom panini), and you can make any of their paninis vegetarian upon request!
The food sometimes takes a while to come out, but be patient! Each panini is made to order, and the wait is definitely worth it
I've tried their salads and crostinis, which are alright, but definitely don't expect them to be as good as the paninis
In summary:
Hangry Alice rating: 5/5
Must-get dishes: Wake and Bake, Pig in Japan, The Speck with Mozzarella, The Love Handles, The Notorious P.I.G.
Skip: Salads, crostinis
Shanghai Asian Cuisine — Soup Dumplings Too Good to Share
First visit: July 2017
Price: Affordable
Cuisine: Chinese, Shanghainese
Vibe: Grandma’s home, hole-in-the-wall
Address: 14A Elizabeth St, New York, NY (Chinatown)
Veg options: Some
COVID-19 delivery: Not at the moment :(
The modest-looking storefront
Before we dive in, I first need to admit that it’s taken me quite a while to actually sit down and write this post, because Shanghai Asian Cuisine (let’s call it “SAC” for short) is one of those hidden gems that you want to selfishly keep to yourself so that you don’t have to start fighting crowds of Chinese grandmas for a table every time you want your xiǎo lóng bāo fix. However, amongst the rising xenophobia surrounding the recent coronavirus epidemic and the recent drive to increase Asian American representation in all areas of life, from film (ayy Parasite) to food (shoutout to David Chang and others for spearheading the effort), I’ve decided that this place is simply too good not to share, and that having to wait a bit for a table is worth being able to spread the joy of perfect soup dumplings to more people.
Ironically, I had first heard about SAC through my non-Asian friend and coworker, Jamie, who had in turn heard about it from one of her friends. If I had just been looking for soup dumpling restaurants on Yelp, I most likely would have scrolled right past Shanghai Asian Cuisine, with its generic name and an unassuming picture of some very standard-looking soup dumplings as its thumbnail image, and settled on one of the more popular establishments like Joe’s Shanghai or Kung Fu Little Steamed buns.
Jamie and I, along with our fellow first year analysts from the Los Angeles branch of our firm, were in NYC with the rest of the incoming analysts at the firm during the summer of 2017 for a five week training program. Our small, four-person Los Angeles analyst class had become very close over the course of our summer internship back in 2016 and, since we were all amateur foodies, we spent the majority of our free nights eating our way through the city together. After a few nights of snacking on hors d'oeuvres at French wine bars and drunkenly gorging ourselves on pizza afterwards, I started having some intense Asian food cravings and suggested that we try out a Chinese restaurant for a change of pace. As Manhattan is home to the largest Chinatown in the United States, I definitely wanted to eat some good Chinese food while I was in the city. Jamie mentioned that one of her friends had been to a hole-in-the-wall Shanghainese restaurant in Chinatown that was supposedly very authentic, so we decided to give it a shot. Little did I know, it was about to become one of my favorite restaurants in the city.
Since that summer, I’ve been back countless times and have created many treasured memories there. Shanghai Asian Cuisine was the first place I took Patrick to when he visited me in NY during the last week of my training program back in 2017. It quickly became our first food stop every time I visited him during the two years of our long distance relationship. It was where I first met Stu— Patrick’s high school friend and roommate while I was living in LA— who has become one of my closest friends in the city. It was where I took my parents for one of their first meals in NYC when they visited me last year during Thanksgiving week. It was where we went for Sunday brunch with Patrick’s family last month when they were visiting NYC for Patrick’s birthday weekend. Every single time I come back to the restaurant, the soup dumplings are just as plump and juicy, the space just as cozy and the tea just as hot and fragrant as the last time I was there. In a way, walking into the restaurant almost feels like coming home.
The interior
The restaurant itself can be tricky to find as it is tucked away on Elizabeth Street, a less traveled street a decent walk away from the Canal Street subway station. It’s just one door down from the well-known Cantonese restaurant Jing Fong, which is famous for having a red carpet leading up to a fancy-looking escalator that takes you up to a huge dining room that can apparently fit up to 400 people. Unlike its extravagant neighbor, SAC is very modest-looking and blends right in with all the other Chinese restaurants on the block. I’ve personally never had to wait for a table, but I’ve heard that it can get busy during peak weekend lunch and dinner hours. The dining area is small, but they’ve made decent use of the space by installing cushioned benches along the left wall of the restaurant that can help accommodate large parties of 10 or more people. The laminated menu is expansive and includes items ranging from standard Shanghainese dishes like soup dumplings and stir-fried rice cakes to more interesting items like mock duck and jellyfish to regional favorites like twice-cooked pork and Sichuan-style bean curd.
Every time I visit, I always get some combination of the following items: steamed tiny buns with pork (soup dumplings / xiǎo lóng bāo), fried tiny buns with pork (shēng jiān bāo), pan-fried pork dumplings (their version of gyoza), Sichuan-style wontons in spicy chili oil, scallion pancake and, one of my favorite vegetable dishes ever, sautéed watercress with enoki mushroom. I’ve also tried a bunch of their other dishes, such as their sautéed dry string beans and rice cakes with shredded pork and preserved vegetables. Everything I’ve had from there has been amazing, but I would strongly recommend starting out with the first few items that I listed, as those are the dishes that made me fall in love with this place. Below are more detailed reviews of my two favorite dishes from SAC: xiǎo lóng bāo and sautéed watercress with enoki mushroom.
1. Xiǎo lóng bāo ($6.75 for 6 pretty big dumplings)
Xiǎo lóng bāo
If you know me, you’ll know that I tend to exaggerate... a lot. Every other day, I’ll declare to Patrick that I’m the hungriest I’ve ever been in my entire life, and he’ll just shake his head and ignore me. However, you’ll have to believe me when I say that the soup dumplings at Shanghai Asian Cuisine are in fact the best soup dumplings that I’ve ever had. This has held true, even after Patrick and I ate our way through China and Taiwan last summer. I know, it’s hard to believe that the best soup dumplings in the world can exist somewhere outside of Shanghai or Taipei, but I’m here to testify that, after having consumed hundreds of soup dumplings across all of Asia, SAC undoubtedly makes the best soup dumplings I’ve ever had the honor of scalding my tongue with (the second best soup dumplings I’ve ever had were at Grandma’s House, a popular restaurant chain in Hangzhou, China). There are five factors that make SAC’s xiǎo lóng bāo so good: the thin skin, the flavorful filling, the consistent soupiness, the piping hot temperature and the affordable price price point.
I know that a lot of you are probably wondering how SAC’s soup dumplings compare to those of some more famous dumpling shops, so here’s a quick and dirty summary of what I think about Ding Tai Fung and Joe’s Shanghai (the former is a popular Taiwanese chain that you’ve all probably heard of, and the latter is a New York City institution with a cult-like following): Ding Tai Fung’s soup dumplings have a very thin skin and are decently juicy, but the filling is pretty bland in my opinion, and the price point is way too high ($12 for 10 tiny dumplings at the Westfield Century City location in LA). I do like Ding Tai Fung for some of their other dishes, such as their famous shrimp and pork potstickers that come connected by a thin layer of fried flour and their vegetable and pork wontons in spicy sauce, but I would not recommend their soup dumplings. Joe’s Shanghai is always crowded (there’s almost always a line at any time of day), way too hectic (you have to share a table with strangers) and their dumpling skin is a bit too thick in my opinion (you can tell because the “knot” at the top is super dry and tough). However, it is still an establishment with a rich history and is definitely worth a visit for the experience.
If you decide to pay a visit to SAC, you MUST try their soup dumplings. Trust me. You won’t be disappointed.
2. Sautéed watercress with enoki mushroom ($14.75)
Sautéed watercress with enoki mushroom
If you love enoki mushrooms like me, then you’re guaranteed to love this dish. If you don’t know what enoki mushrooms are, they’re basically these super long, thin mushrooms (think of them as the noodles of the mushroom world) that have an almost crunchy, chewy texture. They’re great in hot pots and soups and are delicious sauteed as well. Watercress, an extremely underrated leafy green vegetable, is also long and thin, making it a perfect match with the enoki. The two together make for a super flavorful stir-fry dish with tons of textural interest. Patrick doesn’t typically like vegetable dishes, but even he was a fan. The sauce that they use tastes like a mixture of hoisin, black bean and garlic sauce and tastes delicious over steamed white rice.
There are a plethora of dumpling restaurants in New York, some of which have thousands of reviews and perpetual lines that wrap around the block. While it may be tempting to go with the crowd and que up for a more popular, more aesthetic-looking restaurant, I highly urge you to give Shanghai Asian Cuisine a chance to surprise you. From my experience, these hole-in-the-wall, mom-and-pop restaurants typically have higher quality food and deliver a more authentic dining experience than what you would usually get at larger chains and popular “touristy” spots. So, the next time you’re in the area, consider showing my favorite Chinese restaurant in the city some love, and let me know what you think!
Shēng jiān bāo ($6.75) - Same filling as the soup dumplings, but with a doughy exterior and crispy bottom
Pan-fried pork dumplings ($6.75) — Better than I expected! They’ve recently become a new staple
Scallion pancakes ($4.25) — Not my favorite, as I prefer flakey scallion pancakes and these are more doughy, but they’re still tasty and a good way to start the meal
Tips:
They have a sister restaurant called Tiny Shanghai that recently opened within the past few years on the outskirts of Little Italy! The menus are almost exactly the same. I haven’t had a chance to try it out yet, but it looks just as good!
Like many Chinatown restaurants, this place is CASH ONLY.
For dessert, head on over to Chinatown Ice Cream Factory (ice cream shop with lots of unique, Asian flavors like durian and almond cookie) or Keki Modern Cakes (jiggly Asian cheesecakes!), both of which are walking distance.
In summary:
Hangry Alice rating: 5/5
Must-get dishes: Xiǎo lóng bāo, Sauteed watercress with enoki mushroom
Skip: Can’t say; I’ve never had anything from SAC that wasn’t great, but I’ve also only ordered from their core menu of ~10 or so items.
Hello, World
At Jungsik in NYC for my birthday!
I was originally planning to publish this blog later in the summer once I had a few more posts lined up and ready to go but, in light of the unexpected COVID-19 crisis, I thought it would be a good idea to launch early in order to bring attention to some of my favorite restaurants that might be struggling to stay afloat. Small, local restaurants— especially Chinese restaurants— have been hit particularly hard by the mandatory shut-down and shelter-in-place orders that have resulted from efforts to contain the virus. Although delivery and takeout is still permitted, business has slowed dramatically across the board, and many family-run restaurants either can’t afford to stay open or are forced to close because the owners / employees have elderly parents who are at high risk of developing serious complications from the virus.
In addition, May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month! There’s probably no better time to take pride in my heritage and spread the word about my favorite Asian restaurants, especially with all the xenophobia that has been circulating due to fears of COVID-19.
During these trying times, it is especially important that we come together to support local businesses. It would break my heart if any of my favorite restaurants were to close as a result of this crisis, so I implore you to please consider ordering delivery or takeout at some of these amazing places. If you are concerned about indirect transmission, please consider purchasing a gift card or making a small donation to some of these places in order to help keep their doors open. At the very least, tell your friends and family about these restaurants so that we can spread awareness! Local restaurants are such an integral part of our communities, and we all have a part to play in helping them through these difficult times.
*****
First off, if you're here, thank you so much for stopping by! This blog has been a long time in the making (since last summer)! I created Hangry Alice for a few reasons: One, I wanted a place to chronicle my food journeys so that I'll have something I can look back on when I'm 100 years old. Two, I was feeling a little uninspired with my current routine, so I wanted to find something fun and creative to do in my spare time. And finally, I wanted to share my love of food with as many people as possible! I truly believe that food has the power to bring people together, bridge cultures and help us understand each other better. One of my favorite ways to experience a new country when traveling is to book a food tour or local cooking class and learn about that country’s history through its unique dishes. I believe that by broadening our experiences through food, we can begin to broaden our minds and develop a greater appreciation for all the amazing cultures and heritages out there (more about this to come). Therefore, I want to use this blog to help people discover food that they otherwise would never have heard of or food that they otherwise wouldn’t have wanted to try.
You're probably thinking, "Wait, another food blog? We don't need another food blog," and you are probably right! We probably don’t need another "Top 10 Boozy Brunch Spots in NYC'' or "15 Best Dinner Date Ideas in Downtown LA" list. That’s why this is meant to be a different sort of food blog. Instead of just posting pretty pictures with captions conveying some variation of "This is the best thing I've ever had", I want to write about my experiences in depth so that my readers can live a little vicariously through my posts. This blog is a personal passion project where I will only write about places I have (a) visited and (b) would recommend to my own friends and family. Think of this as a curated library of all the best restaurants I’ve personally vetted. While I do plan on writing about popular / hyped-up places from time to time (how can I resist?), this blog will focus on the hidden gems that I just so happen upon.
To be clear, I am by no means a food “connoisseur”. I don’t even really like the word “foodie”. In order to be as authentic and relatable as possible, I will actively avoid using any sort of bougie food jargon. I just want to write about food that tastes really damn good and restaurants that evoke a certain feeling in me— not just about food that looks pretty in pictures or food that has earned a Michelin Star or two (or three). To me, going out to a restaurant is about more than just eating and taking pictures “for the gram”. It's about the company, the atmosphere, the conversation, the culture and everything in between. Of course, the food itself is important, but I would argue that these other factors are just as important. As I mentioned earlier, food is something that brings people together— it helps us appreciate each other’s cultures and understand each other a little better by engaging all of our senses in a way that no other experience can. Strangers from vastly different backgrounds can quickly become friendly acquaintances after sharing a communal table at a local restaurant, and acquaintances can just as quickly become friends at a neighborhood dinner party or holiday potluck. Some of my fondest memories involve food: going on my first date with my boyfriend Patrick at a hole-in-the wall Thai restaurant (Racha Cafe) on Telegraph Ave, gathering around the dining table in our little studio apartment for our first friends-giving in NYC last year, revisiting my favorite coffee shop in Berkeley (1951 Coffee Company) over the winter holidays last month, etc. That's why my posts will read like stories— stories about the places I’ve visited, the people I’ve met, and the food I’ve had.
My main goal for this blog is to have fun and to share the foods and restaurants that I love with all of you! That's why I hope you can forgive me if my posts aren't perfect and my pictures aren't always professionally edited. I just hope that while reading my blog, you can feel some of the joy that I felt during my meals.
Oh, and by the way, the blog is called Hangry Alice because I'm always hangry when I get hungry.
-Alice