Food and Things » New York City

Flushing’s New World Mall Food Stalls: Not Your Mother’s Food Court

Laura Weiss — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 17:47:04 +0000

By now, the Flushing malls, with their compact food booths from which emerge some dazzling regional Chinese dishes, are a well-known stomping ground for the culinarily curious.

The New World Mall, which opened last year, is hidden on the lower floor of a nondescript office building on Flushing’s bustling Main Street, the predominantly Chinese area’s teeming commercial hub. Enter the building, and the first floor holds few surprises. There’s a wireless provider and a Haagen-Daz ice cream shop. Very humdrum.

Making pork and scallion dumplings at Tianjan Food, New World Mall, Flushing, Queens. Photo: Laura B. Weiss.

But if you ride down the escalator, which is planted straight ahead of you just after you walk inside the building, you’ll encounter a mad riot of neon signs and mobs of hungry locals.

New World Mall, Flushing Queens. Photo: Laura B. Weiss

Yes, it’s a food court with booths stationed around the edges, the center filled with long tables. Except this spot is lined with roughly two dozen stalls serving up all manner of Chinese, Korean and Japanese delights. It seems that every family living in or around Flushing’s Chinatown—the second largest in New York after Manhattan’s—has descended on the place. There are families with children. There are teenagers huddled around tables. Elderly people pick at their steaming bowls of soup noodles.

Hand-pulled noodles with crispy duck at Lan Zhou Hand Made Noodles, New World Mall, Flushing, Queens. Photo: Laura B. Weiss.

Recently, I roamed around the mall, scarfing down savory hand-pulled noodles with fried duck at Lan Zhou Hand Made Noodles; the broth was savory but not earthy or deeply flavored enough for my taste. Then I tried feathery scallion and pork dumplings at Tianjin Food, easily the lightest and most flavorful I’ve eaten outside China.

Dumplings from Tianjin Foods, New World Mall, Flushing, Queens. Photo: Laura B. Weiss.

I finished up with a steaming bowl of congee, a Chinese porridge that’s often eaten for breakfast; sweet chunks of pumpkin floated just beneath the glistening surface.

If you want to try some Asian food dishes in familiar surroundings, the New World Mall provides a gentle introduction. And, of yes, the food court boasts clean bathrooms for that necessary pit stop before you head home.

How to Get There: Take the Number 7 train or LIRR to Flushing/Main Street.

First Annual Beer Month Kicks Off With Grill-Off at Water Taxi Beach

Laura Weiss — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:00:29 +0000

There had to be a month devoted to local beer making and imbibing, right? And what better month than July? That’s assuming the sun comes out, it gets hot and steamy like a normal NY summer–and it stops raining. A tall order, I know, given that, weather-wise, we’ve turned into Portland, OR,

Slow Food is using the occasion of Good Beer Month to drum up support for some worthy food causes. Water Taxi Beach in Queens will be the site July 21 of the great “Local Grill-Off,” the Good Beer Month kickoff featuring featuring hot dogs and such, not to mention suds from Red Hook’s Six Point Brewery.

Here’s the info:

When: July 21 (Tuesday), from 4pm-8pm (rain or shine).

What: The signature event of the first annual Good Beer Month will be the “Local Grill-Off” at Queen’s Water Taxi Beach benefiting the Slow Food NYC Harvest Time program. Harvest Time supports edible Victory Gardens, Student Farm Stands, and Good Food and Nutrition Education at schools in East Harlem, on the Lower East Side, and in Williamsburg.

Cooks will battle it out for the title of Good Beer Month Grill-off Champion, preparing their creative takes on traditional, and not so traditional, grill fare.. burgers, sausages, hot dogs.. produced from animals raised sustainably and humanely on regional farms. Six Point Brewery will serve up brews.

Good Beer Month will showcase great, neighborhood good beer bars and outstanding local breweries. Events will benefit non-profit organizations, including Slow Food NYC.

Where: Water Taxi Beach, Queens

How Much: Buy tickets at: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/71753
$30 Slow Food Members/$35 Non-members
Ticket cost does not include beverages.

Bloomsday is Feast for Joyce Fanatics

Laura Weiss — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 22:43:51 +0000

I was late last Tuesday to the 28th annual James Joyce orgy, Bloomsday on Broadway, Symphony Space’s 12-hour tribute to the Irish novelist. This year the theme was food.

People scampered in and out throughout the 12-hour marathon that began at 6 p.m. and ended at midnight. I spotted a lot of gray heads dotting the audience at this iconic Upper West Side event as a parade of veteran actors and celebs read passages that charted Joyce’s foodiest moments. These included descriptions in Ulysses of Bloom’s fried kidney breakfast–yes, he was an organ meat guy– and of the items like potted beef that occupied Molly’s larder. I walked in on the reading of a passage from Ulysses in which Bloom recounts the agony and ecstasy of his a.m. bowel movement. Maybe that was appropriate given the median age of the listeners, not to mention of the readers which included Robin McNeil former host of PBS’ News Hour and battle-scarred Broadway actresses, like Marian Seldes.

Bloomsday on Broadway celebrates June 16, 1904, one of the most famous fictional dates in literature, when Leopold Bloom walked around Dublin in the pages of Joyce’s Ulysses.

To get the right Irish vibe going on the hamish Upper West Side, lamb stew and soda bread were dished up during intermission.

What did you think of this year’s Bloomsday on Broadway?

New York City Outdoor Dining Options Abound

Laura Weiss — Fri, 29 May 2009 12:50:03 +0000

A few days ago, I listed some Upper West Side spots where you can eat outdoors in the warm weather months. Elsewhere around New York, sidewalk cafes and garden terraces also abound. Here are a few choices:

What are your favorite outdoor dining spots?

Alto
11 East 53rd Street , 212-308-1099

This is the first summer that Alto has offered outdoor dining. You can sit outside and tuck into lush dishes like tortellini con ortica e ricotta, porri e aglio verde (buffalo milk ricotta and nettle tortellini, baby leeks, green garlic puree).

BLT Market
1430 Avenue of the Americas, 212-521-6125

While gazing at Central Park from the 40-seat sidewalk patio, you can sample seasonal fare like pea & ricotta ravioli with spicy sausage and mint.

Convivio
45 Tudor City Place, 212-599-5045

Even at night, the lush plantings and gardens adorning Tudor City are calming. If you’re seated at Convivo’s cobblestone patio, you can savor this touch of greenery as well as dishes like maccheroni alla carbonarain.

Cookshop
156 Tenth Avenue, 212-924-4400

Sit outside in this Chelsea spot and tuck into homey fare like a grilled grass-fed burger with twice-smoked bacon, Vermont cheddar, chipotle ketchup and mayonnaise or Hudson Valley rabbit with creamy polenta and spring onion salsa.

Studio Square Beer Garden
35-33 36th Street, Long Island City, 718-383-1001

This 18,000 sq. ft. beer garden boasts communal picnic tables and iron fire pits. To accompany the beer garden’s 15 imported domestic and craft beers, there are beer hall favorites like German bratwurst and pub grub like pulled pork sandwiches.

Table 8
Cooper Square Hotel, 25 Cooper Square, 212-475-3400

This new outpost sports a second-floor terrace as well as a 40-seat garden patio for chosing from a menu that’s primarily comprised of small plates.

New Beer Garden to Open in LI City

Laura Weiss — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 12:10:46 +0000

Just in time for summer, a new beer garden is about to open in Long Island City. The 18,000 square foot Studio Square will open in May with a cash-only self-serve menu featuring German bratwurst, Certified Black Angus
hamburgers, beef and chicken kebobs, and pulled pork sandwiches.

With both indoor and outdoor bars, the place will serve over 15 imported, domestic and craft beers on draft, including German favorites such as Spaten and Franziskaner. There will also be wines and spirits as well as housemade
Sangria on tap.

Citi Field Food Choices

Laura Weiss — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 19:30:15 +0000

For all you Mets fans, NYC Food Guy is offering a tour of the food options at Citi Field . His tips will save you some time when you’re trying to decide whether to order a Shake Shack milk shake or that old ballpark standby, a Nathan’s hot dog.

April 13 is the regular season home opener.

Click here for the video tour.

Flushing Queens: The Times Chinese Food Tour

Laura Weiss — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:14:00 +0000

The Times has done a service to all New Yorkers with its survey of the diverse Chinese Food scene in Flushing. There’s a list of restaurants and stalls that can provide a solid basis for a food tour of the area. My favorite way to spend an afternoon in this little bit of China is to wander around the food stalls tasting dumplings as I go.

Make sure to take a look at the interactive map that will help you plot your eating tour.

Queens: Trader Joe Parking Options

Laura Weiss — Sun, 25 May 2008 14:35:00 +0000

Our Queens sources report that parking at Trader Joe’s in Rego Park can be just a tiny bit stressful. People are circling like vultures around the TJ lot, waiting to pounce on an open space. Here are some options for avoiding the bumper car craziness that seems to prevail:
1. There’s lots of on-street parking, including right across the street.
2. There’s the Home Depot lot, directly behind Trader Joe’s.

Good luck!

Trader Joe’s, Queens
90-30 Metropolitan Ave
Rego Park, NY
Phone: 718 275 1791
Hours: 9 am – 9 pm

Borough Food War: The Bronx Does Surprisingly Well

Laura Weiss — Thu, 15 May 2008 01:18:00 +0000

When it comes to pizza, burgers and tap water, the Bronx wins out over the other boroughs, according to today’s NY Post. Take a look at the face-off and judge for yourself:

FOOD FIGHT!

5 BOROS BATTLE FOR BEST EATS BELT

By CARLA SPARTOS

SLIDES = new slideshow(“SLIDES”); SLIDES.timeout = 5000; SLIDES.prefetch = -1; SLIDES.repeat = true; s = new slide(); s.src = “/seven/05142008/photos/ent040c.jpg”; s.text = unescape(“BLACK-AND-WHITE COOKIES
WINNER: Staten Island's The Cookie Jar”); s.link = “/seven/05142008/photos/ent040c.jpg”; s.target = “”; s.attr = “”; s.filter = “”; SLIDES.add_slide(s); s = new slide(); s.src = “/seven/05142008/photos/ent0h.jpg”; s.text = unescape(“DINERS
WINNER: Queens' Bel-Aire”); s.link = “/seven/05142008/photos/ent0h.jpg”; s.target = “”; s.attr = “”; s.filter = “”; SLIDES.add_slide(s); s = new slide(); s.src = “/seven/05142008/photos/ent041a.jpg”; s.text = unescape(“COFFEE
WINNER: Manhattan's Joe”); s.link = “/seven/05142008/photos/ent041a.jpg”; s.target = “”; s.attr = “”; s.filter = “”; SLIDES.add_slide(s); s = new slide(); s.src = “/seven/05142008/photos/ent041e.jpg”; s.text = unescape(“STEAK
WINNER: Brooklyn's Peter Luger”); s.link = “/seven/05142008/photos/ent041e.jpg”; s.target = “”; s.attr = “”; s.filter = “”; SLIDES.add_slide(s); s = new slide(); s.src = “/seven/05142008/photos/ent041b.jpg”; s.text = unescape(“CHINESE TAKEOUT
WINNER: Manhattan's Mama Buddha and Sammy's”); s.link = “/seven/05142008/photos/ent041b.jpg”; s.target = “”; s.attr = “”; s.filter = “”; SLIDES.add_slide(s); s = new slide(); s.src = “/seven/05142008/photos/ent041c.jpg”; s.text = unescape(“PIZZA
WINNER: Zero Otto Nove in The Bronx”); s.link = “/seven/05142008/photos/ent041c.jpg”; s.target = “”; s.attr = “”; s.filter = “”; SLIDES.add_slide(s); s = new slide(); s.src = “/seven/05142008/photos/ent041d.jpg”; s.text = unescape(“BEST BURGERWINNER: Coals in The Bronx”); s.link = “/seven/05142008/photos/ent041d.jpg”; s.target = “”; s.attr = “”; s.filter = “”; SLIDES.add_slide(s); if (false) SLIDES.shuffle();

WINNER: Staten Island’s The Cookie Jar” border=”0″ width=”223″>

BLACK-AND-WHITE COOKIES
WINNER: Staten Island’s The Cookie Jar

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New Yorkers’ Fav Foods

The people of New York tell NYPost.com some of their favorite foods and where to eat them in the city.

May 14, 2008 —

NYC’s food face-off

NEXT Tuesday, the city holds its first-ever Burger Battle of the Boroughs, part of the annual Cuisine of Queens & Beyond festival at Astoria World Manor (see sidebar, page 41).

The Post decided to expand the competition to see which borough would come out victorious in a variety of food face-offs.

We enlisted Burger Battle’s judges – including “New York City Food” scribe Arthur Schwartz, “Eat Out New York” host Kelly Choi and Frances Grace, the Queens-based publisher of “Dish du Jour Magazine” – as well as emcee and “Hamburger America” author George Motz.

Best black-and-white is to the right; turn the page for the rest of the fights.

No related posts.

Rego Park: Cheburechnaya for Hearty Turkestan Fare

Laura Weiss — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 20:23:00 +0000

If like me, you remember grandma’s robust Jewish cooking–and for some inexplicable reason long for a return trip to those dishes of yore–then Rego Park’s Cheburechnaya is for you.

A cross between Middle Eastern and Russian-Jewish cuisine, the cuisine at Cheburechnaya hales from Tajikastan. Isak and Simon, two brothers, opened the place in 2002 and its been serving hearty kosher fare to Rego Park’s many Russian families since then.

This is not a diet place; the dishes will make you reach for an extra Lipitor. But if you skip all the heavy-duty fats and carbs, and head straight for the excellent kebabs, you an have a very good meal at this sprawling eatery.

We started with chebureki with mushrooms, and cabbage and samcy with ribs. Either of these dishes make my grandma’s kreplach taste like the lightest of souffles. Chebureki are akin to large fried wonton with a stuffing. Chewy and tough, they are definitely not my cup of tea. The males in our party loved the samcy. It’s every guy’s wet dream of what a meat dish should be– a beef rib, with the bone still in it, around which is wrapped thick pastry dough. My hubby eagerly scarfed the whole thing down, minus the bone, of course.

Then the waitress brought out a selection of kebabs. They were all outstanding and included succulent and tender steak, ground lamb and chicken kebabs.

The waitresses are largely Russian-speaking but we didn’t have any trouble getting our order across. There are two TVs featuring Russian wrestlers and the eatery basically boasts an atmosphere like your neighborhood bar, except with a Russian inflection.

The food is all kosher and don’t forget dessert. The highlight of the meal was the rich, flaky baklava.

Cheburechnaya
92-09 63rd Dr.
Flushing, NY
718 897 0138

Flushing, N 11374