Chinese food is great. All kinds: real Chinese food and American "Chinese" food alike; New York City is full of Chinese food spots.
And not just Chinese, there's Thai, Japanese, Malaysian, Vietnamese, and plenty other Asian restaurants to choose from.
For this piece though, we're sticking to Chinese. We're also bringing you some choice spots from off the beaten path-- i.e., not Chinatown in Manhattan.
In much the same way that "absence makes the heart grow fonder," a long hungry subway ride deep into Queens will definitely prime you for a great Chinese meal. Check it out.
1. Xiao Dong Bei Chinese Cuisine (133-51 37th Avenue - Flushing)
Offering a variety of traditional (especially Sichuan) and American Chinese food, Xiao Dong Bei Chinese Cuisine is a great choice for Chinese food if you're in Flushing.
They have many of the attributes you would expect in a top notch eatery: they're generally friendly, not too pricey (tops about $30), and, obviously, the food is tasty.
Xiao Dong Bei is known for their Sichuan menu items as well as their fava bean dish, tofu skin chili casserole and eggplant and peppers dish. Plus, they're open until midnight!
2. Delicious Wok (5952 Summerfield Street - Queens)
Disclaimer: Delicious Wok is not on GrubHub.com. Here's their number: (718) 366-8882. Pick up the phone and order, ya dingus.
If you're the type to want Chinese in Ridgewood, we (and about everyone else) recommend checking out Delicious Wok. It's widely considered the best Chinese you're going to get in Ridgewood.
First and foremost, they are inexpensive but not cheap. Most menu items are below $10. That's usually a sign of a terrible restaurant or an awesome one; in this case we're discussing the latter.
It's not that they put some amazing new spin on Chinese, it's that you get such huge portions for the prices. We've been told that if you live in Ridgewood and you have leftover Chinese in your fridge that it's most likely from Delicious Wok.
3. Grand Sichuan House (8701 5th Avenue - Brooklyn)
Sichuan cuisine is known to be on the spicier side of the spectrum. If you're a weakling when it comes to heat, stock up on milk because (you should know that by now) water won't quench the burn.
That being said, Grand Sichuan House is fantastic. It's not a big fancy place; it looks like a mom & pop shop and it very well may be one.
The important part is that they bring some quality to the Chinese food game, which can often times fall short on that front. This is one instance in which it is fully appropriate to say "Don't judge a book by its cover."
Grand Sichuan House doesn't look like anything special and the menu has been described as "ghetto." That aside, the food is great. They have a cumin lamb dish that's not too common and also uncommonly good. The Dan Dan Noodles are also a must-try.
4. Wing Cheong Restaurant (1389 Fulton Street - Brooklyn)
jayriemenschneider I don't usually do food pix but this place has the best chicken lo mein I've ever eaten #wingcheong
In Bed-Stuy, there is a bunch of Chinese takeout food around. Bed-Stuy is just one of those neighborhoods with no shortage of it. But after midnight, there's not a lot...except Wing Cheong.
Now Wing Cheong Restaurant is known for its low prices and large portions: something we mentioned before-- it's either an indicator of a great or terrible eatery. This again, is one of the deceptively good ones. The only problem is that they don't deliver.
But if you live right there, (you probably already eat here all the time, but...) try something you can't get everywhere else, try the Crab Rangoon (listed as Cheese Wonton).
They're also good at the basics like fried rice and spare ribs.
5. China Mia (2232 White Plaines Road - the Bronx)
brianmelford #taromilktea and #todaysthrow #onedropxclyw2013 #Summit #taro #bubbletea #bubblemilktea #clyw #onedropyoyos
Bubble tea, bubble tea, and bubble tea.
There aren't a ton of places around Boogie Down to grab a bubble tea, but there are definitely some. China Mia is one of them, and it's also a dope spot to get super cheap Chinese eats
The blackened chicken/fish is what to get here. Know it, live it, get it. It's sinfully good. Aside from that, your usual semi-hood Chinese American fried rice is top notch.
Curiously, China Mia's food is widely considered to be under-greasy, or non-greasy in comparison to other American Chinese food spots, so don't feel so bad about eating it cold three days after it was ordered-- at least it won't make you as fat as the competition.
Check out 11 Best Places You Can Eat at by Yourself in NYC (and Still Feel Like a Total Badass).
[Feature Image Courtesy: Instagram]