duck soup divinity.

You need to go to Chao Zhou for your next meal. It’s as simple as that.

I went there for dinner with the Aulicinos last night, and my suspicions were confirmed: it’s one of the best, most authentic Chinese restaurants I’ve been to. Here’s a Google map. It’s in Flushing, so you need to take the 7 line. Do it. It’s worth the 45 minute train ride. Flushing is fast becoming the mecca of Asian cuisine in New York City, moreso than Manhattan’s Chinatown. There — I said it. Fight me.

Here are some reasons why Chao Zhou is great.

• There are supposedly 500 items available to order at Chao Zhou. You should order all of them, because they’re probably all awesome.
• The service is actually good. You know by now that Chinese waiters are generally rude, but these people smile at you. They may even respond when you ask them what’s good.
• One of their spicy chicken dishes is spiced out with these stir fried flower petals that make it taste a lot like Tide. But it still tastes ridiculously good.
• Duck soup. With broad rice noodles.
• Curry soup. With the same broad rice noodles.
• E-fu noodles. With my limited knowledge of Mandarin, “e-fu” to me means “clothing.” But my Chinese language skills blow, because these are freshly made, hand-pulled noodles. Why are hand-pulled noodles better than dried noodles? Imagine this versus this. Yeah.
• They have a life-sized statue of an ancient Chinese warrior in their entryway. That guy will kick your ass if you don’t like the food at this restaurant.
• They’re open until 3:30AM. It’s 11PM right now. You have no excuse not to go there and get your duck soup RIGHT NOW.
• They have superb General Tsao’s chicken, but you have 499 other dishes to order before you resort to ordering mundane Chinese take-out dishes like that.
• They serve stuff like pig’s feet. I won’t ever get it, but selection is key.

I’m running out of stupid things to say. Why are you still reading this? Jump on the 7 train (now that it’s working once again, F-ing MTA) and think up your own reasons.

-D