Five of us went on a food crawl thru Queens on the first truly hot and slightly muggy day in NYC. Okay, maybe crawl is an overstatement since the majority of our calorie consumption was achieved at the Flushing Mall (post to come). But we did hit up a few other places. More than 1 place = crawl, in my book at least. Thanks to Jack for his bottomless knowledge of Flushing and food in general. Our stomaches thank you too. You're the best!
First up, boa zi, or steamed buns, at Oriental Glamour Inc. Yeah, I don't know why it's glamorous either. But at least it's Oriental. This is a special place, a place where Korean sensibilities and Chinese traditions meet, or rather, meat. Their specialty marries the best of both worlds and gave birth to a boa zi stuffed with kimchi and pork.
I'm happy to report that the marriage was a uber-successful one. One that was spicy and tender, all wrapped up in a soft and slightly sweet steamed bun. The boa zi was ginormous, but that's all good since they didn't skimp on the stuffing.
We also got the cabbage and pork boa zi, another ginormous creation. Equally delicious in a milder way. Pork and cabbage mixed happily with rice noodles. Then they all mixed happily with the rest of the food we were about to consume.
Next up, the famous White Bear. Almost every New York food lover has heard of this tiny store front, famous for its dough wrapped products - dumplings, wontons, etc. Those who know me also know my undying devotion to all matters wrapped in dough - raviolis, samosas, burritos, pierogis, buns (see above). Steamed, fried, boiled, wrap that sucker up in a nice dough and you can bet your bottom dollar that it will find its final resting place in my tummy.
We got the delicious wonton in spicy oil. I really really loved their version. The wontons were larger than regular wontons stuffed with delicious porky innards. The skin was slightly chewy and doesn't just fall apart like bloated noodle goo like most wontons. I also love anything that is drenched in that spicy oil. So flavorful and kind of tingly/numbing from the peppers. yummm....
We stopped by Yi Mei Fung Bakery to get some of their famous mochis before heading to our next stop. I didn't get a mochi since I stockpiled in Taipei. So instead, I got a taro mochi bread! Okay, I have a mochi addiction... Sadly, I ate it for dinner and forgot to take a pic. But I did take a pic of the awesome Doraemon cake in their window. Awesome.
Our last stop of the day was Xi'an Famous Foods in the Golden Shopping Mall food court, made even more famous by Anthony Bourdain. Hidy got their famous liang pi cold noodles and then we all ate a bite, or five. I lost count. Damn that was good. Chewy noodles and gluten mixed with sesame oil and vinegar, and the numbing spicy oil that I love. Cilantro and bean sprouts gave the dish a crunch. It was texture and sauce explosion heaven.
My favorite part of Xi'an Famous Foods was Mr. Liang Pi himself, wearing the coolest t-shirt ever. Stay a moment and chat with him, he may let you sample some liang pi before you buy. And trust me, you will buy.
Stayed tuned for part 2 of this gastronomic journey, the mother of gluttony, the Flushing Mall food court....
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