Gothamist: A Taste of Din Tai Fung

ChiLLin d0od

Sat, 21 Jan 2006 00:22:27 -0500

There are actually 2 Taiwanese restaurants that I have been to in Manhattan's Chinatown. May Wah - http://menupages.com/restaurantdetails.asp?areaid=0&restaurantid=2104&neighborhoodid=0&cuisineid=0 and "Excellent Pork Chop House" on 3 Doyers St. directly across from the post office. Here is a list of other Taiwanese restaurants in Manhattan that I have yet to try. http://www.nychinatown.org/directory/m_chinese.html My impression of May Wah is this... Their pork chop with rice is excellent. The aroma of pork chops and fried chicken can be smelt 20 feet from the restaurant. That is about all that is good there. I usually judge a Taiwanese restaurant by their hot and sour soup and beef stew noodle soup. Their hot and sour soup caters to vegetarians, so there is no pork flavor at all. It is unfortunately a very important flavor in hot and sour soup. The beef and noodle soup on 2 or more occasions have been overcooked (soggy), not enough beef stew broth (too diluted with water and no star anise flavor), and contained with 4 or 5 small measly pieces of meat. Excellent Pork Chop House has excellent hot and sour soup and beef noodle soup. Pork chop is also good. The boba tea looks like it is made from some type of mixing powder, but is cheap for Manhattan ($2.50)and very consistent in taste. They also serve Taiwanese slushy. Sorry no oyster pancakes served here.

tien

Tue, 15 Nov 2005 15:02:21 -0500

someone on my site just said they made a reservation for 6:30 sunday night!

Teresa

Mon, 14 Nov 2005 21:49:03 -0500

I myself have not found a Taiwanese restaurant in Manhattan. There are a lot more in Flushing unfortunately. As for great soup dumplings in Chinatown, I love New Yeah Shanghai Deluxe and New Green Bo. Their dumplings are deliciously juicy. :) I miss the whole Din Tai Fung atmosphere at the Taipei restaurant. It's just not the same when it's at the Sheraton! Anyhow, I'm going on Friday!!

Johnie

Mon, 14 Nov 2005 20:45:57 -0500

Anyone know any good Taiwanese restaurants in Manhattan? Sometimes I have huge cravings for oyster pancakes and oyster noodle soup .. and a trek out to Flushing is far too long ...

tien

Mon, 14 Nov 2005 16:42:47 -0500

actually, it was in the restaurant space of the hotel. not sure what they serve in that space normally though. and yes, cjc, it was awesome even though i couldn't taste anything.

Cheng-Jih Chen

Mon, 14 Nov 2005 15:40:48 -0500

I went a couple of years ago, and it was pretty awesome. Note that this isn't "a chinese restaurant in an airport hotel". They're using the conference/banquet rooms of the hotel -- which is centrally located in Flushing -- for a culinary event. They'll be gone Sunday evening. You have comic book conventions. Why not a dumpling convention? That's not the worst analogy.

hr

Mon, 14 Nov 2005 13:50:13 -0500

wow. a review of a chinese restaurant in an airport hotel. cutting edge. bravo.

dumpling

Mon, 14 Nov 2005 13:37:42 -0500

damn! where does gothamist go for soup dumplings in chinatown?