Once upon a time,
three successful NYC women in their Bloomingdale’s best trekked through the
fish juice glazed streets of Chinatown to explore the highly buzzed about 456
Restaurant. Sam Sifton of The New
York Times (and foodie celeb!) had us at the phrase "dumpling
heaven" in his review of 456, so we decided it would be a fun adventure for The Foodies…
While some
restaurants pride themselves on the overall dining experience – the peaceful
ambiance, delivering the specials in poetic prose, the milieu of soothing
orchestra music and a cellar full of exotic red wines – we don't always
consider that the main attraction (as discussed previously). That said, ordering at 456 was not a three-ring circus. The menu was fairly straightforward (fish head
casserole; chicken with cashews; Peking duck) and our experience with the staff
was equally laconic:
Foodies in NYC: Do
you have a wine list?
Waiter: White
or red?
Foodies in NYC:
Um...red.
Waiter: Bottle or
glass?
Foodies (in unison): Bottle
Waiter: Ok.
Do you want rice?
Foodies: Yes.
Waiter: Ok. How
many?
Foodies: Uhh...two?
Foodies: Uhh...two?
Waiter: Ok.
End conversation,
cue the food. We decided on a little bit of this (steamed juicy pork buns
and steamed house veggie dumplings) and a little bit of that (cold noodles in
sesame sauce). The dumplings were moist and flavorful but the noodles
fell a little flat – the sauce was too buttery and meagerly covered the dish,
which made it difficult to get past the gummy texture. On our two main
dishes, General Tso's Chicken and Moo Shu Pork, we indulged in the simplicity
of the sauces and quality of the meats. The big, white chunks of chicken
and fluffy pancakes made both dishes good to the last rice grain.
While fairly
awkward in presence, the large, inexpensive plates of quality food at 456 took
us all to our happy places, where we laugh, chat and munch (never at the same
time, right mom?!) and always end the night with the phrase, "we needed
that!"
To ensure a happily
ever after, we navigated back through the eel-streaked windows of Chinatown to
end our night at Rice to Riches, a specialty, rice pudding Mecca. “Strange”
might be the first thought that pops into your head, but ours is, "why the
#$%& didn't we think of that!?" Served in Solo, Epic, Sumo, and Moby
sizes, in flavors like Cheesecake, Cookies n' Cream, Banana, Rum Raisin and
Coconut (among many others), Rice to Riches is a dessert dream come true.
The Takeaway:
Get out of your comfort zone with typical Chinese food. Next time, leave the take out boxes at home and go out for the real deal! And, in the words of Anne, "if you don't like rice pudding, seek professional help."
The Takeaway:
Get out of your comfort zone with typical Chinese food. Next time, leave the take out boxes at home and go out for the real deal! And, in the words of Anne, "if you don't like rice pudding, seek professional help."
456 Restaurant
69 Mott Street (Canal
Street), Chinatown
(212) 964-0003
37 Spring St
New York,
NY 10012
(212) 274-0008
I like terse,its better than having a service person that is TOO chatty! And you are right that no matter what, being in a happy place is what it’s all about! The rum raisin at Rice to Riches brought me to that happy place! Love the pictures...the successful NYC women in their Bloomies’ best are beautiful! Keep up the
ReplyDeletewitty,funny and always informative Foodies blog! Love you girls!
Awww! THanks Anonymous! We love you too :)
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