I discovered Cafe China several years ago, as I was going through the restaurants in New York with one Michelin Star. At the time, I was not that impressed by the food, but admitted at the time that it might have been because of the choice of dishes we made. So I was curious to see how this would be this time, and admit that this was very good, with a very speedy and courteous service! Here is what we had:

As a cocktail, I got the Fallen Angels, made with Four Roses bourbon, freshly squeezed lemon juice, homemade grenadine and bitters. This was nicely sweet and not too strong, quite refreshing.

Fallen Angels cocktail at Cafe China in NYC, NY

Vegetable pot stickers with mixed vegetables, shiitake mushrooms and tofu skin: that was really good, with a nice charred crust, and a filling quite tasty.

Crystal shrimp dumplings: prepared with lard, they were pan fried that is the first time I had them like that. I loved it, with a large piece of shrimp inside and the shell crispy.

Dan Dan noodles: I love this dish and I know that every family has its own recipe. It was good, but not spicy and I have to say that Hao Noodles set the bar high for me, so I was expecting much more…

Eggplant and string beans: this vegetarian dish had a nice kick.

Tea smoked duck: this is one of their specialties. The deboned duck was served skin on for crispness, and with some steamed buns. They do not serve them with hoisin sauce (or any sauce) as it would overpower the smokiness of the tea. I thought that it would be dry, but it was not and the duck was delicious, the skin being fatty and sweet.

We finish the meal with the eight jewel rice pudding, a dessert made with sticky rice, dates, red bean, walnut and lotus seed. This was fantastic! The sticky rice gave a nice texture and was bathed in a delicious sugar syrup.

So, finally, I tried the two dishes I mentioned in my last visit: the Dan Dan noodles and the tea smoked duck. Both were quite good and, overall, we had a great meal. So, I changed my mind about this place, and I would recommend it.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Cafe China - 59 W 37th St, New York, NY 10018

I Just Want To Eat!