Roast Meats Chinatown Problem

[FrankieLymon]

I have a problem. Roasted Delights on Catherine Street is where I used to get all my roast meats. I loved their Roast Pig, Pork, and Duck. But they closed. Great Ny Noodletown has good meats, but too often their line is out the door. Any suggestions on a new place for me to purchase my roast meats? I want roast pig with a crispy skin that hasn't been sitting around all day and gotten soggy. I dont want any garbage fatty roast pork that I've seen too often. Maybe somebody knows an off the beaten track gem, maybe east of Bowery?

[nooyawka]

A key issue is not such much where, as when. Go early! Later in the day, you get all the crappy cuts. You can specify what cut you want (fatty, lean, etc.). Some places might serve/sell a portion of a suckling pig (whole sucklings are reserved for banquets, special occasions). If a roast pig is done well, it can be almost as good as a suckling pig. Enjoy!

[windycity]

This thread puts me in the mood for a Chinese style bbq eat-off where we just buy eat pieces of char siu and crispy pork, duck, and other delicious meats from different shops and then we rate our favorites. Anyone else game?

[fourunder]

I cannot believe I am giving up this secret, but.....

Regarding Chinese Roasted Meats.....for the cost of a bag of chips or pork rinds.....my opinion as the single most absolute best buy in the entire city is........the pig's head available in any of the barbecue houses that sell whole roasted pigs. For $2.00-3.00, depending on where you are shopping, you can purchase the head which still has a considerable amount of crispy skin and meat on it.....but also includes the two delectable cheek nuggets. You can also use what's left of the head to make some very rich stock.

Now you know.

[FattyDumplin]

NOOOOOOOOO..... A magician never reveals his secrets. Neither should you. i still remember the first time my mom brought one of these home. i was disgusted. until i had some of hte cheek.

[JungMann]

How much is the whole head? I think I may have to whip up some sisig this weekend!

[fourunder]

JM,

It's really not the whole head, but the front head portion. If you shop on Grand Street, it's only $2. In Chinatown, the cost is $3. Please note on Grand Street, you will only be able to purchase one head on most days. If you shop at Hsin Wong, they usually have multiple heads there....or at their other store on the corner of Elizabeth and Bayard. The last time I was in Chinatown, I purchased three heads and they must have weighed close to 10 pounds total. The bag was quite heavy navigating through the streets to get back to the car at the parking garage. The fingers were severely cramped when I finally let go of the plastic bag handles.

[JungMann]

I assume I would still get jowls, cheeks, snout and ears with the front portion?

[fourunder]

Ears are usually trimmed off and are and extra two bucks for a round aluminum tray size down on Grand Street. I'm sure @ Hsin Wong it is more expensive.

[SomeRandomIdiot]

using the roasted pig's head to make congee is great too, just a little greasy sometimes. the roasted pig's feet are also only a coupla bucks. can do the congee with the pig's feet also but I prefer just gnawing on 'em plain.

[DarthEater]

The corner of Bayard and elizabeth sells good roast pig and duck. On the same block, Hsin Wong is another option for roast pig.

Big Wong does not sell roast pig but they have the best roast duck in my opinion.

[fourunder]

The corner of Bayard and elizabeth sells good roast pig and duck. On the same block, Hsin Wong is another option for roast pig.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FYI......both of these stores are owned by the same people/group. I agree with you that Big Wong has the best Roast Duck in Chinatown.

[jfmirabella]

My friend who supplies chicken and duck to Chinatown tells me that the Duck is no longer fresh but is supplied frozen. So there is a big difference in taste. We probably don't discern a difference since we can no longer compare fresh to frozen. Big Wong is the best as Noodletown often uses a microwave to reheat.

[scoopG]

i don't know about that. I've seen delivery trucks in Chinatown delivering freshly butchered pigs and ducks.

[jfmirabella]

Chickens are still fresh. Ducks are a few days old or frozen. Its expalained to me that the local slaughter houses can't compete with the price from upstate and long Island. . The large duck farms are slaughting themselves and delivering. You probably see my friends truck making the delivery in chinatown.

[craig_g]

Yeah, although you can intercept the nuking at Noodletown.

[FrankieLymon]

got some baby pig from noodletown today..sure is tasty

[brettnyc]

I've got to try the suckling pig at noodletown, have not yet. From other posts on the topic, I believe the consensus was that Noodletown has the best suckling pig, but Big Wong has the best char siu. Cant remember reviews regarding Big Wong's roast duck, but I remember the boiled chicken getting very good reviews as well. So far I've stuck to the char siu at Big Wong and its been great.

[fourunder]

Hsin Wong on Bayard has excellent suckling pig when available. I believe Sun Sai Kay also has suckling pig too.. Big Wong's Roast duck is excellent.

some more info that will help.....check out Grand Street.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/625151

[brettnyc]

Do you prefer Hsin Wong's or Noodletown's suckling pig? Will have to try Big Wong's roast duck as well.

[fourunder]

brettnyc,

To be honest, I never met a Chinese Roast Suckling Pig I did not like. How they (Chinese Style) make the skin so perfectly crisp is amazing to me....and I am not one to usually use such superlatives to describe any food items.

For me it's a toss up. I enjoy both. My decision would come down to the specific pig available that day I was in Chinatown. I would opt for the less fatty pig, i.e., the amount of fat between the skin and meat.... Both stores are so close a visual inspection is easily attained. Lately, more of my purchases have been at HW, rather than NY Noodletown....FWIW

A word of note....My recollection is Hsin Wong only has the baby pig on the weekends.

As for the Roast Duck....the older generations definitely regard Big Wong as having the best.....probably since it has been around what seems forever and they are resistant to change. BW and the store below street level north and on the west side of Mott Street before Canal are two of the oldest stores I know of.

[brettnyc]

Hey Forunder,

This is great, now I have an excuse to have both soon in a chinatown suckling pig taste test.

BTW is the other place you mention for roast duck(west side of Mott) Hoy Wong? I believe Hoy Wong is below street level on the west side of Mott, and remember reading a very positive post about it a while back, but haven't been yet.

[fourunder]

brett,

I do not know the name of the store, but I'm sure we are thinking about the same place. Unlike others....I am really not so particular about Chinese Barbecue and Roasted meats. Put anyone's product in front of me and I'm a happy camper. My shopping usually is determined by the location I am visiting on a particular day, i.e., whether it's for dim sum or dinner. If I am purchasing a lot of things....fish, vegetables, produce and soy product, I tend to head over to Grand Street, as parking is easier to find for an out of towner. It's not the best barbecue option, but the prices are too cheap to ignore compared to Chinatown.

[meatme]

The only meat that I don't really like at Noodletown is the spare ribs, which I find too sweet-soylike (and, like Fida, I don't generally run into lines there either). Has anyone got a favorite rib source?

[jfmirabella]

Long lines and a nasty lady at the cash register. Try Wing Wong-102 Mott Street- north of Canal Street.

[kph206]

I second wing wong. i've been buying stuff from there for years.

[nooyawka]

Oh yeah? Is that lady as nasty as the one at Wonton Garden? lol.
I'll third Wing Wong. I think of Wing Wong as an off-shoot of Big Wong from when it was excellent (more than 15 years ago). Good congee too.

[brettnyc]

I've had very good roast pork from Big Wong on Mott, and have seen a number of others report the same on this board.

[JungMann]

How do they sell roast pork at Big Wong? Is it by the pound or do they just give a standard size? I couldn't find char siu on the menu except over rice.

[brettnyc]

Yes its by the pound, and you can specify to them if you want fatty/lean/half-fatty half lean, etc..

[scoopG]

They sell the BBQ Pork in two sizes: small round container at $5.75 and large rectangular container at $11.00. Not sure of the weights...

[brettnyc]

Interesting, I've never just specified large or small container, I've specified by the pound (and gotten half a pound). Perhaps its possible to do either, or perhaps one of the container sizes happens to work out to half a pound. I've gotten it to go, which may or may not have factored in.

[scoopG]

I think you're right - as they do put the containers on a scale to check the weight!

[JungMann]

So it is by the weight, we've decided? I've had too many experiences in Chinatown where I request something by weight, but instead watch the counter clerk load a small container until it is brimming with more food than I can eat in a week whilst I am left to sputter "No thank you" in Mandarin and ineffectively gesticulate "No more" when my Mandarin runs out.

[brettnyc]

LOL! I think they've been pretty accurate with the weights in my experience, including with just half a pound.

[Fida]

Great question. I used to go to the place that preceded Roasted Delights, which was also the cheapest place around. I don't generally find a line at Noodletown, but I'd love other places to try instead, too. Glad you posted this, and I hope you'll be showered with suggestions.