Big Wong King, a Chinatown classic, has been for many years a big draw for New Yorkers and tourists who are looking for authentic Chinese food at 'down to earth' prices. It has been around for more than 30 years and as one New York reviewer commented, "it has never failed me".
This is the sort of place you would come for the food. Everything else doesn't matter. Forget about ambiance or service because you won't find any of these here, anyway. The waiters are loud and impatient; the decor is barebones and rather spartan. Its owners probably were more concerned with functionality than aesthetics.
But you will not leave this restaurant hungry or angry. Like us, you will probably leave sated and satisfied. Although some reviewers have noted that portions have become smaller over the years, we found it to be quite generous. In fact, we were not able to finish what was served to us. The congee and noodles came in very huge portions - enough to be shared by two. And if you like your food fast, the kitchen here prepares theirs at breakneck speed. We didn't have to wait very long as the food were served soon after we placed our orders.
Lunch on our first visit consisted of congee, steamed rice flour crepe, wonton noodle and steamed seasonal vegetable.
Darling wife's milky white congee looked remarkably bare, at first sight. She gave it a good stir and lo and behold, thick slices of fish surfaced from within the depths of the bowl. The congee, using short grain rice, was cooked for long hours in order to achieve its smooth and creamy consistency. The sweetness of the fish was enhanced by the fragrance of the freshly chopped scallions and toasted peanuts, making Big Wong King's congee a real winner.
I had, for my main dish, a bowl of wonton noodles. The most important thing about this dish, to me, was the texture of the noodles. While there is one camp that prefers it to be chewy and rubbery, I belong to the other camp that prefers it to be soft, but not too soft as to render it soggy and tasteless. And that was precisely how it was done here at Big Wong King. To me that was a definite plus point. For US$5.25, what I got was a bowl of noodles with a generous helping of BBQ pork and plump dumplings. The dumplings, filled with flavourfully marinated minced pork and shrimps, were really scrumptious.
We ordered steamed rice flour crepe (chee cheong fun) and steamed vegetables to go with our main course. They were both good. A variety of vegetables were available that day but on the recommendation of the waiter, we decided on stem of kale, not something I would normally settle for. The ones I had in Singapore were either too fibrous or were overcooked. At first bite, Big Wong's kale was crunchy but as I continued chewing, I found that the inside was soft and tender - the way I like it.
The steamed rice flour crepe were very thin and filled with boiled prawns. The crepes were served with light soya sauce without any garnishing. Like darling wife's congee, its presentation was rather plain but its savoriness was out-of-this-world! It has to be one of the best Chinese rice flour crepe I have eaten anywhere in the world.
When you are in New York City, don't forget to have a meal at Big Wong King. Beyond the shadow of a doubt, this is one of the best Cantonese restaurants in NYC's Chinatown.
This is the sort of place you would come for the food. Everything else doesn't matter. Forget about ambiance or service because you won't find any of these here, anyway. The waiters are loud and impatient; the decor is barebones and rather spartan. Its owners probably were more concerned with functionality than aesthetics.
But you will not leave this restaurant hungry or angry. Like us, you will probably leave sated and satisfied. Although some reviewers have noted that portions have become smaller over the years, we found it to be quite generous. In fact, we were not able to finish what was served to us. The congee and noodles came in very huge portions - enough to be shared by two. And if you like your food fast, the kitchen here prepares theirs at breakneck speed. We didn't have to wait very long as the food were served soon after we placed our orders.
Lunch on our first visit consisted of congee, steamed rice flour crepe, wonton noodle and steamed seasonal vegetable.
 |
| Cantonese-style congee |
Darling wife's milky white congee looked remarkably bare, at first sight. She gave it a good stir and lo and behold, thick slices of fish surfaced from within the depths of the bowl. The congee, using short grain rice, was cooked for long hours in order to achieve its smooth and creamy consistency. The sweetness of the fish was enhanced by the fragrance of the freshly chopped scallions and toasted peanuts, making Big Wong King's congee a real winner.
 |
| Char siew wonton noodle soup |
I had, for my main dish, a bowl of wonton noodles. The most important thing about this dish, to me, was the texture of the noodles. While there is one camp that prefers it to be chewy and rubbery, I belong to the other camp that prefers it to be soft, but not too soft as to render it soggy and tasteless. And that was precisely how it was done here at Big Wong King. To me that was a definite plus point. For US$5.25, what I got was a bowl of noodles with a generous helping of BBQ pork and plump dumplings. The dumplings, filled with flavourfully marinated minced pork and shrimps, were really scrumptious.
 |
| Steamed rice flour crepe with kale in oyster sauce |
We ordered steamed rice flour crepe (chee cheong fun) and steamed vegetables to go with our main course. They were both good. A variety of vegetables were available that day but on the recommendation of the waiter, we decided on stem of kale, not something I would normally settle for. The ones I had in Singapore were either too fibrous or were overcooked. At first bite, Big Wong's kale was crunchy but as I continued chewing, I found that the inside was soft and tender - the way I like it.
The steamed rice flour crepe were very thin and filled with boiled prawns. The crepes were served with light soya sauce without any garnishing. Like darling wife's congee, its presentation was rather plain but its savoriness was out-of-this-world! It has to be one of the best Chinese rice flour crepe I have eaten anywhere in the world.
When you are in New York City, don't forget to have a meal at Big Wong King. Beyond the shadow of a doubt, this is one of the best Cantonese restaurants in NYC's Chinatown.
Big Wong King
67 Mott Street (between Bayard and Canal)
Chinatown, New York City
Ambiance: 5
Service: 5
Food: 8
Pricing: $
Recommended dishes: Wonton noodle, congee with sliced fish, rice flour crepe, steamed vegetable with oyster sauce, roast meats (duck and pork)
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