Ghost Rolls, Cats' Ears, and Flies' Heads @ Pioneer: My Sweet Home | 我家食坊

Remember our first visit to Pioneer Cuisine? It was the perfect escape from the Wild Wild East that is 2016 Downtown Flushing. Today, Chef Michael Pai has returned from the Great American West, where he ran a meteorically successful sushi joint. 

This means at least two changes: (1) a commemorative addition* of this Pioneer Cuisine location as “My Sweet Home”** to herald Chef Pai back to Flushing; and (2) an expanded, upgraded menu that features East-West sushi rolls you cannot find anywhere else. Here’s a sneak peek at one "rare" creation:

$18.00  ghost roll, or 鬼卷 (guǐ juǎn).

…but back to traditional Taiwanese dishes.  There seems to be a common thread of naming dishes after animal parts. 

--We get it: colorful imagery to capture the look of the dish. Cute, too.

First up is an appetizer: the $7.95 cat's ears, or  炸醬貓耳 (zhájiàng māo ěr duǒ): 

Think savory orecchiette noodles. 

Second up is $11.95 flies' head, or 蒼蠅頭 (cāngyíng tóu): 

Think spicy minced pork and tofu with black beans, 
paired with the crunch of leek shoots and 
zest of pickled peppers. 

But what does Pioneer - My Sweet Home do the same as before? In order of our first visit notes:
• The interior is STILL homey/no-frills, mixture of cool greens. 
• Parking is readily available, especially during weekends (right?!). This may be because Pioneer is situated near a hospital area, where most outpatient wards close over the weekends.  
• The food (Taiwanese and otherwise) was AMAZING. Everything was fresh to the nines. If "#PainfullyPhotogenic was a thing, we'd say that applies @ My Sweet Home: 

Clockwise from top: $8.95 Taiwanese oyster pancake, 
$13.95 chicken with ginger and basil ("Three Cup Chicken"), and 
$12.95 vegetarian chicken roll.

May Flushing Food suggest: the ghost roll.  And buying frozen dumplings ($15.00 to $20.00 for batch of fifty handmade goodies) for those weeknights you can't be bothered to cook from scratch. 

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* Name change on Flushing Food menu (and Yelp) pending approval from the Pioneer Cuisine team. 

** Chinese version stays the same and has almost same meaning: 我家食坊 (wǒjiā shífāng).

Media credits: Helen Y.

Gadget: Apple® iPhone™ 6

Software: Fotor