For authentic Chinese food, the best bet is usually to go to a city's Chinatown, so while I was in NYC, I went back to a neighborhood that I used to know as a child. Like all of New York, it has changed dramatically, and at the same time pockets of familiarity remain.
The streets are still lined with fruits and vegetables offered for incredibly low prices,
especially for exotic fruit like rambutan and dragon fruit.
Vegetables more familiar to western palates are also a bargain,
as are vast arrays of shellfish,
and roasted meats, ready to eat.
No, I didn't eat here, but this place shows how the diversity of New York comes together through the common bond of food.
I was craving beef chow fun, a rice noodle dish which just doesn't taste the same in Paris as it does in the states, so after some research I ended up at Hop Kee. It wasn't until I was at the subterranean entrance that I realized this was the same place I used to go to when I was a child with my family.
Apparently I wasn't the only one who used to eat here :)
When I walked in they immediately started speaking to me in Cantonese and when they saw the blank look on my face, they gave me an English menu. About 3/4 of the diners were Asian and this place only accepts cash, so if you want an authentic local place, this is a good choice. The beef chow fun for $6.50 was a huge plate of tender beef with bean sprouts, greens, and rice noodles. It didn't need any condiments even though there was an array on the table.
I ordered the sauteed watercress redolent with garlic for $8.95 to go with my noodle dish, even knowing that there was no way I could finish either plate. The beauty of huge portions in the US is there is always a doggie bag option for leftovers, and I took half of both dishes to go after satisfying my craving for Chinese food.
On the border to Chinatown is Little Italy,
and the Manhattan Bridge to Brooklyn,
so there are plenty of places to walk off your meal :)
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