Friday, April 17, 2015

Liaoning at Kissena Boulevard: Guan Dong Yi Jia

Looking for a milder introduction to Northeastern Chinese (dōngběi cài, or东北菜)? Consider trying out Guan Dong Yi Jia, where chefs and staff hail from the northeast province of Liaoning.  


Oak-colored chairs and simple and glass-topped tables clothed in white give off a gracious and humble vibe, a bit like how a lazy meal at your favorite aunt or uncle’s place might feel.



For starters, we received a $2.50 plate of cold vegetables. In comparison to other Flushing Northeast Chinese restaurants, Guan Dong Yi Jia tones the spice levels way down, using a bit more salt to make up the difference. 

Next up was a $9.99 plate of dry-fried green beans (gān biān sìjì dòu, or 干煸四季豆). This “often mistranslated” dish was just short of authentic, with the evenly-blistered, spiced skin tantalizing your eyes and taste buds alike: 


Per our waitress’s suggestion, Flushing Food tried the $19.99 Mongolian lamb chops (Ménggǔ yáng pái, or蒙古羊排). As with our appetizer plate, this lamb rib dish was heavier on the salt than spicy peppers.


A translucent layer of fat separated the lamb skin from the rib meat. Given the jelly-like consistency, one could easily trim this (mostly saturated fat) layer away, revealing the similarly satisfying lean meat underneath.

May Flushing Food suggest: ordering at least one bowl of rice per person.

Media credits: Helen Y.
Gadget: Nikon® Coolpix™ AW110

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