Chinatown today

[Zatan]

Picked up some lychees from a street vendor near Pho Hua today, they're fantastic. $5.50/pound, it's a stretch as there were some at Chung Wah down the road for muich less, but those looked old and smaller. These are clearly a much higher quality. Saw similar price points in NYC last week.

Xinh Xinh for lunch, I had the Hi Tieu Nam Vang soup, pork, pork liver, and seafood vermicelli soup (pic). This was good, a mild broth and thicker noodles than used in pho, and round not flat. I liked those. Lots of celery which I find too strong for my taste (in soup anyway), but I wanted something different. Everything bright and fresh. Recalled the beef dumpling appetizer, which I'd had there before (still on the specials board), those were really great.

Also picked up half a soy sauce chicken at Vinh Sun. This is really delicious and highly recommended. For the record, it is still slightly pink at the bone as is traditional. Very flavorful and juicy, irresistable, the soy sauce flavor penetrating the meat all the way. I wonder if they get their chickens at Wing's down the road, or presumably from some other purveyor of live poultry. I also wonder if poultry like that is less prone to the bacterial infections we rightly fear from typical grocery store chickens? Anyway, have eaten such preparations in Chinatown many times and no bad after effects.

[barleywino]

nice report-- i'm also a huge fan of soy sauce chicken (or salted chicken) in general and have not had any bad after effects yet from the slight pinkness(just have to watch for the occasional bone chip). I find that earlier in the day it tends to be fresher (same with the crispy pig), although of course there's no guarantee.

[Guilty Glutton]

How does Vinh Sun compare to the Hong Kong Eatery? HKE is my usual haunt for soy sauce chicken, so I haven't tried Vinh Sun yet.

[Zatan]

I can't say....oddly, though I love this dish, this is the only place in Boston I've had it. I can say that the roast (? terminology is still an issue at these places) pork -- char siu -- I like as well or even better than HKE.

Also, I'd put in a plug for this; anyone who might be tempted to buy a whole roast chicken at an American market, you might try this preparation (here or HKE, anyone else have a good Chinese bbq place to recommend?), it is truly awesome. if you don't like the bone-in cuts you can ask for it whole I suppose, though I love they way they reconstruct it after it's all chopped up. Same for roast duck.

[gourmaniac]

Thanks Zatan for your reports on Vinh Sun. Based on your report and others, I tried Vinh Sun today and it was good. I got the soy sauce chicken, duck and roast pork on rice. The pork had a lush blend of fat and lean. Soy sauce chicken was a little dry but it was breast meat and I prefer leg. The duck was only so-so. The best part was a highlight of star anise. I also liked the greens served and that it isn't an extra charge (see Wai Wai). If I were to compare with other chinatown bbq, the best duck and chicken plate is Wai Wai and I still prefer Hong Kong Eatery for roast pork. For BBQ pork (char siu) and duck I like Best cafe (1st floor of China Pearl).

[Zatan]

Have not entered into Wai Wai yet....usually hate the baement spaces though the food there can often be great. Also never bought anything at Best cafe.

Too bad about the dry chicken, mine was all nice and juicy. I've only had the pork in the wonton soup, which I really like at Vinh Sun.

HKE's braised beef in the soup is awesome, I've yet to try this at other places.

Anyone tried Quick Pik (or however they spell it?) BBQ?

[jimmydingle]

i go to quick pic or whatever quite a bit for lunch-
big thing of steamed rice with the most tender chicken and pork on top with greens and a small veg soup for 5.50-the butcher guy hates you but the owner seems very nice (not that either matters to me)
took me a while to find a place not too extravagant and cheap-really need a roadmap in chinatown

[ScubaSteve]

re: quik pik (?)- i got a pressed duck there shortly after they opened and thought it was pretty good, right up there with HKE.