Terrific Chinese on Nassau/Queens Border (just off Cross Island Pkwy)
Right off the Cross Island Parkway, on the Nassau/Queens border, in an absolute desert of good Chinese food is Asian Bowl 24806 Union Tpke Bellerose, NY.
It's easy to dismiss the place, because they've given it the vibe of a suburban Chinese-American shopping strip restaurant. There's an image problem. But the menu is, surprisingly, full of serious stuff (in addition to skillfully-cooked General Tso etc). Sliced fish with bitter melon, squid with pickled vegs, shredded pork with potato and chili, etc.
I love their tofu, sliced pork, and watercress soup, their baby bok choy (I order with foo roo - the Mandarin version of foo-yee, the briny fermented beancurd sauce), shredded pork with bamboo shoots, ten-ingredient chow fun, minced fish with salt pork....everything. Orange beef's the best I've had since Hunam in Levittown closed. They're fast, super friendly, accommodating, reasonable, and, really, they're a miracle, serving real Chinese (and good fake Chinese) here where you'd least expect to find it. They even deliver.
And they were empty tonight at 7pm. Which is a crime. So....if you know the place, please frequent it more (use it or lose it!). And if not, you'll be very pleasantly surprised. Please pass around word, cuz I'm worried about these guys, and if they close, there's not going to be anything worthy east of Flushing.
