Dim Sum In Flushing NY

Jade Asian Restaurant
136-28 39th Ave
Flushing NY 11354

I've been to dim sum almost everywhere in the city from Flushing, Forest Hills, Chinatown and even Chinatown in Philly. Even with trying all these different dim sum places my favorite place to go to is Jade Asian Restaurant in Flushing. If you're planing to try it out on a weekend I suggest going early because the wait can be anywhere from 30-45 minutes. The food is literally that good. From the first time I went there I noticed not only Chinese people go there, but there's a big mix of nationalities that go.

The restaurant is not too far from the 7 train either. It's about two street blocks and half an avenue block. Once you know where to get off on the train it won't be that difficult for you to find it the second time around. Also Main Street can get a little crowded on the weekend as well. Take the train instead of driving in. Parking can take forever even at the municipal parking lot.

Once you get to the restaurant it is huge and can cater to small or large parties. Once you step inside it's like a big catering hall with many tables ranging from 5-10 people. If you go in a small group of two to four people they'll ask you if it's okay to share a table. It really doesn't matter to me if I have to share a table I don't mind doing so.

The best way to describe dim sum is it's brunch with Chinese traditional dishes and everything is a la cart. Some of my favorite dishes are pork shumai, beef tripe, chicken feet, this white noodle wrap like thing with shrimp inside it or fried dough (I have no idea what's it's called, I usually point at it and ask for shrimp or fried dough) spring rolls, etc. They also have baked or steamed pork buns and I usually decide on which one I order depending on my mood. It changes every time I go. Although some people might get grossed out when they hear beef tripe or chicken feet, don't knock it till you try it. The chicken feet especially is made with a teriyaki barbecue sauce and it's really good. Every Chinese restaurant that does dim sum has this dish available, but Jade Asian Restaurant is the best!!!

I think this place is the best because they have so many dishes going around. Some places have the typical dishes and that's it, but this restaurant has so much more to offer. Plus they have all the room in the world for it and there's always an endless amount of carts going around with people trying to sell what they have. There's also other dishes that I haven't tried and I don't have an interest in trying them because I'm content with getting my favorites.

Of course after every meal you have to have dessert and their egg custard has to be one of the best I've ever tried. It just melts in your mouth and the crust is very soft. Some of the Chinese bakeries make the crust a little too hard, but at Jade restaurant the crust is nice and flaky. Every time I go there I always have to get the egg custard. They have different kinds of puddings as well, but I've never tried them before. All of puddings look great, but I'm not a big pudding person.

So if you're in the mood for brunch and want to try something different go check out Jade Asian Restaurant. With so many different choices there's something for everyone at this place. I guarantee you won't regret it and you'll get out of there needing a pillow because the food is very filling.

Below are a couple of pictures I took while I was there the last time which was on Columbus Day.

Some of my Dim Sum faves.

Egg Custard 

Want to Try Something Exotic, Go Eat at Asian Taste 86

Asian Taste 86
81-20 Whitney Ave
Elmhurst NY 11373

From the name you might think this is your regular Chinese restaurant, but it's not. Most of the items on the menu are some of the more popular Indonesian dishes. In New York City there's a few Indonesian restaurants, but I choose the ones I go to by their menu. If they offer something my mom normally doesn't or can't cook then that's where I'll be eating.

I've eat at Asian Taste 86 only three times and I've only had two dishes from there. When you walk into the restaurant it's really small. It only has about five to six tables, but when it gets packed there's also a downstairs area. All the waitresses can speak both Indonesian and English so it kind of reminds you of being in Indonesia.

The first two times I ate there I had the salty fish fried rice (Nasi Goreng Ikan Asin). It was the best fried rice I've ever had. They put noodles in their fried rice. Now that might sound a little weird, but a lot of Asians eat rice with noodles. When you put these two items together even better. Also the noodles are cut up into small pieces so it's not throwing off the rice. My mom has also tried making fried rice with noodles and she was surprised herself that it came out good. If I'm not mistaken the noodles they used in their fried rice were egg noodles. You can also let them know how spicy you want your food to be. I've tried both the mild and medium fried rice and the medium was really spicy. Now I know that when I got there to get everything mild.

The last time I went I got the smashed friend chicken with coconut rice. I got the sauce on the side and I was happy I did because it was very spicy. It's called the smashed fried chicken because you get a 1/4 of a chicken and they flatten it out as much as they can. The skin of the chicken was perfect and it was crunchy too, just the right amount of crunch to it. Then to drink I got the Thai Ice Tea which is a favorite among the family. The tea is not overly sweet even though they use condense milk in it. If you like bubble tea this Thai Ice Tea is very similar to it. You can also order the drink with the tapioca bubbles. Although I've never had it like that since I like to drink this during my meal. The only time I drink it with the tapioca bubbles is when I'm drinking it by itself.

Overall if you're looking for good quality exotic food Asian Taste 86 is a place you should consider. Awesome food and great prices, that alone should make you go and try it out.

Smashed Fried Chicken and Coconut Rice

Thai Ice Tea

Breakfast Hot Spot

Bagel Bin
86-10 Jamaica Ave
Woodhaven NY 11421

Every neighborhood has a bagel store that everyone buys their breakfast/lunch from. I think one of the best bagel stores out there is the Bagel Bin located in Woodhaven.

On the weekdays they have an awesome breakfast special. For $3 you can get a breakfast sandwich (with any meat) with a hash brown and coffee. So here and there I'll take advantage of this deal and get myself a bacon egg and cheese sandwich on whole wheat toast. I use to get it on a bagel, but it was too filling. So I've learned that getting it on whole wheat bread will get me full, but not as full as the bagel. Then the other deal they have is for an egg and cheese sandwich with a hash brown and coffee is all for $2.

Those specials are worth it. Besides their specials everything at the Bagel Bin is very affordable. Which is great if you're on a budget and especially with the holidays coming around. Every penny counts. I like to buy my breakfast there and bring it to work because let's face it if I was to get a bacon egg and cheese sandwich with a coffee and hash brown in Manhattan I'll probably be spending more than $5. So I'm saving a whole bunch by getting breakfast here.

Since this is the only bagel shop in Woodhaven Saturdays and Sundays are always packed. I would suggest calling in your order and picking it up. I've been there many mornings on the weekend to get breakfast for my family and it really is worth it.

The Bagel Bin is a great place offering great food and service. If only more places can be like the Bagel Bin New York City would be a even better place : )