Hwa Yuan

Chinatown, NYC

Fat Kid Rating: Fat

Chinatown is as close to a different world as you can get. Where else can you get a massage on the the street, go down a flight of stairs and see gargantuan shrimp sitting on ice, and buy tank tops and tube socks in bulk? Chinatown is a beautiful place, full of mom and pop stores and delicious restaurants.

When I think of Chinatown I think of tiny, no-frill restaurants. I think of dumplings in styrofoam boxes and chopsticks in paper sleeves. Hwa Yuan isn’t that. It’s massive, elegant, and the definition of fine dining.

Getting Into the Meat of It

This place itself is beautiful. It’s extremely spacious and elegantly decorated. White tablecloths and beautiful cutlery type of place. Definitely somewhere you can take a date for an upscale feeling experience.

Hwa Yuan prides itself on its service. Our waitress was extremely attentive and pleasant. Our sake and water glasses were always full: the food came out promptly. I personally guarantee that you won’t complain about the service here, no cap. If you somehow do find a way to complain you’re probably just an asshole.

Disclaimer alert: we definitely ordered way too much and you’re probably gonna judge me. No ragrats.

For apps, we had the Dry Sauteed Crispy Tangy Beef, Soup Dumplings, Steamed Ribs, and the Cold Sesame Noodles. The Dry Sauteed Crispy Tangy Beef (what a mouthful) was superb. It was very crispy and had a candied walnut type taste. Imagine coconut shrimp type flavor, but tangier and with beef. There are few things on this planet that are as fun to eat as Soup Dumplings. The feeling of the explosion of broth that coats your tongue as you bite into the pillowy dumpling really is incredible. It almost completely makes up for the inevitable pain you feel when you burn your mouth on them. The Soup Dumplings at Hwa Yuan are definitely worth ordering.

All that being said, the standout of the appetizers was the Cold Sesame Noodles. The noodles had a perfectly chewy texture, and were covered in a savory and slightly spicy sauce. Overall the flavor was extremely balanced. Apparently this dish was originated in Hwa Yuan. Even though they were the first, it’s hard to imagine that there’s a better version out there.

Moving on to the entrees, we ordered the Eggplant in Garlic Sauce, Ma Po Tofu, Kung Pao Chicken, and the restaurant’s signature dish, the Beijing Duck. The Eggplant in Garlic Sauce and the Ma Po Tofu were good decisions: it was a nice break getting some vegetables amongst all the meats on the table. The eggplant was nice and garlicky, and the Ma Po Tofu was spicy, velvety, and had a luxurious mouth feel. The Kung Pao Chicken was by far the best version of the dish I have ever had. This isn’t something you can order on the phone when you don’t feel like cooking, or something you can go pick up at your local Chinese spot when you’re stoned. The chicken was nice and spicy, and extremely tender and juicy. Seriously, some of the most tender chicken I’ve ever had.

The show-stopper of the meal was definitely the duck. I normally stray away from duck: it’s usually really greasy. The duck at Hwa Yuan is different: the duck here is special. The waitress first bought out the duck and plopped it in the middle of the table. She asked if anyone wanted to take an insta of it. Best believe I did. After taking pictures, she then takes the duck back and carves it into pieces on her carving station. She first gives pieces of the skin, which are almost like chips. Crunchy in your mouth but then they immediately dissolve.

She then arranges the pieces of the duck in a circular pattern on a plate (see picture above). The duck is served with a sweet barbecue type sauce, julienned asian pears and cucumbers, and thin wheat wraps. You take some of the sauce, the duck, the pears and cucumbers, wrap them up and create your own individual wraps. The sweet, crispy, fatty, salty, and tangy components of the wrap really make for a perfect bite.

If you’re in the mood to treat yourself to some upscale Szechuan food, Hwa Yuan is definitely worth the trip. The food is delicious, and the service is excellent. Hwa Yuan has all the makings of a memorable meal. This place is Fat, hands down.