Mandarin Court

Mandarin Court - 61 Mott Street (Chinese)
Recently went to Mandarin Court for dim sum, as it was recommended by some friends. The inside of Mandarin Court is modest - cafeteria style tables, no frills decor. Positives: the carts come by regularly, there's no chasing down the carts, like you have to do at Jing Fong. The food is tasty, mostly subtly flavored and steamed (since it is dim sum.) Negatives: honestly, I think there was less variety than Jing Fong - didn't see a single chicken foot the entire time I was there. The cost: reasonable. $12 a head for our party, and we certainly ate our fill. Will I go back soon? No. Would I recommend? Yes, although not with amazing passion.

Jing Fong

Jing Fong - 20 Elizabeth Street (Chinese Dim Sum)
One of the preferred dim sum halls in Chinatown. Huge and reasonably priced! It can sometimes be hard to get the carts to come over, though.

House of Vegetarian and Vegetarian Dim Sum

House of Vegetarian – 68 Mott Street (Chinese Vegetarian)
Vegetarian Dim Sum House – 24 Pell (Chinese Vegetarian)

Owned by the same proprietor - two well known vegetarian haunts located in the heart of Chinatown (one on Mott, the other on nearby Pell Street.) Their menus blazoned with the same green and white Buddha, these restaurants serve up a number of dishes, done veggie style – from Orange Beef to General Tso...classic takeout fare, made with mock meat filling in for the real thing. As with many of their carnivorous brethren, the decoration is minimal – yet many vegetarians flock to their door – swearing by their flavor and authenticity.

For the GG trip, the litmus test was chicken (General Tso at HOV, Sweet and Sour at VDS.) Both restaurants won points for variety...offering literally hundreds of options, from mock steak to Peking Spare Ribs. The creativity also impressed – made from yam, the sweet and sour chicken almost passed the texture test...though it lost for authenticity, being fried instead of battered. It passed the taste test, too – dipped in a vivid orange sauce, dappled with pineapple and green pepper. As for the General Tso? Well, they gave me the wrong dish - a bland vegetable medley, tossed with thin slices of tofu. Neither dish was bad – but neither stood out...either as culinary masterpieces, or otherwise authentic fare (at least judging by the green pepper sauce.) And the cost? Over $10.00 per dish (rice not included) – more than your usual takeout, with less flavor in return.

I finished the Sweet and Sour in a nearby park – and gave the vegetable medley to a group of homeless, after taking a few tentative bites. It wasn't worth carting home, but I hate to see anything go to waste. Disappointed, I headed for the subway – reflecting that a better choice would have been honest, actual vegetables – stirfried by my local Chinese takeaway.

Dim Sum Go Go

Dim Sum Go Go - 5 E. Broadway (Chinese)

Do you love dim sum? The delicate dumplings with translucent skin, the subtle Cantonese tastes...and the never ending arrival of steamer baskets with new and tempting treats? Are you a dim sum veteran? You've had the rolling cart experience...and now find yourself more interested in getting straight to your favorites (from BBQ bao or peking duck, to more vegetarian options)?

Then - give this small, classy dim sum joint a try. Located at the southern tip of Chinatown proper, Dim Sum Go Go is a great experience. Diners order straight from the menu (there are no rolling carts) but the options are delicious, and quite easy on the eyes. The vegetarian options are wonderful, too. While slightly expensive (at $11.00) I ordered the dim sum veggie platter - offering 10 delicately crafted dumplings, stuffed with soy bean, mushroom and/or white fungus (tinted everything from light green to bright fuscia!)

Was it worth it? Yes - both in taste, and aesthetics. Give DDGG a try - and experience the next level in dim sum dining.