Shanghai Asian Cuisine

At work, we call this the "Awesome Soup Place." Mainly because, as the name suggests, the soup is Awesome. Said soup is Wonton Noodle Soup, with hand-prepared wontons that instead of being too thick and filled with some weird gray meat, are made more like dumplings with fresh, homemade dough and delicious pork and chives. Also in the soup has noodles and the broth has scallions and bok choy. It also comes with a side of fresh chilis. All this for only $4.75.

Most of the people who work there don't speak English very well, so be prepared to point. And also, they really, really, really want you to sit down, eat, and then leave. But take your time and wave them off and it will be fine.

The time I went there with Laurel I tried their dumplings. They were exactly right. They were basically the wontons deep fried, which is fantastic. The other day I decided to step outside of the box and order something different. However, I wasn't in to the Sesame Chicken. The rice was delicious and there was fresh broccoli. However, the chicken was tough, and the sauce wasn't sweet enough. However, it was definitely some of the more authentic Chinese I've ever had, so maybe I'm just too Americanized.

Seriously, go by the Awesome Soup Place. The woman who owns it is adorable and always there, and the people around you will probably be eating crab, lobster, and about 100 billion other things that I'm not sure are on the menu. Or there will be middle-aged white women talking about how good CSI is. -Jennifer

P.S. - The first one to spot "The That's What She Said" in this review, I'll buy you the soup.

Jennifer has a lot of experience with this place, but I'll give my two cents. We went here one night after work for some din, and were greeted fairly enthusiastically by the staff. The space has about 8 tables or so, and two of them were taken. We were asked if we were ready to order about 3 times, and one of the times the lady taking our order tried reeeeally hard to get us to order lobster. We must look like we're made of money. Instead, I ordered the wonton soup with noodles ($4.50). I'm worth about $6.00 including tax and tip, as she found out.

The soup came out after a few minutes and was very hot. It was a big bowl--I ended up taking half of it for lunch the next day--and had ramen-like noodles, bok choy and wontons floating in the broth. The wontons were really more like little dumplings with tasty filling, nothing like the cheap Chinese take-out place on the corner's wonton soup, which contains tough noodles, mystery meat and not much else. I could have eaten a whole bowl full of these little dumplings, and the broth was pretty good too. I love bok choy, so that was a welcome addition, although I have to say I'm not sure the noodles were necessary. I'll take them, though!

Since all I've had is the wonton soup, I'd definitely recommend it. It's tasty and the price is right. -Laurel

P.S. I spotted THREE that's what she said's in Jennifer's review.. what does that say about me?

Address: 14A Elizabeth Street (btwn Canal and Bayard)

Website: No website...it's not listed anywhere

Payment: Cash Only

Delivery: Yes

Open Late: Somewhat

Bar/Happy Hour: A few beer selections

Golden Mall and Yipin Chinese Cuisine

So begins a photo-heavy post about our adventures in Flushing one Saturday evening. We ate and we ate and we ate.. our main targets handmade noodles and dumplings. Our comments will follow each picture, since otherwise we might all get a little lost.

Liang Pi ($3.50), Xi'An Small Delights, Golden Mall

L: Golden Mall is one of many "food courts" around Flushing. You enter and walk downstairs, where there are tightly packed vendors and a few tables squeezed in. There are people having hot pots, ordering dumplings and noodles to go, and even some shoes for sale. Nothing quite like it.

This cold noodle dish came out quick (no heating required), and featured bits of squishy tofu. I don't eat a lot of cold noodles, but this was pretty good. The spices were well done, but I'm not a big squishy tofu person.. more like a firm person. It was lightly spicy and had an interesting flavor.

J: As for the Golden Mall, a couple of us agreed that it smelled like a pet store. I think it was just all the fresh fish, etc. and they were frying it. Not that the frying it had anything to do with a pet store, but I'd say it was just all the fresh food. There were lots of people down there though, and everyone wanted us to eat at their booths...but when I looked at a pair of boots in one little booth, I thought the woman was going to cuss me out. She did not want me in there.

As for the food...The boys were raving over this one, but I have to say I wasn't a huge fan. I like my tofu more firm than squishy, and I wasn't overly impressed by the taste. And it was cold, which David kept saying it was the Chinese Tuna Salad, but I didn't really like that either.

Sauteed Lamb with Cumin Burger ($2.50), Xi'An Small Delights, Golden Mall

L: This was like a delicious, more interesting Sloppy Joe. The lamb was finely chopped with some bits of onion and pepper and spiced with cumin. It was a nice meaty snack for 2.50. It really could have been any meat, though, as it didn't taste overly lamby (yummy either way).

J: This was probably my favorite. The meat was so tender, with a little bit of cumin and other spices - but there wasn't too much. And the pita was fantastic - soft and flavorful, and the perfect combination with the spicy lamb.

Stewed Pork Noodle Soup ($4.50), Xi'An Small Delights, Golden Mall

L: I ordered this one, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The broth tasted like beef and veg, and was loaded with lots of hand cut noodles, chunks of pork, onions, bean sprouts and cilantro. The noodles were big and chewy, and I must say they were difficult to eat with chopsticks. The pork was delicious and falling apart it was so tender. It's a lot of soup, plenty for a meal (or, in my case, for leftover lunch the next day). My only problem was it could have used more meat and veg-- this soup was mostly noodle.

J: I liked Laurel's little pot roast soup. It was good. The broth was tasty, and with all the other ingredients, it was definitely better than mine. And those noodles were so LONG they were really hard to get in my mouth (that's what she said?).

Lamb Noodle Soup ($4.50), Xi'An Small Delights, Golden Mall

L: This soup was very similar to my soup, but with lamb. It was milder, and a good warm up for a cold day. I liked it, but it really needed more lamb, and a bit of added spice.

J: There was almost no lamb in this soup (the amount pictured above as about how much was in there, and I had to pull that up for the picture), and unlike Laurel's, the broth wasn't very good. And as for the lamb meat - it wasn't very tender and was a little hard to chew. However, I did like the bits of green onion and cilantro, it made it have a little more flavor. And of course those crazy long noodles were hard to eat. I attempted to take mine home, but after carrying it all over Flushing decided that I would never eat it, and threw it away.

Qishan Saozi Noodles (can't remember, I think $4.50), Xi'An Small Delights, Golden Mall

L: Check out them noodles. This dish was hot and had handmade noodles, scallions, lamb and a midly spicy sauce. I think the sauce had cumin it it. It was hearty and pretty tasty, and had an interesting not-overly-spicy flavor.

J: I loved this one. This was probably my second favorite dish. The little bits of ... whatever the meat was, probably chicken....was so tasty (I don't think it was lamb). I can't even explain the flavor though - let's say a mixture of spice and a little bit of vinegar. There was also lots of green onions, etc. The boys debated over this one and the top one being their favorite for a while. While they did that, I snuck bites.

Sichuan Dumplings, Chengdu Tianfu Small Dishes, Golden Mall

L: These dumplings were handmade, your standard pork and chive variety. They were a nice texture, but lacking in filling, and were drowned in chili oil. A little chili oil=good. A mouthful=greasy overload.

J: These were hard to eat. You couldn't take a bite, because the rest would slip out of your mouth and fall on the floor. The only real alternative was eating the whole thing at once. Which means having grease run down your chin. Also, I didn't like the way they were shaped, or their filling that much. If anything, they just tasted like noodles with chili oil...and a lot of it.

Handmade Cold Noodles ($4 or $5), Yipin Chinese Cuisine

L: This place was small, and the lady that was serving us was cute. The cold noodles were thinner noodles (than seen previously in this post) bathed in a chili sauce. These are definitely good and surprisingly fairly mild. They are pretty oily, but if you haven't been eating oily food all night like us, then these won't set you over the edge. Like they did me.

J: I loved the little old lady at this place. She was like the Chinese grandmother I never had. I believe these were the noodles where everyone started feeling a little sick. They actually reminded me of the dumplings, but they were in noodle form, and they were cold. These had just a very mild chili sauce taste and not much more.

Pork and Thistle Dumplings ($4 or $5), Yipin Chinese Cuisine

L: These pretty handmade dumplings tasted similar to pork and chive dumplings, but with a slightly different, sweetly bitter taste. They were excellent. Not too doughy, great with a bit of soy sauce. Boy do I love dumplings.

J: These dumplings were just right. Exactly how you think of dumplings. The dough was soft and not overly chewy. And the filling was your traditional pork and chive, and there was more than enough.

Address: Golden Mall: 41-28 Main St; Yipin Chinese Cuisine: 40-04 Union St

Website: N/A

Payment: Cash

Take Out: Yes

Delivery: no

Open Late: Not sure! We were in Yipin at 9 pm and they weren't closed, though

Bar/Happy Hour: I think I saw some beer at Golden Mall..

Dumpling House

Obviously we like dumplings. But when you want something comforting for cheap, dumplings really are the way to go. Dumpling House takes cheap eats to a whole other level.

It's a little hard to find if you don't know where to look.. it isn't labeled. The walls are largely bare and undecorated--let's just say you are not paying for ambiance here. But those savings are actually passed on to you. I don't think there is an item on the menu over $3. For example, we got 3 orders of fried pork and chive dumplings (4 in an order), which were $1 each, two small soups and a bottled water, and we paid $6.50 total. We had more than enough food. I don't think I've ever paid that little for that much food in NYC.

And the food was, for the most part, less scary than might be expected. The dumplings were tasty. A little greasy and doughy, but satisfying. And my soup wasn't bad, either. They offer a wide menu and you can even buy their dumplings frozen. The service not especially friendly but definitely efficient. Be aware that there was no plain soy sauce to be found, only a mix with vinegar. So bring your own if that's what you require.

So if you need to eat cheap, fast, and don't require frills, go here and eat your weight for just a few bucks. -Laurel

For someone who loves good food and likes to dine out, I can eat pretty disgustingly. This day, in particular, I had a diner breakfast from Everest Diner, a two cheeseburger lunch from McDonalds (I know - it's disgusting, for real), and the cheapest dumplings I have ever put in my mouth.

Packed with grease, pork, and scallions - these cheap, cheap, cheap little treasures were probably the worst idea I could have done for how much horrid food I had eaten that day. Speaking of which, I have tried my best, since then, to eat as healthily as possible.

Either way - they're definitely worth the buck I paid for them, and probably more. They were filling and quite good, even if they made me a little gassy (did I just admit that?). Wasn't a big fan of the wonton soup...soup part. It tastes like seaweed. Ewww. - Jennifer

Address: 118 Eldridge St (near Broome St)

Website: n/a (http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/Dumpling-House/)

Payment: cash only

Take Out: yes

Open Late: not really- 9:30 daily

Delivery: ]

Large Group Friendly: not overly--they're usually pretty busy

Bar/Happy Hour: no alcohol

The Dumpling Man

There are certain foods I crave when the weather turns cold and the days grow shorter--hearty soups, hot teas. They are my comfort foods during dreary weather, and for one reason or another, they are foods I find delicious when it's cold. You may not think of Asian dumplings as comfort food, but just trust me. They're little meals wrapped up in dough--what's not to love?

Dumpling Man is a small restaurant situated in the East Village on St. Mark's Place near 1st Ave. The restaurant is a skinny room with bar seating that faces the dumpling-making area. Sitting here, you can watch ladies as they make and form dumplings at lightning speed. You order, pick up, and pay at the same place--no tipping required. Dumplings are offered in four main varieties: pork, chicken, veggie and shrimp. The prices are low: 3.95 to 5.25 for six, depending on the flavor and if you prefer your dumplings steamed or seared.

The menu also features a few small salads, miso soup and flan (an interesting touch), but dumplings are what we were after, and, judging by the name, what they are known for. We tried all four main varieties, seared. The dough is excellent, not too thick, not too doughy, and searing it adds a bit of crunch. The pork was my favorite-- juicy, with balanced, subtle seasonings like chives and ginger. The only dumpling not approved was the veggie. Although not particularly bad, and a viable option for a vegetarian, it was a little "green" for our taste and lacked the substance a dumpling can only get from meat.

I would return to the Dumpling Man.. as a matter of fact, I'm wishing I had a few dumplings right about now. It is a little out of the way if you don't frequent the East Village, but they might be worth the trip if all of this is sounding good to you. Enjoy. - Laurel




Working in Chinatown, I feel like I could get a good dumpling anywhere (in fact, stay tuned for an "excellent" dumpling place we recently ventured upon). But when Laurel showed me the website for this place, it took about three seconds to convince me it would be excellent. First of all, their mascot is an anime-esque dumpling face, which is exciting/scary in itself, but THEN when you scroll your mouse over it, the dumpling winks at you . Yes, I know, it's dorky, but I love it. Logo's are everything. If you have a terrible logo, you probably suck (Slipknot).

However, I must say that traveling to the Dumpling Man is even better. Watching those Asian women fill, poke and twist the dumplings into different shapes and sizes was very enthralling (besides the delicious taste of course). Not only is it interesting how fast they work, but also how they distinguish between the different varieties using colors. The chicken is orange, veggies are green, and even though the shrimp and pork are the same color, they're different shapes. Also (which might be a slightly unsanitary part of this story, but it's okay) - behind the counter, the owner came out and was talking and goofing off with the workers. And the girl working the counter had probably the craziest makeup I'd ever seen, and looked like an ex-punker who only applied for a job at the Dumpling Man because of the anime-esque logo.

In other words, in addition to some of the best dumplings I've ever had (the shrimp one has corn in it!), you get a show. And a good one. You can even buy a t-shirt out of it, or a cute pair of underwear - all brandished with that scary little dumpling head. I strongly suggest the Dumpling Man, but if you decide to get a little dumpling- don't order out, dine in. - Jennifer

Address: 100 St. Marks Place (at 1st Ave)

Website: http://dumplingman.com/

Take Out: yes, + frozen dumplings available

Delivery: yes, limited area

Payment: Cash only

Open Late: 12:30am on weekends

Large Group Friendly: no

Bar/Happy Hour: no