Pizza in New York City

Lombardi's with its forever line

I’m going to be honest, I love almost all pizza. I was raised on Domino’s back on Long Island. I enjoyed their chewy crusts. Their bacon cheeseburger pizza was one of my favorites. The only time I don’t enjoy pizza is when the crust is too thin. I remember the time my family and I went to the famous Eddie’s Pizza in my hometown. I disliked the pizza only because it tasted like eating a pizza cracker. I needed a little more chewiness in my crust. At the same time, I know there are many people who love Eddie’s, I just know it’s not for me!

Once I moved into the big city, I was bombarded with pizza places at every corner. I did my research on the best NY-style pizza places in the city and Lombardi’s and Grimaldi’s showed up in the top of all the reviews. After eating at both restaurants, I personally prefer Grimaldi’s, but it’s in Brooklyn so not that convenient for an Upper Eastsider like myself. I think I prefer the crust because it doesn’t seem to be as soggy as Lombardi’s.

However, this review is going to be dedicated to Lombardi’s, as it is JRA’s favorite pizza place in NYC. We’ve only been to a few NY-style pizza restaurants: Lombardi’s, Patsy’s, Grimaldi’s and Totonno’s, but JRA only wants to go back to Lombardi’s. For those who aren’t familiar with pizza restaurants in NYC, Lombardi’s claims they were America’s First PIzzeria because they opened in 1905. They closed in 1984, but then reopened a block down on Spring Street in 1994. Since Lombardi’s is written in almost every NYC travel guide, it has become quite the tourist trap. I recommend going early for lunch (by 12pm) to avoid the crowds. Also, I went on a Tuesday evening at around 6pm and there was barely a wait. I was pretty surprised.

Sausage and spinach pizza at Lombardi's

Whenever my boyfriend, JRA, visits me, he demands that we make a trip to Lombardi’s. When you walk into the restaurant, you can tell that it has been around for awhile. The decor is very old school. There are checkered plastic tablecloths on all the tables. If you are lucky enough to sit in the far side of the restaurant, you get to walk through the kitchen area. I love seeing all the pizzaioli making fresh pizza. Not only is it very warm in the kitchen, but the it always smells amazing. Since were are now regulars at Lombardi’s, JRA and I usually order the same items from the very simple menu. If we are really hungry, we start with the Caesar Salad which is a good portion for two people. Then we’ll get a large pizza with sausage and some kind of vegetable. If JRA is in the mood, he’ll get a bottle of Magner’s. Then we wait for a great and filling meal. I just want to clarify that I can only eat at most 3 slices of the pizza. JRA has been able to finish the rest of the pizza at times, but lately we always end up with leftovers. The boyfriend is more than happy to bring these leftovers back to Tampa with him. If you never have had NY-style pizza, you should definitely try it whenever you have the chance. I definitely think that if I ever move out of the NY metro area, I will miss the pizza. I have heard of other tasty pizza restaurants in Brooklyn (specifically, Di Fara Pizza), and I hope one day I’ll be able to do a Brooklyn pizza crawl. JRA, are you down?

Lombardi’s Pizza
32 Spring Street (between Mulberry and Mott Streets)
New York, NY 10012
212.941.7994
No reservations
Cash Only – ATM on premises

Bulgogi Taco With Cheese?

I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical about the whole Korean tacos craze that hit LA and now NYC. One freezing day in December, my co-workers convinced me to try the Korilla BBQ truck since it was parked just a block away from our office. Let me remind you that I now work in the very bottom of Manhattan where good food is hard to find. I decided I should give this food truck a chance since what other options do I really have down here?

Mmm, they were so tasty!

My biggest problem with Korilla is how incredibly slow the line moves. We were probably about 10th in line at 12pm and we waited a good 15-20 minutes before it was our turn to order. Also, down where I work, the wind is really strong so that just makes it that much more painful. I ordered three bulgogi tacos for a reasonable $7. I wondered if the tacos would be filling for a piggy like myself. When I got back to my office and checked out my lunch, I was pleased to find three decently sized tacos with a good portion of bulgogi in each. I really liked the taco filling (includes kimchi), but the tortillas were all wet and broken even though each taco had two tortillas. I think it’s because the filling is too wet? It’s okay because I ended up eating just the inside in order to save some calories.

Another problem I had with Korilla is that they allowed customers to vote where they should be the next day. For awhile, I felt they were always up by Columbia or in Midtown. Now, they have resolved this issue and have somewhat of a weekly schedule posted on their website. Also, they tweet their location every morning. I went back to Korilla more recently and tried their bulgolgi burrito. I would have to say that it was better than the tacos because it didn’t fall apart as I ate it. Also, the portion was very generous and more than enough for a regular person’s appetite. For those who aren’t beef fans, they also offer chicken, pork and tofu options for all their tacos, burritos and rice bowls on their menu. I was also surprised how good my burrito tasted with the cheese. I thought it would be strange to have bulgogi with cheese, but it went very well together. For those who are interested in trying something new in the Financial District and are tired of the typical delis, you should definitely give Korilla BBQ a try. For those who are placing more than three orders, Korilla is now taking pre-orders. You can call them with your orders and then pick it up at the truck. I’m not sure if you get to bypass the entire line though.

Korilla BBQ (truck)
347.244.5515
Cash Only

Best Duck in Town: Peking Duck House

I have been a fan of duck since I was little. I don’t remember the first time I ever had Peking Duck. I think some people have trouble with the fattiness of the meat and skin. I really love it. Especially when the skin is nice and crispy. Since my older sister, D and I loved Peking Duck, my hands-on mom made her version of it at home when we were growing up. I clearly remember her hanging the seasoned duck in the garage to “dry” it out. Even though her version wasn’t quite as crispy as what we have at the Peking Duck House or the famous Quanjude in Beijing, I ate it with much pleasure.

The chef is actually carving our duck!

Back when I was a kid, the Peking Duck House in Chinatown was a typical Chinatown restaurant. It wasn’t very clean and service was not the best. However, about 10 years ago (could be more), they went through a renovation and may even have moved locations. Now, the current Peking Duck House is very modern and there are waiters always standing by to help. Also, the clientele is more mixed. There are plenty of tourists, business people and Chinese people all sitting at the tables almost always enjoying a roast duck. Also, there is always a check standing at the carving table carving freshly roasted duck. Just yesterday, my dad, D and I arrived at Peking Duck House at 6:00pm. To my surprise, the restaurant was almost completely full. It was a good thing D made a reservation. Since it was only the three of us, they had already ordered the Peking duck, sauteed Chinese zucchini with gluten and the house special duck soup. I arrived a few minutes late so I added an order of scallion pancakes and stir-fried homemade noodles with pork.

Look at all the crispy skin!

Our sliced duck arrived promptly with all the necessary sides: hoisin sauce, sliced scallions and cucumbers and the steamed homemade pancakes. At this point D and I were practically drooling. D waited impatiently as my dad and I took pictures of the feast. I had two pancakes worth of Peking duck. It was delicious! For those who have never wrapped their own Peking duck burrito, you start with some hoisin sauce on the pancake. Next you put as much scallions and cucumbers as you wish. Then you put about 3-4 pieces of duck. Lastly, you wrap it up like a burrito and enjoy your creation. Please note that a whole duck for three people is a bit much. I would suggest going with at least 4 people. It’s definitely much more manageable. Also, D and I can handle more duck than the average person since we love it! If you are with a larger party (4 or more), you could order the Peking Duck Dinner which comes with a number of additional entrees, appetizers and choice of soup. Speaking of soup, another favorite in a typical Peking duck meal is the duck soup. After the chef carves out all the meat from the duck, the carcass/bones are thrown into a pot and very tasty duck soup is made. It usually comes with chunks of firm tofu and vermicelli. I highly recommend ordering this soup instead of the typical wonton soup or eggdrop soup. The Peking Duck House is probably one of the few places you can get this soup in NYC. I was unimpressed with the scallion pancakes. They were a bit over-fried and crunchy. We were unable to finish our two measly small pancakes. I didn’t want to waste room in my stomach for such a mediocre scallion pancake. On the other hand, the homemade noodles were quite tasty. I stuffed myself with noodles, peking duck and soup. It was a great meal!

At the end of dinner, D suggested that we celebrate Lunar New Year at the Peking Duck House this year. I whole-heartedly agreed. I can’t wait until February!
 
Peking Duck House
28 Mott Street (between Pell Street and Chatham Square)
New York, NY 10013
212.227.1810
Takes Credit Cards
Reservations are highly recommended

Peking Duck House (Midtown)
236 East 53rd Street (between 2nd and 3rd Avenues)
New York, NY 10022
212.759.8260
Takes Credit Cards
Reservations are highly recommended

Best Ramen in NYC?

Spicy miso ramen with the gooey egg at Ippudo

My friends and I are always in the hunt for the best ramen in NYC. This topic is discussed by many foodies. Which bowl of ramen is supreme? Honestly, I’m not a very picky ramen eater. As long as the noodles aren’t over-cooked and the broth is rich, then I’m all set. For my everyday ramen, my go-to restaurant is Menkui Tei. The wait is minimal and they have a large menu of different ramens. Also, their gyozas and curry are also quite satisfying. When you are in a time crunch and you’re craving a bowl of ramen, I recommend giving Men Kui Tei a try. It doesn’t have the most updated decor, or the best service, but the ramen is good. Some of my favorite ramens are the tonkotsu ramen and the mabomen.

In the more expensive ramen arena, Ippudo, has been probably the “best” in Manhattan. Recently, Hide-Chan was crowned as the best in NYC by Serious Eats NY, but it really depends on what you like. I enjoy Hide-Chan since there is less of a wait there and you have the option of selecting the thickness of your noodles, but I believe Ippudo’s broth is superior.

So what’s the deal with Ippudo? It’s a chain from Japan and hugely popular in NYC. The wait during dinner is a minimum of 30 minutes, regardless if you have 2 or 10 people in your party. Also, they will only seat you when your entire party arrives. I heard that they do take same-day reservations, but I have yet to try it. You should only go to Ippudo if you are ready to wait. Otherwise, you may be surprised just how chaotic Ippudo is and never get to taste their delightful ramen. After several trips to Ippudo and trying several of their ramens, I have decided that I like their Miso ramens the best. This is because they use the thickest noodles. I have tried their famous tonkotsu ramens (Akamaru Modern and Shiromaru Hakata Classic), while their broths are amazingly rich and porky, their noodles are a little too thin for me. I’m a girl who likes thick and chewy noodles. The noodles in these ramens are thin, almost like angel hair pasta. I have tried to order the thicker noodles with these broths, but they won’t allow for it. The ramen menu usually changes during the year, but the Shiromaru and Akamaru are always available. The good news is that their online menu is quite up-to-date.

At my last visit to Ippudo, my friend, G and I waited about 45 minutes on a Tuesday night. Lucky for me, G arrived early and was informed by the hostess that there was a 1.5 hour wait at 5:30pm! When we were finally called to be seated, we were taken to a large communal table with other customers. I checked out the menu and decided on the Karaka Kogashi Miso Ramen because I like spicy flavors and thicker noodles. As you can see from my above photo, the broth was quite dark. It was rich and there were pieces of pork belly chashu. It also came with a half nitamago (seasoned salt boiled egg). This is one of the rare times that I’ll happily eat the egg yolk of a boiled egg. G ordered the Akamaru Modern and enjoyed her ramen, but was unsure when she’d want to wait that long for ramen again. Also, the average price for a bowl of ramen is $13 and this does not include any additional toppings. If you want to add a nitamago, that’ll set you back an additional $2. Besides the ramen, I recommend starting with Shishito (deep-fried Japanese peppers) and the Hirata Pork Buns (Ippudo’s version of the famous Momofuku pork buns). If you want to avoid the wait, I recommend going for lunch during the week (12pm) or arrive right before closing. I’ve noticed that there is hardly a wait then. If you end up at Ippudo and there is a ridiculous wait, Menkui Tei is only a few blocks away!

 
Ippudo
65 Fourth Avenue (between 9th and 10th Streets)
New York, NY 10003
212.388.0088
Accepts Credit Cards

Menkui Tei
63 Cooper Square (between St. Marks Place and 7th Street)
New York, NY 10003
212.228.4152
Cash Only

Another Danny Meyer Hit: Blue Smoke

Tender baby back ribs at Blue Smoke

I’ve been to Blue Smoke several times have enjoyed all my meals there. Not only do they have great BBQ, I am a big fan of their fried chicken and desserts. Also, their sides are outstanding. Their deviled eggs, mac n cheese, hush puppies and sesame coleslaw are all very delicious. I’m sure I’ve had other sides, but these are all I can remember on the top of my head. In April 2010, I made my first trip to St. Louis/Southern Illinois with my boyfriend, JRA. Being the foodie that I am, I did research on famous BBQ in that area. I found that one of the most famous pitmasters had a handful of restaurants nearby. I asked JRA to take me to Mike Mills‘ 17th Street Bar & Grill. We both ordered the baby back ribs and they came with two sides. It was reasonably-priced compared to the Blue Smoke or any other BBQ place in NYC. The ribs were really tasty and the meat came off the bone very easily. Yum! As we left the restaurant, I was reading all the newspaper clippings about the restaurant and Mike Mills. I was happy to find out that Mike Mills was a consultant of Danny Meyer’s Blue Smoke! No wonder it was so good. I later did more research and found out that he is actually a partner and all of Blue Smoke’s sauces are the same as the ones offered at 17th Street Bar & Grill. He also has participated at the Big Apple BBQ!

Just the perfect amount for two people!

Anyhow, I will go back to the delicious food at Blue Smoke. I do not know of many BBQ restaurants in NYC that serve hush puppies (I only know of Virgil’s and Brother Jimmy’s). I always think about the one time I had hush puppies at a random Northern VA restaurant (it didn’t even serve BBQ). Their hush puppies had fresh corn mixed in and there was some kind of jalapeno butter. It was delicious! Blue Smoke’s version is quite good. They are round and fluffy without any fresh corn. However, they make up for this with their jalapeno marmalade. It is sweet and spicy and goes perfectly with the crispy hush puppies. When JRA went last weekend, we tried the St. Louis Toasted Ravioli as an appetizer and it was perfect. Apparently it’s popular to fry raviolis in St. Louis. If you guys haven’t noticed, I love fried foods! Blue Smoke’s ravioli was great. They were filled with meat and the sauce was perfect. Did I mention that the restauranteur, Danny Meyer, is from St. Louis? This is probably the main reason I wanted to try it with JRA, since he says St. Louis is his hometown. He agreed that the raviolis were good and authentic. Yay!

I love how the plating is so simple!

For my main entree, I ordered the pulled pork sandwich sandwich since I heard so many good things about it on Yelp and Foursquare. When it came out, the bun was glistening with butter (grease?) and it looked tasty. I took a bite and the pork was so tender and flavorful. If you’re a lazy person like myself and don’t want to waste time with ribs, then the pulled pork is the ideal dish for you. All the hard work is already done for you! It doesn’t hurt that it’s also delicious. I have never had a coleslaw like Blue Smoke. Usually, I’m not a fan of coleslaw because of my dislike for mayonaise. I gave Blue Smoke’s coleslaw a chance since it didn’t look like it had that much mayonaise. Also, I was surprised to find a lot of sesame on top. It was a bit tangy and I ended up really enjoying the side. I almost finished the entire side (I left some on the plate so our waiter wouldn’t think I was a complete pig).

Besides their entress, Blue Smoke also excels in desserts. I have gotten their Chocolate Layer Cake a number of times. This cake is not for the weak. It’s extremely rich and dense. I love it. They also serve it with a glass of milk, which I think makes it that much better. Nothing better than washing down a mouthful of chocolate cake with a glass of milk. After our very filling lunch, JRA and I decided against a dessert. It’s also because JRA is not much of a dessert eater, so I’d probably be finishing an entire dessert by myself. As we walked out of the restaurant, I noticed that they had a Bake Shop. I stopped by to get a cookie. I ate it hours later after warming it up in the oven, and it was perfect. There was plenty of chocolate chips. I think all cookies should be served warm. If you’re ever in the mood for some BBQ in Gramercy/Kips Bay area, you should definitely give Blue Smoke a try. Since it is a Danny Meyer restaurant, I highly recommend making a reservation on OpenTable in advance. They also accomodate large parties.
 
Blue Smoke
116 East 27th Street (between Park Avenue South and Lexington Avenue)
New York, NY 10016
212.447.7733
Takes Credit Cards
Reservations are highly recommended

Cupcakes on Rivington

I just realized that the majority of my posts are about Asian restaurants. This probably leads my few readers to think that all I do is eat Chinese/Japanese/Taiwanese food. This is not the case. Usually when I’m done stuffing my face with noodles, I end my meal with a dessert. I absolutely love desserts. My current favorite desserts are (in no particular order): cookies, brownies, cupcakes and NY-style cheesecake. Once in awhile, I’ll have Ladurée macarons when I’m in Europe or my awesome friends/family bring them back from Europe. They are an expensive treat (about 3 € per macaron) which is a bit ridiculous considering how tiny they are.

For those living under a rock, ever since Sex and the City came out, there has been an intense cupcake craze in New York City. I have tried the famous Magnolia since the ladies in SATC were always eating their cupcakes. It was a much better cupcake than another chain, Crumbs (they seem to be EVERYWHERE these days), but still I wasn’t that impressed. Plus, their prices are bit high for my tastes. I might be one of the few people who prefer more cake than frosting. I know plenty of people who prefer to have a lot of frosting. Crumbs cupcakes are huge firstly, and almost 50% of the cupcake is frosting. Also, I disagree with their pricing. You can get a cupcake for more than $4 there!

Lemon Yummy on the left and Sunshine on the right

I’m not sure who first told me about Sugar Sweet Sunshine, but I am glad I finally found the perfect cupcake for me. They are located in the Lower East Side, which is an area I don’t frequent because the green subway line doesn’t go there. This could probably explain why I only recently discovered this bakery. The cupcakes are normal sized and are priced at $1.50 and their prices haven’t gone up in over 4 years! My favorites are the Bob, which is yellow cake with chocolate almond buttercream frosting and the Lemon Yummy, which is lemon cake with lemon buttercream. Other popular flavors are the Sunshine (JRA’s favorite), which is yellow cake and vanilla buttercream. Besides serving up great cupcakes, they have a variety of other desserts such as apple cake and banana pudding. The bakery has a cozy feeling and is decorated with old furniture so it feels like home for me. You can also special order cakes, which are also decently priced. If I ever get married, I may have to consider to have my wedding cake made there! If you’re ever on Rivington and craving a nice pick me up, RUN to Sugar Sweet Sunshine. You won’t be disappointed!

 
Sugar Sweet Sunshine
126 Rivington Street (between Essex and Norfolk Streets)
New York, NY 10002
212.995.1960
Takes Credit Cards

Delicious Dutch Falafel in Manhattan: Maoz

I can’t remember the first time I had falafel. I’m thinking it was after I graduated from college and moved into the big city. Originally, my favorite falafel joint was Chickpea right on 3rd Avenue and St. Marks Place. However, to my disappointment, they changed owners and names multiple times since then and the remaining Chickpeas in the city now only serve healthy “baked” falafel. Umm, no thank you? I only eat FRIED falafel. My friend LTR (she has contributed on this blog before she moved to Hawaii), mentioned to me about this Dutch falafel chain called Maoz that is awesome. Apparently there was an unlimited salad bar so you could add toppings to your falafel. I was a bit doubtful about Maoz because it was a Dutch chain and what do they know about Middle Eastern food? After being heart-broken with Chickpea’s demise and unimpressed with Mamoun’s, I was scared to try a new place and be disappointed. I admit, I only tried Mamoun’s once, but I clearly remember my sandwich being full of shredded lettuce and like two falafel balls and a ton of tahini sauce. Also, I don’t recall their falafel being very flavorful. I prefer falafel with a lot of cilantro so that they’re green and not brown like Mamoun’s.

One fine day, my friends and I met up at Maoz in Union Square. I ordered the Maoz Sandwich with hummus. I was really impressed with the salad bar. They have many toppings to choose from (olives, tomatoes, pickled eggplant, fried cauliflower/broccoli, and more). They also have a number of sauces (tahini and hot sauce of course). I’m not much of a condiment girl. I never have french fries with ketchup. I skipped all the sauces. I focused on the fried cauliflower/broccoli. I don’t know how Maoz makes their broccoli, but it’s so tasty. It’s probably because it’s salty (check) and fried (check), which are two things I like very much. The Maoz Sandwich is pretty huge. It contains five falafel balls along with a good amount of lettuce (not over-whelming) and hummus. I was pleased to find that the falafels were green which meant there was a lot of cilantro. The broccoli was delicious as well. It was a very filling meal. The only problem with Maoz? There’s very limited seating. There is at most 8 stools at the bar area. There have been times where I’ll buy my sandwich and then go to the crazy Whole Foods and eat in the food area.

Yum, I want more broccoli!

After I went back to Maoz to confirm that it was a good falafel place, I informed JRA, my boyfriend. I don’t know how many people know this, but our first “date”, I was crazy enough to take JRA to my beloved Chickpea. I had just met him in person at the airport for the first time. I knew that he had never had falafel before, but I was oblivious to the fact that maybe he wouldn’t like this “exotic” food. Anyhow, ignorant me took him to Chickpea and we bought our sandwiches and sat at their bar area because all the table seating was full. We had a romantic first dinner at Chickpea. I soon learned that JRA is an extremely fast eater. He tells me it’s because he comes from a “big litter”. Since when did four children equate to a big litter? I on the other hand struggled with eating my sandwich like a lady. I failed to realize that falafel is quite a hands-on meal. I managed not to make a huge mess. I have no idea what JRA thought of me at that point. I was just glad that I survived the meal without any issues. He also told me that he really liked the falafel sandwich. Yay! I do not recommend Maoz for a first date. It might be better for a third or fourth date.

JRA's Maoz Creation. Yummy.

I took JRA to Maoz for the first time and he went crazy. He loves olives and they have both green and black there. He filled up his sandwich with olives and hot sauce. He even put a few broccoli in there since I told him I was obsessed with them. He thoroughly enjoyed his sandwich. He even said that it was better than Chickpea because of the salad bar. Recently, I have downgraded to the Maoz Junior because it only has three falafels and this means I can load up on even more broccoli. Lately, Maoz, has been featured on Groupon, so I’ve been stocking up on Groupons. Whenever JRA comes to visit me in NYC, we definitely try to go to Maoz for a quick lunch.

 
Maoz
38 Union Square East (between 16th and 17th Streets)
New York, NY 10003
212.260.1988
Takes Credit Cards

Sichuan in Flushing: Spicy & Tasty

I decided to try to participate in WordPress’ Challenge to Post More in 2011. My goal is to update once a week with a review. Maybe at this rate, I’ll no longer have a backlog of restaurants I need to review on my blog. Anyhow, I’m making no promises in keeping this up. Maybe I should just try to post once a month? Start small!

Mmm cucumbers!

I have been to Spicy & Tasty quite a few times. They were reviewed by the NY Times in 2006 and received two stars, which is unheard of for a restaurant in Flushing! Since then, there have been an influx of customers. For awhile, I had to wait to get a table. After taking my cousin G, who LOVES Sichuan and spicy food, my little sister, J, has been slightly obsessed with this restaurant. She is always asking us if we can go to Spicy & Tasty when we are heading to Flushing for dinner. My boyfriend, JRA, came to visit me over New Year’s weekend and of course my parents wanted to meet up with him for a Chinese meal in Flushing. Usually, we have shabu shabu and were planning to try the newly renovated Minni’s, but J was able to convince JRA about trying her new fave restaurant. JRA is a big fan of spicy foods, so I thought this would be perfect!

Similar to mapo tofu, but with fillets of fish

When we arrived at Spicy & Tasty, my mom had taken the liberty to order all our dishes. We had some delays at the airport and then parking on a block of ice in the parking lot. The dishes arrived promptly. We had a few cold dishes: pickled cucumbers, fried pork ribs, eggplant, spicy bamboo shoots, etc. As for our entrees, my mom ordered: fresh fish with bean curd (one of my favorites), stir-fried pea shoot sprouts, minced pork and cellophane noodles, cold Chengdu noodles, enhanced pork (J’s favorite), stir-fried spicy beef, chicken and cashew nuts, etc. I was a bit nervous about the minced pork and cellophane noodles dish because the last time we got it at Spicy & Tasty, they were over-cooked and a bit slimy. When the dish arrived this time around, they were perfectly cooked. My cousin G introduced me to this dish. It’s a perfect alternative to the usual dan dan noodles. I prefer these mung bean sprout noodles as they are softer and chewier. They basically taste like dan dan noodles, but with cellophane noodles. Also, it’s bigger in size so it can be shared with larger parties. The cold Chengdu noodles were pretty chewy and short. My mom is a big fan of these noodles. The fresh fish with beancurd was another favorite. The fish fillets were perfectly cooked and I didn’t find one fish bone. I also liked that the dish spicy, but bearable.

J's favorite pork dish

For those who aren’t aware, Sichuan food is known to be spicy because they utilize Sichuan peppercorns and chili peppers. If you can’t handle the spice, the wait staff is more than happy to adjust the spiciness level to something more mild for you. I’m not quite sure why the English name of J’s favorite dish is Enhanced Pork, but I do agree that it’s quite tasty. I think the pork has been deep fried before being stir-fried with the vegetables. I think almost anything fried is delicious, so I might be biased!

Spicy & Tasty is the perfect place if you are craving something spicy. It’s ideal for the winter since it will more than warm you up. I look forward to my next meal there. How many more months of winter are there?

Spicy & Tasty
39-07 Prince Street (between 39th Avenue and Roosevelt Avenue)
Flushing, NY 11354
718.359.1601
Cash Only