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better than their location in chinatown. cleaner but only at times. Service is good. better lighting and ambience overall. As a true Shanghainese, may I suggest you try the traditional pork soup dumplings, scallion pancakes, gluten with mushrooms (cold dish), pan-fried noodles (any meat), shanghainese fried rice, shanghainese noodles, and rice cake with pork dish. Everything else is just a buffer on the menu that you can find at another chinese restaurant done better.
Btw, they prob don't pay taxes, so make sure you bring cash. No credit cards accepted, and 15% mandatory tip is included on your bill.
Seriously, there's been only 1x when there was no wait.
Anyway, really great ma po tofu and of course xiao long bao. It's a little weird just coming here and ordering 2 trays of xiao long bao (pork and crab meat of course) but hey in my experience it comes pretty fast and you'll be out of here within 15 mins of sitting down.
Eating the soup dumplings is so fun. I felt so bad for the 2 middle aged women who were watching my friends and I eat them and then watching them take a shot at it and then seeing all the soup coming out. Poor dumpling.
Definitely the best Chinese food in Flushing. I'm willing to bet there are better/cheaper/more authentic Chinese food spots because Flushing is pretty much...China, but I don't know 'em, don't wanna know 'em, and don't need to know 'em.
Obviously known for their soup dumplings, Joe's serves some pretty good family-style dishes as well. Everything on the menu is listed but there are no visuals, so not only do I not know what i'm ordering, I can't tell the difference between "garlic chicken" and "chicken with garlic". Whenever I go, I get the same thing, and I couldn't care less about how pedestrian or elementary the dishes I order are. Pan fried noodles with beef and veggies tastes good. So what? Wanna fight about it?
The soup dumplings are good...not GREAT, but good. Under $5 for 8 pieces is a deal. On a cold day, nothing feels better than sipping that scalding-hot liquified lard.
This spot is always jammed pack for no good reason....
Food - The xiao long bao's here are way overrated! First off, they take forever to serve that shit. Secondly the xiao long bao meat is terrible! I have no idea why people rave so much about Joe Shanghai's. The other stuff on their menu is so bad too. All their noodles taste like shit especially that pan fried noodle shit they make. Just absolutely disgusting. Everything is packed with MSG and the tea doesn't really help here because their house tea sucks ass.
Service - Absolutely horrible! I ordered something that was way too salty so I complained. You know what the jerk off waiter tells me? "It's suppose to be like that" And when I asked for the check, that same fuck face threw the check book at me. Asshole was so close to catching a beating.
Verdict - Skip it! The most ridiculously over hyped place in Flushing. If your a tourist or a dumb college student who thinks he/she knows good food then be my guest, this place is all yours. The reason this place is so packed all the time is because its full of dumbasses being fooled with those cheesy newspaper clipping reviews or stupid stickers from ZAGAT! This place is straight up LAME!
My brother regularly goes there, been there couple times, not bad, but They use huge amounts of MSG, Good god!!!! The lion head beef roast is good, shanghai dumplings are good..but again, once eat there, I am completely insatiabley parched , bad sign..MSG ..for everything there. Their food good, service is good, but sometimes you do have to wait, bigger groups, since its a local favorite in those parts..
Is it me or does Chinese restaurant re-modeling change the quality of a Chinese restaurant's food? That's what happened here.....
This place used to be worthy of 4 FULL STARS but now its just trying to ride on its NYT review (from the early/late 90s? ahemahem) claim to fame. Nothing special here. The soup dumplings are way too oily, the kong qing cai is flubbery (yes, veggies!!) and the tofu dishes make me wonder if they're just taking scraps from HK Supermarket across the street.
Shanghai specialities? Oh man. Shanghai noodle soups are way too salty and the fish is usually too bland or over cooked.
The waitstaff is eh (but to be expected I guess) AND the bathroom.......nothing to boast about.
I will say that the tea doesn't have a soapy taste like some other Flushing places.
If you're already in Flushing, I say skip this place and venture over to Nan Xiang for soup dumplings. And other Shanghainese dishes? Go over to 40 Road. (Don't be scared - walking alongside Bland Houses won't bite!)
Best way to experience Joe's Shanghai famous dumps:
Go to the Flushing location. They have the best prices, best chance of parking, and it's the original location. Go on a Sunday. Parking will be free (since it's Sunday) and there is a huge muni parking lot across the street.
Height of dinner time is 7pm (as is everywhere in NYC..) so get there at 6 and you'll be fine. Order the soup dumps... they only have two types so order them both. Two orders will be good to split btw two people. Then prepare for heaven... or hell - depending on if you know how to handle a piping hot dumpling.
Here's my technique:
Bring the fat spoon up to the bamboo steamer. With your other hand, carefully pick up a dumpling with your chopsticks and help it onto the spoon. They will give you metal tongs, but i feel the metal teeth often rip into my little dump and most of the soup is lost before it gets into my awaiting mouth. Then poke one hole in the dump, allowing the scouring hot juices to pour into the spoon. This step will save you from having the soup accidentally spill down your lip and chin, searing everything it touches in the process. Then take a bite from your now drained dumpling and follow it up with a sip from your spoon. Repeat.
You are now on your way to mastering full enjoyment of Joe's Shanghai famous dumps :)
Btw, note this is a cash only place and the tip is ALWAYS included in your bill. It's like they assume you are grateful. I will assume the same for my review.
You're welcome.
As Im writing this, my stomach is yearning for the soup dumplings. It's not a fancy restaurant, but everyone in Queens knows that if you're looking for the best soup dumplings, you go to Joe's Shaghai. Your money goes a long way at this place!
I agree with Misty G....beware if this is your first time eating a soup dumpling at Joe's Shanghai. First, tear the dumpling and drink the juice, then eat the dumpling.
I'm always in the mood for their juicy dumplings. That's the only reason I go to Joe's. First time I ate it, I was told how to handle the steaming hot dumplings, but was young, so how did I know any better. This might sound disgusting, but every part of my skin in my mouth must have come off. But it was so heavenly. So, beware first time Joe's dumpling eaters. Make sure you tear it so all the juice flows out first, drink the juice, THEN eat the dumpling. YUM! I'm craving it right now.
Over the years, the service has gotten better and better... if you're a regular customer, you will definately see the same waiters who probably been there since it opened. I'm not one of those people who bitch about gratuity being added onto the check, but Flushing? c'mon. But I don't complain because I'm sure they don't get what they deserve from cheap people.
Joe's anyone?
What a difference from the location in Chinatown in Manhattan! It tastes very different, and I ama fan of the other location. Pork Xiao long pao seems more blant, and rushed VERY much.
alright. if you never had xiao long bao (soup dumplings), you are missing out in life. Can you imagine the experience of biting into a dumpling and having a hot, oily, meaty but mouth-watering soup broth just bursting in your mouth?
Who first came up with this idea??? man....madd props to you. This is some superfantastic creation of uniting soup and dumplings together. I love you....whoever u are.
Now, is this the best place to have xiao long bao? I'm not too sure. Too be honest, this is the only place I had it. They say that this place has the best xiao long bao in NY but I won't say it until I tried some more at other competing restaurants.
I tried few other dishes, but they weren't a knockout. It was just decent.
Go for the xiao long bao~!!!
This location is better than the one in Chinatown because it doesn't have the same garish neon lighting and the wait is shorter, but by not really short. The soup dumplings seem to be more or less exactly the same. We also order twice-cooked (double-cooked?) pork that was supposed to be spicy. It was not spicy and I am pretty damn sure it was chicken. It really, really seemed like chicken and in no way resembled any pork or double-cooked pork I have ever had before, but rather really reminded of the chicken that comes in your typical Chinese takeout's chicken with broccoli. Soup dumplings are good, but pretty much everything else about this place isn't.
Soup dumpling is very different, and it's really tasty. I love the pork version vs. the seafood version. But that is just my preference. But the dumplings do sit heavy and flavoring is ok.
I would go here again since it is different. But for the most part it isn't all it's hyped up to be.
I've been craving Joe's Shanghai since my last visit to NYC...
And this time, I was with family, and they knew the "secret" of coming to the location in Flushing, for better parking...
YUM!
The Yummy dishes:
- Pork soup Dumplings (xiao long bao) - the bestest!
- Crab soupDumplings - great! still not sure why it's a yellow tinge of soup inside. but delicious none-the-less.
(btw. an order of 7 or 8 dumplings is 4 bucks! nothing beats that! and this is better than any of the places i've tried in The bay area (CA), and nothing like it in SoFlo)
- Clams with Black Bean Sauce. Yum! (Finally clams without the sandy grit from uncleaned seafood) tasty, even just the sauce with white rice was a plus.
Good Dishes
- Eggplant with pork. (a bit sweet)
- Carp. it was cooked in a brown sauce that had some bits of meat in it. possibly pork. interesting. not sure if i'd order it if I came again.
- Spicy Fried Pork Chop. At least it was supposed to be spicy. it was reminiscent of Fried Chicken. Kinda greasy. not really flavorful. I think I was supposed to use the same vinegary-soy sauce dip for these, but I didn't know that til later...
- Pan Fried Noodles with Veggies and Beef. Reminds me of home. Good. but not great.
(I was surprised... there aren't any strictly vegeterain dishes. all of the veggie dishes had a meat product in it.)
and fresh oranges at the end. :) That always highlights a nice chinese dinner.
(Oh. if you are 10 minutes late for your reservation... beware... they WILL Give your table to someone else! )
Even before the waiter serves you tea, he asks "how many orders?" It's a given, most of the patrons go there for the Shanghai Dumplings. We ordered 2 orders of the original XLB, 2 orders of the Crab Soup Dumplings and some other entrees that were overshadowed by the staples.
The dumplings were slightly bigger than the white soup spoons, but sized so as excess soup falls into the reservoir for sipping later. The skins were of medium thickness, the soup nicely flavored, and of course they serve it to you fresh and steaming. They were delicious and cheap!
This is THE place for soup dumplings in NYC! It's bizarre because the Flushing location is better than the Chinatown location. This doesn't make any sense but I found it to be true. Be sure to watch others or ask how to eat the soup dumplings or they will pour all over you and you will miss the experience! Aside from them, the rest of the food is delicious and I try to order something new every time. Oh geez, this post is making me really want soup dumplings...
Food: Review completely based on xiao long bao. I was extremely disappointed. First, the dumplings do not have enough soup. If I wanted xiao long baos that were dry inside, I'll order dumplings. Secondly, the skin is a little too thick for my liking. Third, the clump of meat inside is so unrefined, no juice and all salt. I mean it's worse than a meatball, kind of borders the meat you find in a chinese take out joint. And lastly, you'll feel the MSG later on.
Drink: Crappy house tea.
Service: Pretty bad, expected from immigrants from China anyway. Life does not exactly revolve around being polite and thoughtful over there. If you like plates being thrown at you or speaking to a wall, head on over!
Crowd/Ambiance: Packed and loud! Expect a line, expect a longer line on weekends. Uncomfortable seating, sticky tables and menus, chipped plates and cups. Not a pleasant dining experience.
I love this place but every time I come especially lately.. they give me reasons to hate it.
Here is why;
SERVICE SUCKS EEVVVERYTIME! the wait is ridiculous even when they aren't busy. For instance- yesterday my buddies and I came in around 3 and all but 2 tables were not packed. WHY ARE WE WAITING 20MINS FOR YOU TO WIPE DOWN THE TABLE?! Then my unusual friend orders an unusual pork dumpling and has to wait to receive it, while my other friend and I are about done with our crab meat dumplings. I know it's unusual and all..... but I really feel like the wait is unnecessary. On top of all this YOU ARE FORCED TO PAY TIP. I should not have to pay "gratuity" if I feel your service was not gratuitous. I also feel like that little "extra fee" grants your workers to act apathetic to our requests.
The dumplings here are awesome, but the rest of the food doesn't even come as close.
And for all this frustration... you lose 2 stars.
COME ON JOE SHANGHAI PICK IT UP!
This is the same Joe's Shanghai people as the more well known one in Chinatown. This location has about the same amount of tables but much more elbow room and as far as I know, they don't sit you by strangers like the other location. The food was about the same but the service was horrible. We came with a group of 8 people and everyone got their food within a few minutes but one person in our party waited an extra 20min or so for her meal. Our waitress never took our drink order until I asked her to and I had to flag her down throughout the night for a water refill. I had ordered a soup and wasn't given a spoon and it took several minutes to get someones attention to give me one. There was also someone in our party who wanted to take her leftovers home but they brought the check and ran away before she could ask to take it home and it was too much of a hassle to get any help so she just didn't bother. Now I don't expect friendly service and for them to check to see how everything is with our food but this was a little ridiculous. I still like the Joe Shanghai food, I'll just won't trek out to Flushing again for this spot.
We went to this restaurant because one of us had tried it before and thought it was good. There aren't too many soup dumpling places, even in Flushing Chinatown, so there is some uniqueness to this restaurant.
First problem: My friend was sure there was a special soup dumpling menu but we were only given the standard menu, which had just two kinds of soup dumplings, the pork and the crab meat dumplings. And those were appetizers, not main courses.
We ordered one set of each kind of dumpling.
Second problem: The servers kept coming back and asking if that was all we wanted to order. Apparently, we did not order enough? Very annoying.
So I tried the dumplings. Those are good but I'm not sure what's so great about them. Yes, there is soup in the dumplings but then I had to be careful picking them out of the bamboo steamer or they would burst and lose all the soup.
Third problem: The servers were too eager in taking away the bamboo steamers before we had finished the cabbage and once, even before we had finished the dumplings.
I surveyed the rest of the menu. Prices are high for Flushing Chinatown standards. There were lots of dishes over $10. In Flushing, if you can't eat for $5, it has to be really special.
Final problem: They add an automatic 15% gratuity to the bill so they can let service slide and still get their 15%. Well fine, that's all they're getting.
Joe's Shanghai is my favorite place for Crab Meat with Pork Meat Steamed Bun. I've never had anything better, even today.
Two years ago I would give them 5 stars. However, when I went back this time. The taste of the buns have changed a bit. Or maybe, I set the expectation for too high.
The waiting line is always very long. Prepare for at least 30 minutes wait time for dinner, especially weekend.
Crab meat dumpling is good, but they're losing their touch with other food. It's a bit on the pricey side. There're better restaurants out there for the money.
I was pleasantly surprise by this place because I never heard of it before until one of my buddies decided to come here on a Sunday morning before a Mets game and mentioned it was Zagat rated.
Anyways, the place looked like a popular destination as they posted a lot of pictures of famous celebrities (mostly Asian) who have been here before in front of the entrance. The inside looks more like a tea house than an actual restaurant but it felt roomy and plenty of tables for seating. There were like 2-3 big tables in the middle of the area so if you have a big group of 5-10 people is okay but be prepare to wait as a group of 4 of us got there really early when the restaurant just opened, and the place was packed within 15 minutes of opening.
The first thing my friend did was ordered 3 orders of their famous soup dumplings with crab pork meat. Then we also ordered some fried pan cakes and two dishes of noodles, Singapore noodles and some thick Chinese yellow looking noodles. I thought the Singapore noodles were a bit heavy on the curry flavour which I didn't mind, but my other friend thought it was a bit over flavoured. The thick Chinese yellow noodles were quite good with some meat mixed in, although I have to admit they looked a bit oily.
Of course the soup dumplings were very good and the four of us polished off the three orders very quickly. The waiter service was okay, as the dude was not that engaging but he served the meals pretty quickly and did his job. The price wasn't that expensive so I think the value is there. So overall, not a bad place to eat, but I think i would preferred to try another place that supposedly have very good soup dumplings as well.
But overall, I wouldn't recommend against it, but I would come again if my friends wanted to, otherwise I would preferred to keep searching for a place with good soup dumplings "on top of" other dishes that are tasty, in Flushing area.
Just as crowded and hectic as the Pell street location. Somehow they fit three adults and two stollers (with two babies) at a large table. We didn't even have to share even though the other half was empty while the resturant was packed.
Its no DTF but its good eonugh if you can't get to Arcadia or Asia.
Time to go get my saddle and rouse up Barney, the tallest stallion in the stable, because I'm about to get on my high horse on this one.
The New York State Director of Culinary Tourism must have gotten one sick kickback for somehow making this completely average franchise the Gene Simmons of Chinese cuisine. The ardent fervor of Joe Shanghai groupies are just completely beyond me after finally trying the Flushing location.
To begin, had I half the intuition to realize that Joe Shanghai was going to be as overrated as it was, the wait is hands down absurd. My party of two fidgeted around for forty minutes, which, as impatient as I am, I would not normally complain. The real crime is the fact that this was downtown Flushing, a town where there are as many Chinese restaurants as there are ridiculous haircuts. But, I digress, especially since I'm guilty of waiting the entire time.
Finally seated, the service was a mess. You may have been to other places with the same sort chaotic waitering situation, and whatever, that's just how they do it in these places, don't expect your server to be making clever banter and checking up on you periodically. The problem is, though most Chinese restaurants resemble the Dow Jones floor, the whiling dervish of waiters are actually taking orders, serving food, and busing tables with incredible efficiency. Not so with this place. It seemed to be a badly managed wait staff that suffered the repercussions of it.
In addressing the food, a personified Joe Shanghai would be a 45 year old accountant with two close to college aged kids, barely making his mortgage payments, and seriously considering buying a boat even though he has no idea how to take care of it. It's so completely average that "Joe" Shanghai is a perfectly apt name. I had the soup dumplings, fried dumplings, pork and pickled cabbage noodle soup, and the fried rice cakes with chicken. None of the dishes were disappointing, but more relevantly, none of the dishes were worth the wait and touchy service.
While I do respect the fact that, as big a name Joe Shanghai is, they don't try to get away with charging higher prices. Three stars would be the most accurate rating for this place. For all you groupies out there, I think you have to start trying more Chinese digs because a five star rating is as criminal as a five star rating for Olive Garden.
Really, the only good thing about this place is that they bring out some soup dumplings for you right away. But otherwise, it's not that great. There are better soup dumplings to be had at a few other places in Flushing, and there are actually a number of Americanised Chinese dishes on the menu. Not that I hate Americanised Chinese food, only I think they belong in Americanised Chinese restaurants, and not a place that tries to pass itself off as authentic Chinese.
When I went into this place, I was surprised by the amount of white people in there, considering this is downtown Flushing. This place is basically great for trying out the crab soup dumplings.
They're really interesting. Minced crab meat with soup, but all mysteriously fit into a small dumpling somehow. I suggest it with the vinegar and hot sauce. However, it's not the best deal for food and it's not something that's so amazing that I would come back over and over.
However, a place you should try out if you're in the area.
Omg...I wish I had a Joe's Shanghai near my block so that I could indulge myself all day with the crab and pork soup dumplings!!!
When I first tried Joe's Shanghai on Pell at China Town I wasn't too impressed...I guess because the environment was so distracting...my boyfriend and I had to sit next to 6 other strangers and it was just so loud and packed! it was like actually being in China! and I don't approve of that!
But this location was perfect...the 2 times that I went there was always a PRIVATE table and it was a very comfortable environment so I was able to retry my soup dumplings and I have to say...it was like an orgasm in my mouth!!! oooooWEEEEE was it good!
We came here just for the ....XIAO LONG BAO...or PORK/CRABMEAT SOUP DUMPLINGS...supposedly the star of the show ...LOVE IT..REALLY DELICIOUS...One of the best so far,..I also ordered the Shrimp Noodle and Camille had the Seafood Noodle ... As usual the place was crowded but we were lucky we didn't really have to wait that long to be served...10 minutes max...
Looking around I noticed most of the tables ordered the famous XIAO LONG BAO ..but couldn't help but watch how some people do not know how to eat it properly. I watched this man spoon the whole dumpling in his mouth and probably burned his tongue ..he has to take it out in his plate...another girl split it with her fork and the soup spilled in her dress...
Well...here's the right way to eat it.
1. Place the dumpling in your soup spoon.
2. Take a little bite and makea hole in the dumpling
3. Carefully sip the soup slowly (it is hot)
4. Now go for the kill..the yummy part which is the Pork/crabmeat.
5. Don't forget to season it with soysauce/vinegar/ginger..
6. Savor every bite..
The turnover is unbelievable...people just kept on coming..and Oh....they don't take credit cards...ONLY CASH...All in all the service was good..
I'll probably go back there again ...this time for the MooShu Pork.
Ugh I hate waiting for a table at Joe's but sometimes when you haven't had a soup dumpling in a while, you really want it and are forced to wait. This location is pretty small, they have few large tables for big groups and mostly smaller tables or 2-4 people.
I discovered my first scallion pancakes here so I believe them to be the best here. The remainder of the food on the menu is awesome, I've tried about everything.
Here's how to eat the soup dumplings (which I can make a meal out):
#1 - Poke small hole in top of dumpling to let steam escape
#2 - Pour ginger soy sauce in there
#3 - Take a small nibble out of the top to help steam escape and let juices pour out onto spoon.
#4 - Blow inside the dumpling to cool down the soup
#5 - Eat your heart out!
Side effects of these dumplings are:
Dry lips
Dehydration
Ordering more rounds of dumplings
Not enough room to eat the remainder of the food you ordered
Stains on shirt from soup dripping/splashing
Burned tongue if not eaten properly and following the steps above
Don't like how the wait for a table is long.
Don't like that the restaurant doesn't accept credit cards. (No Chinese Restaurant in Flushing takes credit cards, except the one with the bowl on top of it. So shady! AND ANNOYING.)
I am not an expert on Chinese Cuisine, but to my Korean-American tongue...
Crab Meat Soup Dumplings. VERY GOOD.
Crispy Yellowfish. OH-SO VERY GOOD.
Five years ago, I actually started living. Why is this? Because it was the first time I ate a soup dumpling from Joe Shanghai.
Of course, it didn't take me much time to learn that this is the sole reason to go to this place, since the most of the food is not worth the time or the price.
Even though these dumplings make my lips really dry, and God only knows what the "soup" actually consists of, after one, you are hooked.
The prices here are the cheapest of the three in New York. Minus, its always the one that is crowded. Except if you go for an early lunch. But even then, the actual service is sluggish at best.
Another minus, the tables are really close together, I was practically on top of the couple next to me, and they weren't to thrilled about it either.
Prices are very fair, eight soup dumplings (pork) are only 4.35. But the tip is a surcharge, so, no matter the service or number of people, your paying a gratuity.
Tried it for the second time around lunch hour.
The service was bit on the slower side, but it was passable (tables were barely 1/3rd filled and still slow service...?)
We ordered both pork and crab & pork xiao long bao. The crab & pork tasted kinda weird. I wouldn't recommend it.
Between two of us we ordered about 3 dishes with the xiao long baos that came out to aroud $80 dollars. Now that I think back on it, the reason why we ordered more dishes was because the portions were too small to share between the two of us.
And they were filled with cheaper ingredients against the more expensive ones in terms of ratio. (i.e. more veggies than meat, more rice cakes than seafood etc) One thrifty business, one annoyed gourmand.
In our case, each dishes were being shared by two people. Initially we ordered 2 xiao long baos and 2 beef/seafood dishes. And still the dishes weren't big enough for us to fill up on. The hell, I thought Joe's Shanghai was a family restaurant where dishes were meant to be shared.
***Warning: don't order anything on menu that's under $15. They cheap out on the ingredients.***
The taste? All in all Good. But for what they charge? Not great.
Let's just put it this way. If several of my friends had decided to dine here for the night, I wouldn't mind. But I doubt I'll be the first to insist on coming here.
Pros: Xiao long baos, taste
Cons: slow service, portions, price value
Around 3.5 I would say. And this my final review of this place. I Won't be coming back here, at least not on my own will.
p.s. I suggest others read Matthew A.'s review as well.
My god, this place is a nightmare during peak hours.
The first thing you say when you step in: OH MY…
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Do not come here on a full stomach because you will end up eating more and more until you waddle out of here.
The pork xiao long bao were HUGE - at least half of the size of my kid sized hands. So many baos for less than $5!
We went back this past weekend and I would definitely give it 4.5 stars now.
We ordered a soup and shrimp fried rice, in addition to two orders of xiaolongbaos. It was definitely too much food for us, so we took the rice and soup home, but I have to applaud JSH -- your food has definitely improved immensely!
I no longer silently chuckle at the tourists who order anything other than the xiaolongbaos!
Good job improving.
I come here only for the soup buns (xiaolongbao). Everything else is mediocre. Oh, maybe you can… Read more »
Let me just put it to you this way: I came here last week on wed for lunch, then on thursday for dinner. I've been to what is supposedly the "best" Shanghai style soup dumplings restaurant in Hong Kong, and Joe's is better. I can knock back one order of crab & pork dumplings by myself, then I usually split a pan fried noodles and something else with another person, maybe scallion pancakes. The food here is good, but come for the dumplings. Tsing Tao's are $4. Can't beat that.
Cash only, parking is a bitch on weekends.
I must agree with Jim K. --- there is an odor that just hits you in the face when you walk into the restaurant. I'm not 100% sure what it is, but I decided to ignore it and wait to be seated, It was packed, but we didn't wait more than 10 minutes. Our table was tiny and we were seated next to an odd couple who, I believe, may have been high as kites. But, they seemed to really be enjoying their meal.
We ordered the pork and crab soup dumplings. It was my first time trying xiao long bao, and they lived up to the hype. I saw lots of people ordering only these and making a meal out of them. Truly delicious and supremely satisfying. I agree with the other reviewer who described them as hot lard, they're extremely oily but they're too good to pass up.
I saw someone at the next table order the seafood noodle soup and knew that it was for me. For $5.95 I got a hot bowl of udon soup topped with jumbo shrimp, scallops, abalone and veggies. I couldn't finish it, and I left stuffed and happy. I think this was one of the few low fat items on the menu. Definitely try to skip this place if you're dieting. Plates of scallion pancakes, grease soaked noodles and fried rice flowed freely and make me dream of the next time I'd return and order freely.
Service was slow and absent minded. I asked for water three times before I got it and had trouble catching a waiter as they ran past to ask for the check. It's also loud as hell in there. Don't come here on date night. Tables are also packed together closely. Expect to feel like you're dining with the people at the next table.
In summation, go when you feel like indulging yourself. Ignore the smell upon entering the restaurant. And definitely, don't pass on the soup dumplings.
This place is very busy. I went on Sunday night around 9:00pm, and I still had to wait about 15 min. This is my 4th try at this location, and about a dozen time in NYC location. I always have these items.
- Shao long pau ( I am not sure the spelling, it is dumpling with soup in it)
- Shang hai fried rice ( with egg and scallion, very simple but it is awsome)
-Hot and Sour soup ( hong kong style, it is absolutely on of the best I have tried. So many weird stuff in it)
- Seasonal Vegetable (simply stir fired, and very fresh)
I should order other dishes, but I just love these so I can not change it.
came here with friends on saturday for their xiao long bao.
its.... okay if you never had it its pretty good for the us standard but disappointing if you had it anywhere else.
we also got their gong bao chicken, it was ok only. they didnt cook long enough for the sauce to seep into the chicke. got the smoked fish, too salty and too much MSG. we also order others which were not too good.
i have been to all three of the chain (chinatown, midtown, and flushing) they were all really disappointing. i dont think i will come back again.
Didn't like the half an hour wait.
Loved the soup dumplings. I now can tell the difference between the pork soup dumplings and the crab soup dumplings. LOL. Both are good.
What I really liked though was the stir-fried Shanghai-nese noodles. I don't exactly know what it's called but look for the stir fried Shanghai Noodles there.
Their chicken is also pretty good!
Neighborhood: Downtown Flushing
Category: Chinese
Neighborhood: Downtown Flushing
Category: Chinese
Neighborhood: Downtown Flushing
Category: Chinese
Neighborhood: Downtown Flushing
Category: Chinese
Neighborhood: Downtown Flushing
Category: Chinese
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