Chinatown - 21 Mott Street
Chinese
I usually try to avoid Chinatown. It makes me claustrophobic. Narrow crowded streets filled with garbage; an all-around lack of personal space. This may be the year of the Dragon, but in New York City it's always the year of the Rat.
I walked down the stairs toward the underground Cantonese kitchen into what looked like an elementary school cafeteria. Where are the Crayolas? Oh, they were already used to label the 500 pictures on the wall of Anthony Bourdain and Bill Cosby.
Hop Kee is known for their family-style specialty fare. Come to Hop Kee to eat the traditional version of Chinese food that you grew up eating on Sundays, or experiment with lesser-known dishes like the Cantonese crab, snails, or pan-fried flounder.
The crab Cantonese style smells and appears phenomenal. However, diving into this dish is about as intimidating as trying to fix Charles Barkley’s golf swing -- where do I even begin? I’ll begin by waiting until the summer to douse my blue crab with Old Bay; Maryland style. For now, I’ll leave the Cantonese crab and Barkley’s attempt to hit the links to a braver man.
Speaking of brave men, you won't find General Tso on this menu. Looking to protect your dinner from the unknown exotic dishes? Start off with the egg rolls and a hot cup of tea. I recommend the Pork Chop Peking Style with an order of fried rice. This should bring you back to Sunday with the family at the something something Garden.
Just beware of the Anthony Bourdain - King Midas menu touch.
