OVERVIEW: Sichuan cuisine, one of the few cooking styles that so pleasurably assaults your senses, is on full display here at the Golden Mall. The proprietors of this basement food stall, emigrated from Chengdu in the Sichuan province of China. As such, bringing with them the magical secrets of this tantalizingly unique food. Many of their offerings are Sichuan style street snacks, such as dan dan noodles. However, they also perfectly execute restaurant style entrees, such as fish fillets in chili oil over cabbage. Just remember though, to hold onto your butt, as the chefs here have a heavy hand with Sichuan peppercorns. Not surprisingly, soon after you start eating, your mouth will delightfully start buzzing, leading you on your way to a satisfying spice high. WHAT TO ORDER (WITH PICTURE MENU NUMBERS): - #25 Cold noodles. Best ever, must order - Dan dan noodles. Not on pic menu. - #28 Wontons w/chili oil. Pure joy - #24 Liang fen. Super unique mouth buzz - #11 Fish filets & cabbage in chili oil. Superb. - #9 Thin sliced beef over cabbage in chili oil. You must get this or #11 fish when you visit - #14 Kung Pao chicken. The real Sichuan version. Absolutely delicious. Definitely try this - #7 Mapo tofu. One of the best versions ever - #6 Spicy chili chicken. Unbelievable flavor, but a lot of bones. - Hot and sour spare ribs over clear noodles #9 on the non picture wall menu in the seating area - Sweet noodles. #17 on the non picture menu. Super thick noodles with unbelievable flavor. - Any of the cold salads in the display case. The best are the house triple salad (mouth buzzing joy. Get this), the wood ear mushrooms, spicy cucumber salad, shredded potatos, the dried tofu, or the chopped lotus root. SERVICE/DECOR: Very nice helpful people, but with limited spoken English. However, they are more than happy to have you just point at the menu items when ordering. And, if you've never been to the Golden Mall, get ready for some initial culture shock when you walk down the stairs to the basement for the first time. If you don't speak Chinese, you may be the only non Chinese speaking person there. And the place is old & dingy. However, this is all part of the exciting & adventurous experience, when visiting the Golden mall. Also, there is very limited seating in this stall - four very small tables in a very cramped space. So just order to go if necessary, and find a seat somewhere else to enjoy your treats. PARTING THOUGHTS: This is my favorite food stall in all of Flushing Chinatown. And I would be heartbroken if it ever closed. So if you enjoy spicy foods, don't miss out on this unique culinary experience.
D G.
Some of the best Sichuan food I've found outside of China. I don't live or work in Queens but have been traveling to Flushing pretty often over the last ten years to get the cold noodles and Mapo Doufu from this place.
George Escowitz
Great dishes great flavor, my favorite.
Henry M.
I come here mainly for the Chengdu spicy cold noodle (tian shui mian). It's the perfect thing to order on a hot and humid day. Actually, its pretty good for a really cold day as well. For $5, you get a big plate of noodles. The noodles are chilled and have a really nice al dente texture to them. The sauce is a really complex combo of sweet and sour and spicy, with some sesame sauce to round it out. It comes with a big spoonful of hot chili oil and some fresh garlic. Once you mix it all up, it's a medley of flavors, textures, and temperatures. Of all the cold noodles, this is one of the better ones. Although I do prefer the cold noodles next stall over at Lan Zhou, the flavor of the Chengdu spicy cold noodle at Chengdu Heaven is not replicated anywhere else nearly as well. I used to come here for their braised and sliced meats as well, but over the past few years the pricing has been creeping up. It seems a bit expensive to get a tray of sliced pig ear or intestine now. I still order every now and then, but I mainly just come here for the cold noodles.
Fangda Xu
The hype is true, one of the best cold noodles å‡‰é¢ I've ever tasted, so good I had to buy one to go. Not the easiest place to find but it's a gem, authentic Sichuan and very reasonably priced. Pictures to come, can't wait to try more of their dishes
Alex O.
Thanks to my friend I found out about this little "heaven" formerly known as Chengdu Heavenly Plenty Snacks! What a mouthful! Solid little joint tucked into the basement level of a mall. When I mean little, I mean literally a few side tables to sit down and otherwise just a deli-style counter to order from. From my experience, they understand English somewhat but probably best to point to what you want too as they didn't speak a lick of it back. In what seemed like 5 seconds, I had my Styrofoam bowl of spicy dan-dan noodles. The cool tingle of the peppercorn sauce is amazing and strong the way they make it. A tip for those who has never tried, but make sure you mix up the sauce that sits hidden at the bottom with everything! You won't regret it. For dirt cheap, this is a gem in Flushing that doesn't exactly present itself not being on street level.
David N.
This was fantastic. We heard almost no English in the streets above which reminded me what I love about this town. The basement here was disarmingly messy, the lighting harsh, the people friendly and welcoming, the food delicious. My friend and I don't speak Mandarin and we aren't that familiar with Chinese cuisine. Sitting near the counter was a woman with a baby, the daughter in law of the chef. She took pity on our obvious cluelessness and suggested several options. We took them all and sat down to a wonderful meal. She asked where we were from and I told her Park Slope in Brooklyn. She seemed so shocked and thankful for the visit that you might have thought we'd said we walked here from Armenia. The woman who served us gave me some pointers on how to eat one of the dishes. Just delicious and warm experience. Another reminder that sometimes the best foods are served under fluorescent lights in humble spaces by the very immigrants that make this country culturally rich and unique.
Andrea W.
I came here with a few friends and we got a tian shui mian (sweet water noodle) as well as a spicy beef noodle soup. The tian shui mian was good for flavor but not very sweet; it was basically just spicy noodles. The spicy beef noodle soup was spicy and the beef was tender, but the noodles were too soft. I wasn't a fan. Big portions for cheap prices though, especially for the beef noodle soup. The food was actually sufficiently spicy, which I thoroughly enjoyed! The tian shui mian was $5 post-tax, and the beef noodle soup was $7.
Russell Adler
Very good
Andrei L.
Came here yesterday for dinner after seeing some reviews. I usually get dumplings at the Tianjin Dumpling stall but I saw reviews for this place so I checked it out. I got the dan dan noodles ($5) and the wontons in chili oil ($5). The noodles come with a few pieces of ground meat, some bak choy, and chili oil at the bottom that you have to mix in. The chili oil is different than the ones I've had elsewhere. There are so many different flavors and sensations (sweet, spicy, tangy) in it that my mouth was overwhelmed. The noodles were actually pretty overcooked, which was disappointing. Also, the bowl it comes in is mad small; I was expecting more. It was pretty good overall, but I'd probably go to another stall for dan dan noodles in the future. The wontons in chili oil were good too but also had a drawback. They give it to you on a plate and I actually think the chili oil and various colors of the dish look pretty beautiful. The wontons were moist, juicy, tasty, and had good texture. Unfortunately, they were also pretty tiny. Definitely noticably smaller compared to the wontons at White Bear. So my meal was pretty satisfying overall, but this place isn't as good as some other options nearby. For example, the spicy chili noodles at Xi'an's Famous foods or noodle dishes at Lanzhou noodles in the New World Mall food court are much better. Definitely more expensive though depending which one you get, but even a cheapass person like me considers it a better deal. And like I said the wontons in chili oil at White Bear are definitely much much better, albeit also like $1 more expensive. I paid $10 for a decent amount of food here but I feel I should have gotten a bit more for what I paid. With that said, competition in Flushing is pretty stiff, and this place is pretty tasty regardless.
Order Dan Dan Noodles and chili oil pig ears sat down in my crowded corner. Started picking like how a bird does with seeds to understand how my dish was prepared. The pork was like of a fresh breadcrumb texture. I got interrupted the cook/owner came over & mixed my bowl of noodles at the table such pride in his food. After tasting my first bite I kept going the salty taste was pleasant and a can of coke balanced it out. The pig ears were bland but I mixed them in my noodles so it gave it more bite. Very Affordable meal.
J C.
Tried homestyle stir fried pig kidneys (家常腰花）。I would say this dish is their highlight. Another dish, Double cooked meat (回锅肉）is average.
Pearl T.
I don't get the hype for this place? Food: Extremely oily and salty. Worst of all, food safety not. Let just say if you do drop something on the floor especially when the floor is extremely dirty, let not use bare hand to pick it up and put it back inside the cooking pot and serve it back to someone who literally witnessing the whole time. I am so gross out knowing that someone who doesn't respect the customer and is in a food service of serving others. If you can't cook food with respect than why opening a restaurant to serve others. Honestly, if I didn't care of their livelihood and family, I would post my recorded video of this incident on social media :(
Melissa H.
Extremely authentic. It's almost literally in a basement so it can be kind of hard to find, but if you find the entrance to Golden Mall Food Court where you have to immediately go down a flight of stairs, it's the first place you run into. This is probably the first place in America that I've seen sell tian shui mian, which are thick noodles in a sweet/spicy/garlicky sauce, so automatic 5-stars in my opinion, PLUS there's the fact that a huge plate of these noodles is only $5. I definitely recommend trying them! If I'm ever in the area again I will for sure be back.
OVERVIEW: Sichuan cuisine, one of the few cooking styles that so pleasurably assaults your senses, is on full display here at the Golden Mall. The proprietors of this basement food stall, emigrated from Chengdu in the Sichuan province of China. As such, bringing with them the magical secrets of this tantalizingly unique food. Many of their offerings are Sichuan style street snacks, such as dan dan noodles. However, they also perfectly execute restaurant style entrees, such as fish fillets in chili oil over cabbage. Just remember though, to hold onto your butt, as the chefs here have a heavy hand with Sichuan peppercorns. Not surprisingly, soon after you start eating, your mouth will delightfully start buzzing, leading you on your way to a satisfying spice high. WHAT TO ORDER (WITH PICTURE MENU NUMBERS): - #25 Cold noodles. Best ever, must order - Dan dan noodles. Not on pic menu. - #28 Wontons w/chili oil. Pure joy - #24 Liang fen. Super unique mouth buzz - #11 Fish filets & cabbage in chili oil. Superb. - #9 Thin sliced beef over cabbage in chili oil. You must get this or #11 fish when you visit - #14 Kung Pao chicken. The real Sichuan version. Absolutely delicious. Definitely try this - #7 Mapo tofu. One of the best versions ever - #6 Spicy chili chicken. Unbelievable flavor, but a lot of bones. - Hot and sour spare ribs over clear noodles #9 on the non picture wall menu in the seating area - Sweet noodles. #17 on the non picture menu. Super thick noodles with unbelievable flavor. - Any of the cold salads in the display case. The best are the house triple salad (mouth buzzing joy. Get this), the wood ear mushrooms, spicy cucumber salad, shredded potatos, the dried tofu, or the chopped lotus root. SERVICE/DECOR: Very nice helpful people, but with limited spoken English. However, they are more than happy to have you just point at the menu items when ordering. And, if you've never been to the Golden Mall, get ready for some initial culture shock when you walk down the stairs to the basement for the first time. If you don't speak Chinese, you may be the only non Chinese speaking person there. And the place is old & dingy. However, this is all part of the exciting & adventurous experience, when visiting the Golden mall. Also, there is very limited seating in this stall - four very small tables in a very cramped space. So just order to go if necessary, and find a seat somewhere else to enjoy your treats. PARTING THOUGHTS: This is my favorite food stall in all of Flushing Chinatown. And I would be heartbroken if it ever closed. So if you enjoy spicy foods, don't miss out on this unique culinary experience.
Some of the best Sichuan food I've found outside of China. I don't live or work in Queens but have been traveling to Flushing pretty often over the last ten years to get the cold noodles and Mapo Doufu from this place.
Great dishes great flavor, my favorite.
I come here mainly for the Chengdu spicy cold noodle (tian shui mian). It's the perfect thing to order on a hot and humid day. Actually, its pretty good for a really cold day as well. For $5, you get a big plate of noodles. The noodles are chilled and have a really nice al dente texture to them. The sauce is a really complex combo of sweet and sour and spicy, with some sesame sauce to round it out. It comes with a big spoonful of hot chili oil and some fresh garlic. Once you mix it all up, it's a medley of flavors, textures, and temperatures. Of all the cold noodles, this is one of the better ones. Although I do prefer the cold noodles next stall over at Lan Zhou, the flavor of the Chengdu spicy cold noodle at Chengdu Heaven is not replicated anywhere else nearly as well. I used to come here for their braised and sliced meats as well, but over the past few years the pricing has been creeping up. It seems a bit expensive to get a tray of sliced pig ear or intestine now. I still order every now and then, but I mainly just come here for the cold noodles.
The hype is true, one of the best cold noodles å‡‰é¢ I've ever tasted, so good I had to buy one to go. Not the easiest place to find but it's a gem, authentic Sichuan and very reasonably priced. Pictures to come, can't wait to try more of their dishes
Thanks to my friend I found out about this little "heaven" formerly known as Chengdu Heavenly Plenty Snacks! What a mouthful! Solid little joint tucked into the basement level of a mall. When I mean little, I mean literally a few side tables to sit down and otherwise just a deli-style counter to order from. From my experience, they understand English somewhat but probably best to point to what you want too as they didn't speak a lick of it back. In what seemed like 5 seconds, I had my Styrofoam bowl of spicy dan-dan noodles. The cool tingle of the peppercorn sauce is amazing and strong the way they make it. A tip for those who has never tried, but make sure you mix up the sauce that sits hidden at the bottom with everything! You won't regret it. For dirt cheap, this is a gem in Flushing that doesn't exactly present itself not being on street level.
This was fantastic. We heard almost no English in the streets above which reminded me what I love about this town. The basement here was disarmingly messy, the lighting harsh, the people friendly and welcoming, the food delicious. My friend and I don't speak Mandarin and we aren't that familiar with Chinese cuisine. Sitting near the counter was a woman with a baby, the daughter in law of the chef. She took pity on our obvious cluelessness and suggested several options. We took them all and sat down to a wonderful meal. She asked where we were from and I told her Park Slope in Brooklyn. She seemed so shocked and thankful for the visit that you might have thought we'd said we walked here from Armenia. The woman who served us gave me some pointers on how to eat one of the dishes. Just delicious and warm experience. Another reminder that sometimes the best foods are served under fluorescent lights in humble spaces by the very immigrants that make this country culturally rich and unique.
I came here with a few friends and we got a tian shui mian (sweet water noodle) as well as a spicy beef noodle soup. The tian shui mian was good for flavor but not very sweet; it was basically just spicy noodles. The spicy beef noodle soup was spicy and the beef was tender, but the noodles were too soft. I wasn't a fan. Big portions for cheap prices though, especially for the beef noodle soup. The food was actually sufficiently spicy, which I thoroughly enjoyed! The tian shui mian was $5 post-tax, and the beef noodle soup was $7.
Very good
Came here yesterday for dinner after seeing some reviews. I usually get dumplings at the Tianjin Dumpling stall but I saw reviews for this place so I checked it out. I got the dan dan noodles ($5) and the wontons in chili oil ($5). The noodles come with a few pieces of ground meat, some bak choy, and chili oil at the bottom that you have to mix in. The chili oil is different than the ones I've had elsewhere. There are so many different flavors and sensations (sweet, spicy, tangy) in it that my mouth was overwhelmed. The noodles were actually pretty overcooked, which was disappointing. Also, the bowl it comes in is mad small; I was expecting more. It was pretty good overall, but I'd probably go to another stall for dan dan noodles in the future. The wontons in chili oil were good too but also had a drawback. They give it to you on a plate and I actually think the chili oil and various colors of the dish look pretty beautiful. The wontons were moist, juicy, tasty, and had good texture. Unfortunately, they were also pretty tiny. Definitely noticably smaller compared to the wontons at White Bear. So my meal was pretty satisfying overall, but this place isn't as good as some other options nearby. For example, the spicy chili noodles at Xi'an's Famous foods or noodle dishes at Lanzhou noodles in the New World Mall food court are much better. Definitely more expensive though depending which one you get, but even a cheapass person like me considers it a better deal. And like I said the wontons in chili oil at White Bear are definitely much much better, albeit also like $1 more expensive. I paid $10 for a decent amount of food here but I feel I should have gotten a bit more for what I paid. With that said, competition in Flushing is pretty stiff, and this place is pretty tasty regardless.
Restaurantji Recommends
Order Dan Dan Noodles and chili oil pig ears sat down in my crowded corner. Started picking like how a bird does with seeds to understand how my dish was prepared. The pork was like of a fresh breadcrumb texture. I got interrupted the cook/owner came over & mixed my bowl of noodles at the table such pride in his food. After tasting my first bite I kept going the salty taste was pleasant and a can of coke balanced it out. The pig ears were bland but I mixed them in my noodles so it gave it more bite. Very Affordable meal.
Tried homestyle stir fried pig kidneys (家常腰花）。I would say this dish is their highlight. Another dish, Double cooked meat (回锅肉）is average.
I don't get the hype for this place? Food: Extremely oily and salty. Worst of all, food safety not. Let just say if you do drop something on the floor especially when the floor is extremely dirty, let not use bare hand to pick it up and put it back inside the cooking pot and serve it back to someone who literally witnessing the whole time. I am so gross out knowing that someone who doesn't respect the customer and is in a food service of serving others. If you can't cook food with respect than why opening a restaurant to serve others. Honestly, if I didn't care of their livelihood and family, I would post my recorded video of this incident on social media :(
Extremely authentic. It's almost literally in a basement so it can be kind of hard to find, but if you find the entrance to Golden Mall Food Court where you have to immediately go down a flight of stairs, it's the first place you run into. This is probably the first place in America that I've seen sell tian shui mian, which are thick noodles in a sweet/spicy/garlicky sauce, so automatic 5-stars in my opinion, PLUS there's the fact that a huge plate of these noodles is only $5. I definitely recommend trying them! If I'm ever in the area again I will for sure be back.
Check out the food stalls.