Is Spicy & Tasty still good?

[swannee]

I haven't been to S & T in about 2 years and I know they have new owners. I have noted when walking by that it is no longer nearly as popular as in years past. Has its star faded? When last there I took a group from Hubei who loved it.

-----
Spicy & Tasty
39-07 Prince St, Queens, NY 11354

[RevImmigrant]

I took a taxi to Spicy and Tasty last night after I arrived at my hotel and got some food to take back to my room. I had dumplings in red chile sauce, noodles with meat sauce and sliced pork with fresh chile. The dumplings were pretty good. The noodles with meat sauce was bland and didn't have much flavor. I had to add soy sauce and chile-garlic sauce to make it taste better As for the sliced pork, it was very greasy. It had the Sichuan peppercorns, but not too much chile and was, frankly, a little bland for my tastes. It was like the Exxon Valdez oil spill on a plate. In fact, all of their food was greasy, but the portions were very large. I was very disappointed as I wanted to have some really good Chinese food while I was here. Where I live in Mexico is a waste for Chinese food.

Today I went to a mall on the corner of Roosevelt and some other street and found a grocery store, Sky. I got most of the items on my list to take home and since they have a deli with cooked food, got some cooked food from their deli for lunch. Overall, it was better than the food from Spicy and Tasty.

I don't know what I'll find tomorrow, but I leave early Friday morning, so I hope I can find some really good Chinese food tomorrow.

[Zier]

There are a number of places recommended in the posts just above. Try'em.

[swannee]

I must say that I feel you didn't order well at S & T

[scoopG]

noodles with meat sauce was bland
____________________

What dish are you talking about?

[Zier]

Last time I was by there it had been closed by order of the NYC health dept.!
Interesting to know it is re-opened. Seems to me that since the new owners took over it has gone way down. I was a reg customer but have sadly abandoned the place.

[Bob Martinez]

It was closed for about 3 days. It re-opened in mid July.

[swannee]

I have been back a couple of times since it re-opened and find it as good as ever, although I regret that they no longer serve stinky tofu. Zier, what did you find worse than before?

[Zier]

Thanks for the feedback swannee. For me Lack of chòu dòufu was a big disappointment since theirs was the best I had outside of Taiwan. The couple of times I was there post management change the food was too greasy and just not up to par for the restaurant. I am not a big fan of restaurant food so I look for something exceptional to make me loyal to a place, and the former S&T certainly had 'it'. I would give it another shot to see but, once you get out of the habit... Another fabulous place that I used to eat at regularly the former David's Taiwanese Gourmet in Elmhurst went into the tank for a few years but has re-emerged as a pretty good, albeit overpriced, place re-named Taiwanese Gourmet.. So I am patient. :-) Where else do you frequent in Flushing. I am always on the lookout for a place with well prepared fresh food.

[swannee]

Fu Run is good if one orders well. Hunan Taste at Sichuan whatever ditto. I actually like the Taiwanese family restaurant next to S& T for the Family meals (only in Chinese, I think). I also like another Family meal place, this one Shangaiese near the North end of Prince St. (I forget the name, something with Noodle). My wife and I often go to these places because we can order 4 or 5 dishes plus soup and not spend much or take it all home.
I agree that S & T had the best chou dou fu. Did you ever have their San Bei Ji, another Taiwanese dish? They do it really well.

[Zier]

What does order well mean at Fu Run? BTW where is it located?
My wife and I used to like some of the dishes at the Chao Zhou Restaurant on Main and 41st but have not been back since it was renovated. Also Golden Palace on Cherry is still a dependable spot.
Haven't experienced S&T's San Bei Ji. I am always a little apprehensive with ordering chicken in Chinese places because I do not know what quality bird they use.
But the problem remains where to find top notch chou dou fu dishes? The simple deep fried variety was never my fav.
One thing I loved about the food in Taiwan was how fresh it was. I have not found this particular feature sufficiently in many NYC Chinese places. Also sine the sad death over a decade ago of Po Ti formerly on Main St there has not been an authentic Chinese vegetarian place in NYC to frequent.

[swannee]

Fu Run is Dongbei place also on Prince St. There is an excellent Chowhound thread on it with lots of recommendations. I also miss good vegetarian Chinese. the Family place next to S & T has mala chou doufu , but I've never been able to order it because of squeamish table mates.
Imperial Palace is a good Cantonese place. Lau has an excellent posting. t is on the other side of Main St. but also near the subway stop.

[missmasala]

Funny, after today's chow digest (or whatever it's called) I went on the bobo chicken website and they list the restaurants that use their birds. So if you want to order chicken in a restaurant, go to one listed on their website and then you'll be getting bobo chicken

[squid kun]

One thing about that website, though: It hasn't been updated in a while and lists a number of businesses that are now closed.

[scoopG]

Here's some Fu Run threads:

Fu Run – Manchurian
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/572882
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/750625

Have you been to Main Street Imperial yet? Arguably the best Taiwanese spot in Flushing. If you are concerned about chicken sources then opt for their Three Cup Tofu instead.

Main Street Imperial – Taiwanese
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/601902

[AubWah]

scoop I'm curious what your favorite few dishes are at fu run?

[scoopG]

AubWah - the Muslim Lamb Chip is a signature dish! Also their Mung Bean Sheet Noodles with cucumber is great. It's been awhile since I've been there.

[shiwujoe]

it's definitely good (great) , you just have to know what to order. i would recommend going with at least 3 different dishes that compliment / contrast each other for the best experience.

[AubWah]

what are your favorite dishes to order?

[shiwujoe]

the appetizers up front are mostly great. there is a section of ma-la type dishes on the last page of the menu and i always order one of those. there's a shrimp and peanut dish that i love.

[swannee]

My favorites: Pressed tofu with celery, Seaweed with garlic, Clams with wasabi, Cumin lamb, Water-cooked anything, Vinegar stewed white cabbage, Twiced cooked pork belly, Fish with tofu, Squid with pickled vegetable, 3 Glass chicken. The English names may differ a little.
Disappointments: Tea-smoked duck, Sour long beans, Dumplings.
All the cold dishes are good, but some (eg the beef tendon) are better elsewhere. The 3 Glass chicken is testimony to the Taiwanese owners. I took some people from Sichuan, and they had never heard of it-----but they loved it!!

[shiwujoe]

where can I get better beef tendon? I find it's a little one dimensional at Nan Xian.

[swannee]

Absolute best used to be the now closed original Grand Sichuan on Canal. Now I am looking. Any ideas?

[Peter Cuce]

Little Pepper has a good one, and I think the one I had at Legend was pretty good as well.

[diprey11]

Chengdu Heaven at the bottom level of The Golden Mall has the best version, by a large margin IMHO.

[RevImmigrant]

Does the Golden Mall have an elevator?

[JRogan]

Rev--
Golden Mall definitely does not have an elevator. There's like 12 stairs, maybe, but they're sort of steep...

[Peter Cuce]

If you enter on the 41st Rd side, there is a ramp that takes you into the back of the basement level of the Golden Mall. If you enter on the Main Street side, you can explore the top level which also has many food stalls and a bathroom in the rear.

[diprey11]

No, sorry. It's one flight down, and the Sichuan stall is next to the Main St entrance. But the entrance s not particularly accessible: the stairs are steep and make a sharp left turn. But the food is truly amazing. Never mind the stall, they have a very good chef

[Hank Stamper]

No, it's terrible. Please don't go. And tell your friends not to go - especially on a Friday or Saturday night : )

Srsly, I was just there this weekend and it is stil great.

[staccato]

Never give an inch!

[Hank Stamper]

Glad you caught it!

[Polecat]

That is, indeed, sometimes a great notion.

[jimmyjazz]

Agreed. Still spicy, still very tasty.

[MOREKASHA]

Still the same. same help, same fella up front at the cold tabler and I assume same chef. Food is as good as it ever was.