Highly rated Ethnic Asian dining establishments in NYC

[renerhi]

Thank you in advance for your suggestions. I'm looking for the best Asian food restaurants, hole in the walls, etc. in NYC. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

[uncledunkel]

Didn't see Kin Shop or Hunan manor mentioned. i think those should be in the mix too. Agree that danji is amazing

[jonkyo]

I have not read the thread completely, so do not know if I am repeating info but here some pointers on "hole in the walls"

Try East Broadway and Eldridge, though not really hole in the walls, just more simple set ups and interiors, usually clean. Just go there and take a walk. Some places are

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/822288
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/827558
Not on Eldridge bo ky is ethnic for sure though:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/751160
On lexington and very ethnic also:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/232519
Very ethnic and on East Broadway:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/833720
Very ethnic:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/844645
also very ethnically authentic:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/840847

Also visit 闽江 Min Jiang 93 E. Broadway, and one directly across the street, called Lucky Zhang's Family. Very ethnic (Fuzhou) with the ethnic customers that drive their menu to authenticity.

More ethnic for Thai is head to Elmherst, one called Playground Authentic Thai Cuisine, Roosevelt Ave in Queens, recommended me by a Thai living in NYC.

Most of the places listed above are ethnic in that there is a continuity with the cuisine, the country or ethnicity displayed and the owners and at least some of the staff if not all. Also, they cater to ethnic asians of one or another kind, who live work or study or are residents and New Yorkers or citizens themselves here in NYC, and offer a very good to excellent creation of the food they are used to in their respected home countries or countries of origin.

But I agree with one of the replies who states "Much too broad a question."

Also "highly rated" can mean many things, such as Newspapers and their writers and reviewers who just do not have a handle on anything but keeping with fashions and styles.

Good luck on your quest.

[Pookipichu]

Chinatown Brasserie - dim sum/peking duck Chinese
Tori Shin - chicken sashimi/pork belly Japanese
Kuma Inn - chicken wings Filipino
Szechuan Gourmet - three pepper chicken Chinese
Nirvana - rasmalai/chicken tikka masala Indian
Kati Roll - chicken tikka roll Indian
Laut - rendang beef Malaysian
15 East - soba special Japanese
Mad For Chicken - korean fried chicken Korean
Madangsui - special kalbi Korean
Red Farm - dim sum Chinese

[foodwhisperer]

Pookipichu: Tori Shin has Toriwasa? ( raw chicken) ,, i've only had that in Japan, with lots of wasabi in it, and the chicken was very freshly killed. Is that what you mean by chicken sashimi??

[Pookipichu]

Yes, toriwasa, and it's excellent as well as their pork belly skewers.

[LeahBaila]

Adding Cafe China...

[scoopG]

Cantonese:

Ah-Ping Snack Bar:
http://www.chow.com/digest/7568/in-chinatown-fujianese-soul-with-a-subtle-hand/

Amazing 66:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/340879

East Corner Wonton:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/611302?tag=boards;topic-611302

Fuleen:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/816585

Great New York Noodletown:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/678367

Mei Li Wah:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/605528

Noodle Village:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/493604

Oriental Garden:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/764593

Red Egg:
http://www.chow.com/manhattan_digest/6625?tag=search_results;results_list
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/610102?tag=main_body;topic-610102
http://www.redeggnyc.com/

Henan
Henan Flavor:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/774685

Fujian operated Homemade, Hand-Pulled Noodle spots:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/492376
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/504362

Fujian:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/483902

Double Dragon:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/714304

Sichuan:

Famous Sichuan:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/753398

Old Sichuan:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/742493?tag=search_results;results_list#6143259
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/753976

Szechuan Gourmet:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/459240
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/591930
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/631403

http://events.nytimes.com/2008/07/23/dining/reviews/23rest.html?scp=1&sq=szechuan%20gourmet&st=cse

Legend:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/736719

Lan Sheng (Sichuanese).
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/673788

Shanghainese in Chinatown:

456:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/770707

Shanghai Deluxe Cafe:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/769840
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/704166
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/583263

Xian
Xian Famous Foods:
http://www.xianfoods.com/

XLB – Soup Dumplings:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/584869

http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2009/0...

[foodwhisperer]

Wow Scoop. good job

[strangemd]

This is a bookmarked post. I've only eaten at about half those places, and you've set a lovely agenda. Thanks scoop!

[Bob Martinez]

Here's some more.

Hot Kitchen

Szechuan Gourmet

Lan Sheng

[LeahBaila]

Damn. Hot Kitchen looks awesome. Thanks for the rec.

[thegforceny]

Much too broad a question... Chinese places alone can fill an entire board. Search for posts from posters AubWah and Lau for help, especially Chinatown, noodles, xlb.

I cant see how just getting lists will prove helpful to you, esp since you are also doing this for SF and LV.

Here's a few

Thai - Zaab Elee
Sri Lanka - Sigiri
Sichuan - Grand Sichuan; Legend
Xian Famous Foods
All the places in the David Chang empire have Asian influences.
Indian - Junoon
Korea - Jungsik; search for "Korea Town"
Japanese - 15 East for sushi

[renerhi]

Hi Bob:
Thank you for the reply and suggestions. I am working on a show focusing on ethnic asian foods and I am unfamiliar with these cities.
I'll check out your suggestions.
rene

[Pan]

Well, are you more interested in downscale regional Chinese cuisine places like Xian Famous Foods and the Fuzhounese pulled noodle places in Chinatown, or upscale places? What categories of Asian cuisines most interest you?

Also, if you haven't already done so, make sure to ask your question in the Outer Boroughs board. You'll be deluged with dozens of interesting suggestions.

[Simon]

hi rene...hope your research goes well...but when you do the show, i'm hoping you won't refer to them as "ethnic Asian restaurants" -- simply saying "Asian restaurants" would be better...imo (and the opinion of many others), using "ethnic" as a catchall for non-Western is a term that's hopefully being banished to the dustbin that contains words like "colored"...

[renerhi]

Hi Simon,
yes, thank you for all these wonderful recommendations. We will not be using "ethnic", it was more to describe dishes that are not very well know in the US, and I will completely remove it. I will keep you posted on the progress of the show...

[huiray]

Very interesting - has the name of the show and when & where it may be broadcast been determined yet? Please do post info in it when you can, it would be useful to know.

What is the scope of the intended show? What cuisines will you cover - i.e. by "Asian" you mean...?

[foodwhisperer]

gforceny: Good list. that should help the OP perfectly

[halo]

Danji is the only Korean in the country with a Michelin star.
It is also tiny. The waits can be long because prices are very reasonable while quality extremely high.
Not many people know about it since they don't do much pr but it's the best Korean food in the country. Extremely authentic flavors.

[small h]

I won't pretend to have been to every Korean restaurant in the country (and neither should you), but I don't think Danji could possibly be anywhere near the best. It's good, though.

[halo]

i've been to enough and i think it's the best. it's the only chef owned korean restaurant i know of in the country. it is the only restaurant that uses Korean made "jangs" which in Korean food is where all the flavor comes from. i bet you can't name a better place...

[small h]

BCD Tofu was my favorite, but I have simple tastes. And while I haven't been there myself, Jungsik (mentioned upthread) is probably better than Danji.

[halo]

jungsik? korean? i wouldn't categorize jungsik as a korean restaurant. 80% of their menu is western dishes. just because Daniel has pasta on their menu it's not italian.

and if you haven't been to jungsik why do you think it's better than danji? i've been to both as have many of my friends. not a single one thinks jungsik is even in the same league as danji when it comes to authentic korean flavors.

bcd used msg. a lot of msg. i got hives all 5 times i ate there.

[small h]

I don't think it's worthwhile to continue this conversation as you seem bound and determined to sing Danji's praises while denigrating other Korean restaurants (and the people who like them).

[Pan]

Where is it, and what dishes do you most highly recommend there?