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I loved the place and have eaten there about 3 times during different visits. I'm also a fan of the Dan Dan Noodles, and the spicy beef tendon. I've tried the vegetables in garlic sauce, the jellyfish, the szechwan dumplings, which were all good, but not remarkable.
Favorite dish to date was the squid with pickled turnips - HOT spicy sauce, with sweet pickled turnips. Yum.
Can't wait to go back...
If you want hot and spicy and you can handle it and not be a wimp, this is a place for you! Came here last night for a light dinner. The place was swarming with Chinese people (with a few gringos mixed in), which is a good sign.
Life lesson: Always patronize a place that is swarming with Chinese people. Chinese people can be pretty finicky about their food and on top of that not willing to pay alot for a good meal ;-)
A popular dish was the spicy beef tendon, and it was good but not as good as Grand Szechuan. Just be prepared for the spiciness!
I ordered the ma la syle stinky tofu, but got a fake dish instead. They didn't have stinky tofu and just cooked regular tofu in ma la sauce. Leave it to the Chinese to improvise and to do anything to make a dollar!! Me BF ordered the taiwan cabbage and it was a wonderful leafy green dish. Simple, fresh, and delicious!
Definitely try this place if you want good authentic Szechuan!
People thought this was:
VH and I went to Spicy & Tasty last night. We weren't particularly hungry, but certainly curious about this place, particularly given the steady stream of customers (always a good sign).
After waiting about ten minutes to be seated (the main room is pretty big, and apparently there is a second room upstairs), we ordered spicy beef tendons as cold appetizer (we couldn't help noticing that every other table had ordered this dish). I really love this dish, although I prefer the tendons that are cut more thinly, so that they're also crunchy.
My gf got all excited when she saw the stinky tofu with Ma-La sauce (oily and spicy sauce from Sichuan) on the menu! Our waiter told us that unfortunately it was not available, but then changed his mind and the dish became suddenly available again... I am not a big fan of tofu, but I dig this dish; I loved the way it was served, simmering over a hot pot. VH was partly disappointed, though: she explained to me that this was not the real stinky tofu, but normal tofu cooked in Ma-La sauce (which is kinda stinky). This explains the waiter's behavior... Still delicious, but not the real thing.
We then ordered the Taiwanese cabbage, which is somewhat similar to bok choi in taste, but sweeter in taste. It also has a beautiful bright green color when cooked. This dish was very well balanced in flavor, a great side dish for all the other spicy food we had.
Highly recommended -- have been there twice and been very pleased. We love Chinese food (my GF from the PRC originally) and this is one of the best Szechuan restaurants we've been to in NYC. The first time we went the food was pretty mild -- perhaps toned down when they see a westerner at the table? We asked for spicy this time, and it was -- not eye-watering spicy, but tingly and hot. Recommend the Chengdu shrimp, the fish with black bean and green pepper. The noodles with chili sauce was quite good -- etc etc. No dish was a miss. The sauces are complex, a little too salty for my taste, but YUM.
I was really excited to try this place, but I thought it wasn't as good as I expected it to be from the good reviews here. I had some standard Sichuan fare: Water-cooked beef (shui zhu niu), ma po tofu, and dan dan noodles. the dan dan noodles was by far the best. The ma po tofu was above average, but as far as the water-cooked beef was concerned, I've had spicier and more tender beef.
People thought this was:
I have to admit, I am a complete fan of this place. The food is authentic and they definitely do not dumb down the spice. The cold appetizers are heavenly, if you are waiting for a table, just take a look (the cold appetizers are in the front of the restaurant) and make your choices as you drool.
The hot entrees are really good too.
So so delicious. =)
People thought this was:
I will only give this review 4 stars due to the fact that I think they weakened the spiciness for the table full of non Asians. If this didn't happen, Spicy & Tasty would definitely get a 5 star review. Such a large menu with tons of spicy dishes. If you love heat this would be your place.
Saturday night after Yelp's A Beach had ended, we decided to ride the subway into Flushing seeing we always can find good eats fairly cheap. The more authentic dining experience the better. We saw that there were quite a few people waiting but we really wanted spicy Chinese. We were asked if it was ok that we share a table which honestly did not matter in the least. Then we had to immediately choose which cold apps we wanted. I chose a very garlicky seaweed dish, and the amazing cucumbers in sesame oil (so salty and sooo good!). We ended up being seated upstairs at one of the big round tables with about 5 other people. It worked out great because everyone was cool and fine with sharing and trying each meal. Between all of us we ordered much more food then any of us could have ever possibly finished. It was worth it just to try everything.
Appetizers:
The wontons in spicy oil were very tasty but could have had a little more spice, the spicy pickled string beans were very good, the cold chicken was not my thing as I am not really into cold poultry. I am sure we had a few more apps but I can't really recall.
The water boiled beef was different then I have had at other restaurants. It was served in almost a casserole style dish. It was not the bubbling cauldron of spicy goodness that I love so much. It was still good but it may have just been that we had a less spicy version, who knows. The double cooked pork with garlic and leeks was tender salty and garlicky, the shredded Pork with hot peppers had a great kick and was also a very good dish, and yet again there were two more meals at the table that I tried and cannot recall....too much food confused my brain!
Service was polite and quick. Dinner was definitely an enjoyable experience. Due to the awesomeness of the menu and the potential for some serious tongue numbing heat I will definitely be back maybe with some Chinese friends, if that really makes a difference.
People thought this was:
This is one restaurant that truly lives up to its name. Its hard to find a restaurant that makes a dish that caters to my level of spicy (moderate) yet knows how to use it to enhance the flavor, not just overpower it. This place is exactly that. We ordered a couple app's: dan dan noodles and dumplings. Both were AMAZING. The noodles were thicker, udon-like, and come in a sauce. Coat evenly and eat happily. Repeat with dumplings. We got a different meat for each dish: lamb, beef, duck. The lamb dish was savory. The duck was good, but it was on the bone so it was little bit of a chore to eat. Ate the least of the beef only because it was farthest from me on the table. If you have the stomach for spicy eats, do it here!
Let me start by saying anyone who rates this place less than a five star better specify why because the food was to die for. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! The only reason i can conjure up for anything, even half a star less than 5 is the service. It is packed, you do wait, but frankly I don't think you can dock from the rating for it because they do VERY well for being such an incredibly busy spot. No, they don't check on you every 2 minutes like some American places, but they take your order before they even get a table freed up for you to be sure you don't wait to eat after you sit down. THAT to me is good service. So...onto the review of the food...
Absolutely perfect! it was delicious and I don't think you'll find better in the area. These people know what they're doing and are without a doubt serving up nothing less than they'd serve to their own family. It was packed in there for a reason...the food is amazing! I highly, I mean HIGHLY recommend the cold jellyfish chengdu style. It's spicy and incredibly flavorful! It's gelatinous yet with a bite and the peanuts add a nice crunch. The flavor is like nothing else I've had...a perfect blend of everything! Don't leave without trying it!
I had the shredded pork with noodles and it was a very clean-tasting, flavorful, light yet satisfying dish. It was lightly spicy (in comparison to the jellyfish) and delicious. It came with whole pieces of garlic, squares of sliced ginger and whole hot peppers. Don't eat the ginger...not a good idea but i love garlic, so I couldn't help myself. I took small bites of the whole garlic with my noodles, hehe. YUM! I woke up tasting garlic in the morning, but it was soo gooooodd!
My boyfriend had the clams in black bean sauce and they were saturated in a delicious mix of fresh basil and black bean sauce. I am not one for clams cooked that style, but i would highly recommend this dish and likely order it myself next time. It was SO good!
People thought this was:
It was over a year ago that we came so I can't remember all of the dishes we ordered. I came with a large group of Chinese relatives but we unfortunately had to ask for less spicy for some of my older relatives. I thought it still packed a good punch though, and the food was authentic and well made. The cold appetizers are great - I particularly love the seaweed cause no one else makes it so garlicky, the tendon dish and shredded tofu are good too. I also really liked the jellyfish. For people who don't find it spicy enough, maybe politely tell them you would like the next dishes to be spicier cause we had the reverse problem with a few of the dishes and finally had to get one dish without spice so my aunt would eat. Personally I liked it all though and would definitely come back. Sadly, I can't say that for a good number of restaurants I've tried in Flushing
People thought this was:
My parents were visiting me from California and were dying to go to Flushing and Lainy C. recommended this restaurant to me. I always feel a little bit nervous taking my parents to Chinese restaurants because they have very high standards and discerning taste when it comes to Chinese food. This place did not disappoint! I really like the cold appetizer set up in the front where you can pick what you want. We tried the spicy bamboo shoots and it was quite good. We also had kung pao chicken, beef noodle soup, shredded pork with bamboo and garlic and ginger and scallion crab. The only thing we didn't really like was the beef noodle soup because it didn't really have much flavor BUT I blame my dad for that because he ordered it "not too spicy." Who comes to a restaurant named Spicy and Tasty and doesn't take the food spicy?! The rest of the food wasn't that spicy either but maybe they just assumed that we weren't capable of handling spice. Good, quick service and reasonably priced too.
Overall, not too spicy but definitely tasty!!
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This place is awesome. I had just come in on a redeye from LAX and had a harrowing experience at the Jamaica Station waiting for the train to Roslyn. N.B., during peak hours, the outbound trains--depending on the line--only run like every 90 minutes!! After showering and napping, Sandy W. and I wanted food. And we wanted chinese food, because between the two of us, we make 1.5 Chinese people. The North Shore of Long Island is not really known for authentic Chinese food, so naturally, we hopped in the car and went to Flushing!
Spicy and Tasty is relatively clean for a legit Chinese restaurant and man oh man is the food good. We ate tripe, bean curd, fish, and chicken. I can't even tell you what exactly we ordered because Sandy ordered everything in Chinese, but it was really tasty (and spicy).
The LIRR is pretty close so after lunch, I just hopped on a train into Penn Stn while my former Manhattanite-turned-Long Island-stay-at-home-mom friend went back to the 516.
People thought this was:
This is one of the highest rated places in Flushing according to Zagat, and in my opinion, that's right on the money. Our entrees were nothing less than spectacular, much better than what you find at the usual local Chinese joints.
I got a pork chow fun which was fresh and flavorful and the other two people in my party got eggplant and garlic and pork lo mein respectively. They both loved their mains. In particular I want to note that the meals were not at all greasy, something that's very problematic at regular Chinese restaurants. As a result, the meals weren't overly heavy, and we didn't walk out feeling disgusting or stuffed. Just great, like we ate some really top notch food.
One thing that didn't go so well were the apps which were served from a buffet tray at room temperature. We wound up not eating them at all because of the lukewarm temperature and because they tasted a bit old, so that was a shame. I'd actually avoid them next time. But the entrees were so good, I left feeling great about this place. Totally loved it.
Oh...non food stuff - The service was swift and despite the big crowd, we got seated in about 5 minutes. Parking was a bit of a hassle, the area municipal lot was pretty full, so I'd recommend going there via mass transit if possible. It'll make for a much easier experience.
We stopped in here for dinner on a random Thursday night after I remembered my friend's rave review about the place..and boy was he right! The name says it all! Food is spicy and certainly very tasty!
We sampled the dan dan noodles (my favorite), beef tripe in hot pepper sauce and sliced beef with watercress. Everything was awesome.
The menu is very extensive. Can't wait to go back and try more dishes.
Service was a little slow and the decor..well there really isn't much of a decor but who cares when you've got such delicious, authentic Sichuan food in front of you?
mosied on in here a few months ago and had some
spicy squid dish....and some cold cucumbers .... mmm squid oooh ma la .... yes it lived up to the hype for me ... the red chile oil and the Sichuan peppercorns were oozing out flavor....my dish rocked. Heard the dan dan noodles are amazing..i plan on trying the seaweed in garlic sauce next time .... only thing is i didn't find the dish spicy at all... hence i really didn't need any cold cucumbers to douse out the flames.. there were none...next time i go i will ask them to make it extra spicy...the restaurant itself is a snooze....and it feels uninspired...but the food is amazing...service was also lackluster...maybe because it was too early for dinner and too late for lunch. ma bad.
Much chatter goes around about this restaurant and as an afficionada of spicy food, I was eager to dine there. I went there for lunch with three other people and we all ordered off the lunch menu. The "special appetizer" was a plate of seaweed that had been sort of pickled, it was enjoyable if rather dull. We ordered hot and sour soup for four rather than the soup that came with the lunch special and it was a delight - fresh, flavorful, and wonderful.
I ordered ma-po tofu (bean curd with minced pork) and specifically asked for it *very spicy*. I looked the waitress in the eye and said, "very spicy, and I really mean very spicy". But it wasn't spicy at all! I really resent being served white-person spicy food, especially in a dish that is supposed to have a hefty dose of spice. It was, however, delicious - the pork had a very gamey taste and wonderful texture and the tofu was soft and flavorful.
The other dishes my party ordered were just okay. Granted, they were fairly standard Chinese take-out type dishes (beef with broccoli, twice cooked pork, chicken with peanuts), and though they were better than the average Chinese take-out place, they were pretty freaking far from exceptional. And despite requests, nothing was spicy in the least.
I definitely want to return, perhaps it will be better at dinner. But based on my experience and the other reviews, white folks clearly don't have any hope of experiencing authentic Sichuan spicing here. Maybe we'll get lucky and someone from the restaurant will stumble on these reviews and get the message - we want spice! A love and appreciation for spicy food transcends skin tone and nationality.
Take note that this was my first trip out to Flushing and just prior to entering Spicy & Tasty, I had stuffed myself silly with all that Main Street had to offer--lamb skewers, Peking duck sandwich, bowl of shave ice...ya I'm a pig.
So imagine my friends' surprise (or maybe it was disgust) when I told them I wanted to try a good sit-down restaurant before leaving Flushing. We ordered the special lobster, mapo tofu, cold seaweed dish, eggplant w/ garlic, and dan dan mien. Lobster was plentiful and fresh, dressed with a light ginger sauce. Mapo tofu had a bit too much chili oil for my liking and it wasn't very spicy, but maybe that's because they thought a Japanese girl like me wouldn't be able to handle it. Eggplant and dan dan mien were good but not the best I've ever had, but my favorite dish was the seaweed. I could eat that stuff everyday if it weren't for the intense garlic breath that follows.
I don't even want to think about the amount of calories I consumed that day, but it was all so worth it.
People thought this was:
grand szechuan in Chinatown and szechuan gourmet in flushing are my go-to spots when I'm looking for the spice. I've had the drools, the drippin eyes and the revenge to make me scared for the next visit...this place however is super tame in comparison and also inferior in some of the standard dishes. Cold Cucumbers in garlic were kinda flavorless, the spicy wantons had great complexity but still not fiery, the dandan noodles were tasty but I don't get the hype, winner goes to double cooked pork but still zero spice!! I just can't get too excited about the oxymoronic non spicy szechuan, even my small intestine was disappointed.
Jasmine S. clearly knows nothing about Sichuan food. It's supposed to be spicy with strong, even overpowering, flavors. If you're not looking for that, then don't go to a Sichuan restaurant.
I loved it. We had dumplings in red chili sauce, dan dan mien, a fish dish also in red chili sauce, eggplant in garlic sauce, and soft bean curd with salted fish. The flavors were strong and with some heat (although not overwhelmingly so). There was nothing stinky about it, because we didn't order any dishes with stinky tofu. I'm guessing that Jasmine S. did, in which case, if she's complaining about the stinkiness, then she's just plain ignorant.
People thought this was:
My boyfriend and I stopped here for a quick meal before heading to Citi Field. I don't remember exactly what we ordered. We had some kind of "spicy" cold noodles, a duck dish and some steamed buns. Everything was good, but none of it was actually spicy. They only gave us tea when we arrived and we ended up not asking for water because we didn't need it.
I'm positive that they toned down the spiciness. I have had similar dishes in Chicago and have needed pitchers of water to make it through the meal.
Disappointing.
This is an authentic Sichuan place. The food was fresh & tasty.
But I have to deduct two stars from them.
They did this thing that so many Sichuan places in the Flushing have done to me everytime I've gone there with a crew that had a few non-Asians.
They toned down the spiciness.
The leader of our crew insisted, in Chinese, that he wanted it to be full power. The waiter nodded, understood, and even provided recommendations. But I could tell when eating it that it had been toned down. The following dishes;
-lazi jiding (chicken friend with chilis)
-shui zhu yu pian (chicken filets cooked in a spicy red broth)
- mapo tofu (nuff said)
Should have caused me to start sweating and guzzling water & tea by the gallon. Unfortunately it did not.
I suspect the sichuan restaurant owners in the Flushing area are terrified of legal liability.
I'll need to go there again by myself or just with a group of Asian's to see what kind of damage they'll do to me.
People thought this was:
It really deserves a 4.5
I came here looking for a great spice to linger long after the meal was over and that was precisely what I got
It was pretty late when we arrived- 9 30PM on a Wednesday night and we were still seated. In fact they seated a couple when we were done with our meal and paying the check! They open late!
Because they know they're super spicy, the meal automatically came with rice. I had no need to order it-- they know we would need it
You can specify your spice level to the waitress but you had better know some Mandarin Chinese... otherwise... just fall back on looking kinda silly and pantomime large to small scale as you point to the chili pepper sign
The decor is rather dull but you're here to enjoy the authentic and spicy food- not stare at the walls
The lingering spice feeling in your mouth is hard for restaurants to achieve without just overwhelming the dish with just plain ole hot spices. There is flavor, depth and personality to these dishes.
I have been happy with every dish ordered and I come back every time I am in the neighborhood and crave a good Sichuan meal
People thought this was:
If you leave a Sichuan restaurant with your mouth not ablaze, you have done yourself a disservice! Luckily this is not a problem at Flushing landmark Spicy & Tasty.
The restaurant is conveniently located near the terminus of the 7-Train, a sometimes epic (read: slow and troublesome) journey to the end of the line. But for a much more relaxing and scenic trip, take the minibus from Manhattan Chinatown for $2.50 and join two dozen Chinese people for the 25-minute ride, which ends in the same general area around Main Street.
Spicy & Tasty only tips its inner secrets by the line that is usually formed out the door. A chef prepares small dishes in the window, but the real delicacies of the place come from the kitchen, which is never seen.
For this meal, we were a group of four, headed by two Sichuan natives who did all of the ordering. My only request, the Sichuan Dumplings, was already part of the order by the time I mentioned it.
By the time everything was brought out for us, our table was completely jammed with appetizers, noodles, rice, and mains. We could never dream about finishing it all on our own. The Hot and Sour Noodle, a typical Sichuan dish brings the heat, which makes the Sauteed Pea Sprouts w/ Garlic, a delicious and tame dish, completely necessary.
And then the more adventurous dishes started coming: The Pork Blood, Pork Intestines & Bean Sprout in Hot Sauce, was actually too beautifully spicy to really know you were eating something possibly revolting, while the Frog in Fresh Hot Pepper was nice to look at, but less tasty than the other dishes. Each morsel was very bony, making eating it more effort than it was worth considering all the other delicious things within arm's reach.
People thought this was:
Its hard to admit that I have to go on yelp to find out where to eat for Chinese food, given that Im Chinese...but thanks for the reviews, bc I love spicy food.
Get the spicy fillet fish with vegetables buried underneath-- be careful of the small dark round seasonings (peppercorn)-- those will numb your mouth! Spicy Ma-puo-tofu is a must. And at the very front entrance you'll see lots of delicacies that you can order in small plates. It always changes, but I liked the sliced beef which is also spicy...but a drier meatier type of spice (does that make sense?), tripe thats mixed with tendons (seriously it may sound weird, but bc these are cold dishes, the spice is just different than a hot dish).
How many times can I say spicy? Oh, and dont be afraid to ask for more rice to hold the flames down. (I have high tolerance and only need 1/2 a bowl, but my bf needs 2 bowls). Enjoy!
People thought this was:
Although I miss the Flushing that I grew up in sometimes, it's places like Spicy Tasty that make me happy that the changes are not that bad.
Brother #2 is a connoisseur of the eateries around the Main St. Flushing area and he told me about Spicy Tasty so I thought it would be a perfect place to try out on a freezing Sunday afternoon, with Susan N. in tow. I just picked her up from the airport, after her week-long sojourn in Colombia and she was tired of all things Latin and needed something spicy.
What I really liked about this place was that they offered a ton of lamb dishes - this is a rarity in many restaurants, and I always try it out when I find in on a menu.
We shared the Hot and Sour Soup (we asked for it to be vegetarian), Scallion and Egg Fried Rice (so rich, and so green, but not as onion-y as you would think), Lamb Home-style (perfectly seasoned, spicy without losing the flavor, and the lamb was so tender) and the Spicy Bamboo (once again, spicy without overwhelming you with heat).
It's safe to say that this place ranks up there with my Flushing food favorites.
I'm a fan! Yay!
People thought this was:
I think this restaurant carries some authentic Sichuan dishes, so it's definitely worth giving it a try. However, I had a bad experience there so I probably won't bring business there anymore.
My grandma and aunt recently came to visit me in New York. My grandmother loves Sichuan food so I was very excited to take them here. I had to run outside to move the car after we were seated, so I just left my aunt to do the ordering. Since she's a tourist, she asked the store manager for recommendations.The manager said that she would take care of us, and ordered some dishes for my aunt. Well, after I got back, one of the staff felt bad about our order, and initially came back to ask if we wanted to change it. But as he began to ask us, the manager silenced him and told him to put in the order. As it turned out, one of the dishes the manager recommended was $35, and it consisted of two things: fried noodles and a few small sea cucumbers. Was it worth $35? I don't know, not being a sea cucumber connoisseur myself.
Anyways, this happens a lot in China. You always have to ask the price of a dish before ordering off the menu because they will take you for a ride. I definitely wasn't prepared to experience it in New York, but I guess it is Flushing.
People thought this was:
Having been not only sick of all things Colombian, but just sick in general, I let the great Ki G. decide where to go that would have good and spicy food. She ended up picking Spicy & Tasty, right in the heart of Flushing.
We walked in and waited a few minutes for a table to open up. We ordered 4 dishes, which I guess borders on insanity, since each dish in itself could probably feed two people. There really was no sanity involved in that.
We started with the bean sprouts in spicy sauce. They tasted very fresh and flavorfully spicy, not bland spicy like in many places. Then we had the hout and sour soup, which I found to be just average. It wasn't anywhere near as hot or sour as it should be. From there, it fortunately got better. We had the scallion and egg rice, which, despite it's green color (from the scallions), was really tasty and full of scallion flavor. The lamb dish was also highly addictive and the perfect amount of spicy and flavorful. The food here is really good, and this comes from someone who absolutely hates Chinese food. But the stuff was more authentic and fresh, and that definitely shined through.
The bill came to just over $30, which sounds normal for 2 but we could have probably fed 6 extremely hungry people or 8 marginally hungry people. Super cheap.
People thought this was:
It's important, and even the New York Times notes this, to be aggressive in your ordering at Spicy and Tasty. If you come here imagining chicken and broccoli, it's not going to be a successful outing. The best idea might be to come with a decent group, so that you can order dishes within your comfort zone while also branching out. Some rewarding dishes include:
Fish fillet and sour cabbage in fresh red pepper; diced fish and pickled turnip in spicy sauce; sauteed Shanghai cabbage with dry pepper; frog and pickled turnip in spicy sauce; beef tendon in red chili sauce; chinese mushroom with beef stomach.
Dishes are a bit oily, but this is a common trait of Szechuan food, particularly as you gravitate towards the spicy end. Some people might not love the texture, and it's particularly apparent in the seafood dishes. I, for one, am not a regular consumer of this cuisine. I am not immune to its charms, though, and Spicy and Tasty is one of the places (though not the best) where I'll gladly go to get my fill.
People thought this was:
I'm farklempt about this place. In almost 60 reviews, this is my first 5-star and will likely be for a long time. This is as good as it gets in Sechuan food. Located in the "second Chinatown" in New York, it's located on a small storefront about two blocks from the Flushing L stop. We recognized the place by the pictures, and then noticed the restaurant name's roman letters, quite small, on the door.
The first thing one notices is that there are virtually no English speakers. That gave me a good feeling immediately. Then the menu, all in Chinese with small translation. We ordered Clams with Black Bean sauce and Sechuan noodles with pork. About the tastiest food on the planet. Then the price. $23.00 for two and we ate ourselves silly.
Worth the trip from Manhattan or a great place to stop if you're cycling in the area. Yum Yum!!!
People thought this was:
Usually I don't trust Bruni. The craven, butter-addicted madman gave Morimoto one star. Idiot.
However, I do have respect for his love of spicy and this restaurant recommendation did not disappoint. I love the SiChuan "Mah-La" (spicy and numb) feeling. It makes me feel tingy for hours after I ate it. The spicy chili noodle starter took me straight back to China. My lips tingled as if a firey spice dragon made out with me. It was sweet, it was spicy, it was just a slight peppery. So much flavor for a dish this simple! I could've ordered 9 more plates. I have regrets about not doing so. And I NEVER have regrets....
The bitches that run this joint know they are hot shit and will seat you according to how much you bitch. I did not bitch, I got sat and then they asked me to move to another table.... which I had to wait for. I was FUMING! But whatevez, the food made up for it. This is also another restaurant where it's funny to watch the azn staff flip out catering to white people.
People thought this was:
3.5 stars.
Actually, I'm not sure what the hype is about. This place strikes me as a regular Chinese restaurant albeit just Szechuan style.
I saw such raving reviews online on price and quality that I was totally tempted to try the banquet style menu (10+ course meal) but then gave it up when the size of the group decreased and the next lower banquet menu was missing a couple of key premium items and substituted with cheap dishes.
We ended up doing a la carte instead and boy was I glad. We had a feast at ~$20+ per person including tip and all. The food was alright, good but not exceptional as what I imagine it to be.
PS: Very nice and helpful staff. Apparently this place does not even have a fax to send you a copy of the banquet menu and the staff was nice enough to read me the dishes offered via the phone.
PPS: Cash only. Bleah.
People thought this was:
As a manhattan dweller, I look forward to trips to Flushing for its amazingly tasty, inexpensive, and authentic Chinese and Taiwanese food.
Spicy & Tasty is definitely in my top 3 go-to restaurants in Flushing.
You have to get:
Seaweed with fresh garlic (and topped with cilantro): I know it sounds weird, but trust me, try it out and you won't be disappointed! The cilantro is such a nice touch and not every restaurant will add this in. I could eat this all day. Only downside would be you will probably be breathing garlic for the rest of the day.
Smoked Tea Duck: It was nice and smoky, crispy onthe outside and falls easily off the bone. They've done better with this dish but this particular experience was above average.
Rice Cake with Beef - ONE OF MY FAVE DISHES (during this meal)
Beef Tripe with Hot Pepper Sauce: would get this again, and yes it's spicy but not unbearably so.
Might try again:
Dan-dan Noodles w. minced pork: From previous visits, I had great memories. This time it was just ok...I'm willing to take a leap of faith and try this again...
Skip:
Noodle soup (forgot exactly which one, it was spicy with chicken or pork): nothing spectacular, would definitely go elsewhere for a noodle soup
I didn't get these dishes on this trip but have fond memories of these dishes from previous visits:
Shredded Dry Bean Curd with Celery
Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce
Spicy Pork with Garlic Sauce
People thought this was:
I should have taken better notes, but got too wrapped up (or was that rapt up) with the food!
Yesterday I went with two friends to Spicy & Tasty. It was about 2:00 in the afternoon. We started with two cold dishes: cucumbers with sesame sauce and cold noodles with a hot pepper sauce. The cucumbers had just a hint of sesame oil and were delicious. We saved about half to eat throughout the meal--but it wasn't easy, as they were so good. The noodles were equally tasty with bits of fried Suichan pepper.
Then we had twice cooked spicy pork, dry sauteed string beans, and home style tofu.
We were very hungry, having not had breakfast, but even so, there was food left. But only because the portions were large!
Each of those three dishes was a treat.
I seldom eat Suichan-style food at restaurants; I've learned to cook it at home to replicate both restaurant and home-cooked food I had years ago in Houston. But Spicy & Tasty was outstanding. I would have liked a bit more "hot" (but I lived in Texas for 20 years and grew up eating HOT food) and I would have liked a bit more of the "numb" feeling from the Suichan peppers. Still, restaurants have to please crowds. And they could hardly sell the food as I would love.
I'll definitely be going back....well worth the trip from Kew Gardens.
People thought this was:
This is one of my favorite Sichuan restaurants.
The place has a nice cozy ambiance, is relatively clean, the food is very true to the way its supposed to taste and the prices are reasonable. The service is so-so but that applies for most Chinese restaurants where food is more important service. During meal times, there are usually lines so expect a wait but nothing too long..
The cold dishes in the front aren't exceptional (I'd only recommend the tripe dish) but the hot dishes (fish/shrimp/chicken) are very tasty. I love the cold Sichuan noodles (Mala leng mian) btw-I get that every time I'm there.
Enjoy!
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Spicy & Tasty is one of the two authentic Sichuan restaurant in Flushing (Duo Yi be the other one).
I've eat here about 4 times, so far I like their cold dishes as they are prepare in front of you. And the way the chef prepare the cold dish is the same as in Chengdu (capital of Sichuan).
People thought this was:
Absolutely the best Szechuan food I've had outside of China.
This place is fantastic. we ordered a bunch of dishes and took more home. Everything was great, and the service was friendly and helpful.
To start, we had the Cold Noodles w. red chili sauce, which was quite hot but oh so flavorful, and the Sesame Cold Noodles, which was the best version of this dish I've had anywhere.
We followed it up with the Mild Spicy Chicken Szechuan Style, which is deep fried on the bone and is probably a bit more than mildly spicy, but of course it's quite tasty.
Following the waitress's recommendation, we then had Fish Filet in Fresh Hot Pepper, which was the hottest thing so far, and was absolutely delicious (though I did break out in a sweat).
We took some of that home, along with a portion of Shrimp with Yellow Leek which is not spicy at all, for one of the lightweights in the family, and a portion of Ma Po Tofu minus the pork, for a hot food fan who doesn't eat meat.
The price for this giant feast for 4 with leftovers was about $60. So tasty, and such a great value.
Definitely worth the trip from Manhattan (which, on the #7 train from Times Square was exactly 36 minutes).
People thought this was:
Delicious! The first thing you'll see when you walk in is their selection of cold dishes - mostly veggies dressed in sesame oil, soy sauce, etc. Yummy and fresh looking.
I remember the menu being fairly lengthy but I was there for the spicy beef stew noodle soup ($6.50), so I didn't spend much time perusing. My, what a bowl of noodle soup (my picture of it might make you drool) - nearly perfect (I wish it were spicier though). It's topped with plenty of fresh cilantro (love that) and the beef is in big, tender chunks. And it's not just meat but the tendon (which Chinese people tend to love) - amazing amounts of tendon. The five spice broth is deep, clear, and beefy. The noodles are not hand-pulled but they're thick and soft. They add spinach and a bit of chopped, pickled mustard greens. Liberal amounts of white pepper round out the dish. It's served piping hot and is very filling (but leaves room for a bit of fro-yo).
Spicy & Tasty offers excellent Sichuan food in a nicer than average, spacious, and clean Chinese restaurant. The chairs are upholstered and new looking. The prices are reasonable. The place is filled with Chinese families.
Link to the NY Times review: http://events.nytimes....
Cash only.
People thought this was:
I was introduced to Spicy & Tasty by my friend's parents, and haven't been back since. But I've giving 4 stars because it was an enjoyable experience, food was authentic and people were nice. Seems like it's the general consensus. They also have this really good cold appetizer. I don't know what it's called, but it's long strips of eggplant with a bunch of chili and spices. It's SOOO GOOD. Perfect in the summer. This is why you should always eat with older Chinese people. They know what to order.
People thought this was:
4 Stars for taste and value.
Alright, so you probably know as soon as you walk the streets of flushing that you're in for an tasty chinese treat. Authentic food and wares line the streets, some more famous (& less greasy) than others.
Spicy & Tasty lives up to it's name. At least 8 kinds of traditional cold appetizers line it's store front. The seaweed, beef tripe and dan dan noodles (noodles esp) are standout. EVERYTHING is spicy.
Don't like cold food? Over 50 varieties of hot food to entertain your palette. So chicken really can be prepared 10 different ways just by altering the sauce or preparation technique.
Portions are decently sized. This did not deter the ordering as I hadn't been here in a year.
3 girls ordered 7 dishes (3 apps, 4 mains) and ended up having to roll out of there. Moral of the story? Order with your stomach, not those greedy eyes.
People thought this was:
On Prince Street between 39th Ave and Roosevelt Ave, lies a modern building that is a home of Spicy and Tasty among many other restaurants. Walking into the address of 39-07 would confuse the servers next door. Pass the door, and look for 1H. That's the door you want to walk into -though the food next door may be good, too! But that's another trip. Anthony from the group suggested this place, and it turns out Frank Bruni has already been here, 2 years ago. http://events.nytimes.... Mr. Bruni's been to Flushing?? I guess this is something he and I(my wallet) could agree on, especially my meals are not paid by the NYTimes. Walking into the door, I immediately noticed the immaculate display case of cold dishes, no drips or spots, and all of the tongs facing the same way. If we've learned something from Chef Anthony Bourdain, among with much of his genius, that is, if the outside of the kitchen is clean, the food is clean. Dirty food ain't tasty, you just wouldn't want to put it in your mouth if you know -though I'm sure I've done plenty of that! You know what I mean?
Two of my party had already arrived, and they went ahead and order couple of the dishes from the case. Cucumber in Sesame Oil Sauce($5), and Bamboo in Hot and Spicy Sauce($6.50). Both perfect choices to start -and if you start with the bamboo shoots, then you WILL need to follow that by the cucumber. Cucumber is an essential part of the meal to cool down the firing sensation of the Szechuan spices -though beer works as well! Both tasted clean and seasoned appropriately, and I must say, this applies the same for all of the dishes at Spicy and Tasty. We looked through the extensive menu, but we came prepared with the list of recommended dishes by Mr. Bruni himself as well as other predecessors. We wanted to try broad range of dishes, including their signature dishes, as much as 4 people could share.
Sesame Cold Noodle($5) arrived at the table first. It's just a plain old looking mound of lo-mein noodles tossed in sesame oil, scallions, and seasonings. But don't let the looks fool you. The flavor of the sauce blends in beautifully with the perfectly cooked noodle. The spices weren't screaming out, but there's definitely HEAT. The balance between the ingredients was superb. Spicy Double Cooked Pork($9.95) is thinly sliced pork belly sautéed with leeks and (I think)shisito peppers in another spicy sauce. Again, the balance between the ingredients plays a key role here. The fattiness of the pork belly compliments the texture of leeks, and the flavors of all the ingredients sing in harmony on my tongue. Shrimp and Green Hot Peppers in Black Bean Sauce($12.95) was served on a bed of spinach instead. Market driven -I like that. Each of us had our own favorite dishes. It is nearly impossible to determine which one was for me, but I may just have to vote for this one. Medium sized shrimp was sautéed in fermented black beans and seasonings. The saltiness of the black bean was matched well with somewhat watery spinach. Scallions was still slightly crispy, and made a nice co-star. Smoked Tea Duck($12.95 for half), was topped with julienned scallions, served with a side of hoisin sauce. Chinese five spices were present in the seasoning of the duck. This, I wasn't too crazy about, though I was happy with the meatiness of the duck, achieving a thin layer of fat. We also ordered Beef Tendon in Red Chili Sauce($7.50), which never arrived to our table. Perhaps the server didn't hear me. We probably wouldn't have finished it anyway. I was perfectly fed at the end of the meal.
In some cuisines, like Korean, or Mexican, spiciness is used freely, sometimes as much as you can handle -or you better! When it is expected, I am a huge fan, and in a way, this was what I expected from Spicy and Tasty. However, with careful balancing of the ingredients, spices, and their flavors, they've shown me a different level of enjoying spiciness. More isn't always more.
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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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