3.9
Good
60 Reviews
638 Lexington Avenue, New York · 2.49 miles
Customers’ favorites
- Salt & Pepper Chicken
- Corn
“Side Notes/Mini Review- Rating is for the area (if this were in the East Village, for instance, it would be closer to a 3.) Apparently, the other location is known for Sizzling Steak, so possibly get that. Good Niu Rou Mian/Beef Noodle Soup. Tasty Pork Thick Soup/Rou Geng. Would not recommend Lu Ro Fan/Minced Pork Over Rice. Expect a wait as it gets crowded. This is the second location of this Taiwanese spot, with the other inside the generically named New York Food Court in Flushing. The place is primarily takeout, though there are a handful of tables, and it's been pretty crowded every time I've passed by. They have a rewards program, and I've been there three times so far, and I'm a bit hesitant to go back. In terms of service, they almost dropped my bag the first time, but they've been friendly the other two times. The first time I went, I got the Minced Pork Over Rice/Lu Ro Fan for $12, which was alright. For pros, the minced pork inside was nice and fatty, helping to flavor the rice, and I liked the pickled mustard greens. However, there wasn't much meat, and the broccoli, peas, and corn were flavorless, with the broccoli still a bit too crunchy, likely a bit undercooked. They also gave only half a tea egg, and it wasn't exactly that flavorful. I wouldn't recommend this at all. The second time, I got the much better Premium Beef Noodle Soup/Niu Rou Mian for $15.95. The dish is well packaged with the mustard greens separated from the noodles, which are further separated from the broth, which contains the various pieces of beef. The beef had a pleasant chew as it was mostly shank and tendon, and was a decent portion for the price, especially given its location in Midtown East. The broth was pretty complex, reminding me of the now closed Four Four South Village. The noodles lacked a QQ texture, but a good amount of that was probably because it was takeout. This was good, and my favorite thing I've had here. The third time was very recently, and I had the Pork Thick Soup/Ruo Geng, as recommended by a recent Yelp review, since I was in the mood for soup during this cold winter. The dish was added to the menu more recently and is available as a soup in two sizes ($6.50 for small/$12 for large) or is available over noodles for $16.95. I have never had this dish before, and it was interesting. There was a handful of meatballs inside, apparently made from a mix of pork, pork fat, and fish paste, with a soft texture and a bit of bounce. Otherwise, there were some potatoes, onions, and a few other ingredients in a slightly gloopy broth. The broth had a nice pepperiness, and I picked up some of their black vinegar and chili oil to make the broth more complex later. I liked this as well. This is a tasty Taiwanese place serving some less common dishes. It's not my favorite Taiwanese spot I've been to, but it gets the job done and is very different from other spots in the area. Would try the Sha Cha next time or order their signature sizzling dishes.”
Taiwanese · $$
