Chinese dishes to try at Yang Chow

Found in the heart of Chinatown, this small, yet bright restaurant made for a perfect pre-Valentine’s Friday night dinner. If you are looking to stuff yourself with traditional Chinese food, Yang Chow is definitely your place.

Don’t expect too much in terms of appearance. The fact that they don’t focus as much on their physical aspect is a plus, for what they lack in aesthetics, they make up for in taste and service.

When we arrived, we sat at a traditional family-style table with a lazy Susan in the middle. The awesome Asian guy who served us kept making jokes about the food — even when I spilled all the water and caused a huge scene in his rather orderly restaurant. Everyone was attentive, constantly filling up our water glasses and making sure we weren’t missing anything.

The main reason we ended up in this restaurant was because we were craving Peking duck. Not even listed on their menu, the duck they serve at Yang Chow is definitely a hidden gem. Other versions of Peking duck are characterized for being cut in large, chunky pieces that take away from enjoying the crispy skin, but Yang Chow’s Peking duck was sliced in wide strips that were perfectly removed from the breasts of the duck. Amazingly dexterous with three spoons in his hands, the server prepared our Peking duck tacos for us. He placed a small amount of sauce, some sliced scallion whites and a couple of slices of the duck’s skin and breast. He was so meticulous in wrapping the tacos that for once in my life I didn’t destroy the whole thing as I was putting it into my mouth.

The meat of the duck immediately melted in our mouths in a pool of sweet duck fat. The honey that it was dipped in before being cooked was so well absorbed into the skin that is allowed for succulent and juicy meat.

The duck is definitely one to order if you ever have a chance to visit Yang Chow. We also ordered spring rolls, but were a little disappointed by those. They were small, in fact, so small that most of what you could feel on them was oily fat, and the vegetables inside were hardly noticeable. The trick with spring rolls is making them large enough so that you can taste the vegetables with a hint of grease, not the other way around.

On the other hand, the rest of the dishes that we ordered were not only classical, but also excellent. The beef lomain, although topped with only a few pieces of meat, was the ideal blend between greasy and tasty. The additional chestnuts gave the soft and warm noodles a crunchy feel, creating a flawless contrast. The mixed rice is a staple, with a good balance between the scrambled eggs, meat and rice.

With four stars for taste, and both a Zagat and a Trip Advisor price, you definitely get what you pay for at Yang Chow.