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Last week I discovered this magazine Edible Queens on the counter in the visitor center in the Queens Botannical Garden. And lo and behold I see two of my favorite chefs on the cover, Eric Ripert and Anthony Bourdain! Rob and I are big fans of Bourdain’s “No Reservations” on television and Eric Ripert is, well, god of all things Seafood in Manhattan. Flushing is still a very daunting place to me (especially since I can’t speak Mandarin to save my life) but this article Feasting on Flushing was just the ticket.
Walking down the stairs into the “shopping mall” was like entering a new world, full of little Asian-family kitchens. It was hot and steamy but the smells were unbelievable. Even the sounds of meat being cleaved, vegetables sizzling, fresh noodles being smacked and formed could bring tears to many an Asian’s eyes.
We ordered as much as we could carry, which included the jia cai he zi (chive pies), chu jiao (pig’s feet), zi ran chao yang (lamb burger), and liang pi (cold skin noodles). The chive pies ($1.50) were exactly how Rob’s mother makes them – huge, bursting with chives, studded with dried shrimp and scrambled egg. The pig’s feet were delicious and a great deal ($5 for 2 orders). The lamb burger ($2.50) was a tasty surprise, as it tasted of mexican chili spices. The liang pi ($3.75) won this round: the sauce was fantastic and had a nice little kick to it.
And even still, there are easily a hundred more dishes available in this place! So many dishes to try…so little time. But we will be back hungry for

Continue reading Golden Shopping Mall – Part I