Someone wrote: > A friend of mine is visiting from the Netherlands, and the other > night he craved some good Chinese food. We walked down the street > to Young Bin Kwan in Bloomfield, and he was pleased. > > But next time he wants to go to "the BEST Chinese restaurant in > Pittsburgh" -- someplace with great atmosphere, great cooking, the > works. He will find that "Pittsburgh Chinese" food is rather different from "Netherlands Chinese" food. If you want the BEST, you almost always have to order from the Chinese menu. Tai Pei on Walnut St. has a Chinese menu with English translations, and it is pretty good. Actually, it's very good if cost is no object. But Young Bin Kwan is nearly as good, so he may not be satisfied with Tai Pei. What does "great atmosphere" mean? Linen napkins, or Formica tabletops? Tai Pei leans toward the former. If you prefer the latter, try Golden House on Penn Ave in the Strip district. The staff will translate the Chinese menu for you...
Pittsburgh, PA
Chinese -- What is the best in the 'Burgh?
There's a place in Robinson Town Center (whose name, unfortunately, I can't remember) that's quite good. They have a good diversity of items on the menu, and don't have just the same-ol-same-ol that most places have. (Octopus is one of the appetizers, and they make their sesame noodles with REAL sesame sauce--none of that peanut stuff) The East Winds (I think) in Parkway Center mall is good, too. You have to come in through the back of the mall (by the Mellon Bank), even though all the signs are at the front. Yet another place that uses real sesame sauce. toodles, gretchen
I agree with the last post regarding Tai Pei. So many people I know say how much they like China Palace on Walnut Street, I live in Shadyside and frequent the various Chinese restaurants often. I have b een to each several times. Although I like China Palace, I think that the food at Tai Pei is much more interesting than at China Palace and I, too, love their Dim Sum which they serve at any time. Another place that I enjoyed was the Dumpling House in Squirrel Hill. I am vegetarian and ordered something I think was called Buddha's Delight. It came to the table like an artistic sculpture. There was a giant rose radish in the center of the plate. It was almost too beautiful to eat. But I ate it anyway and it was good.
Laurie M. wrote: > Most Chinese places in the Pittsburgh area use too much pepper and > not enough ginger and garlic in many of their recipes (especially > in the General Tso's chicken). Most Chinese places in Pittsburgh use too much salt and grease and not enough seasoning with real taste and character. Half :-) Having been to most of the places in East PGH, and looked with horror at the quality of the offerings down town, I stick by my notion that Zaw's Asian Food take out in Sqhill is as good or better than anything in the city. You can watch the guy make the food, he uses more than 3 sauces, and there is no grease puddle at the bottom of your take out dish. That's about all you ask for in this town. I can't comment on places out west of the city. Pete
I'll second Peter Su's nomination for Zaw's (on Murray in SqHill). This is a tiny hole-in-the-wall (carry out only), reminiscent of places in Chinatowns in other major cities such as San Francisco. I especially like their steamed dumplings and noodle dishes (such as the chow fun). The only problem with Zaw's is that this is literally a one-wok operation, and so things get pretty backed up and slow, especially on weekends. (It is not unusual to wait 45 minutes for an order on a weekend night.) It is best to call ahead (421-FOOD). The same man has been cooking at Zaw's for a couple of years, noon until 9 or 10pm every day. You'd best go there before he keels over and dies... Peter
Excerpts from netnews.pgh.food: 11-Jan-95 Re: Chinese -- What is the .. by [email removed] > I agree with the last post regarding Tai Pei. So many people I know say > how much they like China Palace on Walnut Street, I live in Shadyside > and frequent the various Chinese restaurants often. I have b een to each > several times. Although I like China Palace, I think that the food at Tai > Pei is much more interesting than at China Palace and I, too, love their > Dim Sum which they serve at any time. Another place that I enjoyed was > the Dumpling House in Squirrel Hill. I am vegetarian and ordered > something I think was called Buddha's Delight. It came to the table like > an artistic sculpture. There was a giant rose radish in the center of the > plate. It was almost too beautiful to eat. But I ate it anyway and it > was good. Regarding Chinese Restaurants in the Walnut Street Area, China Palace is definitely the place to go for a lunch special. They have the best deal of all three restaurants with just an obscene amount of food and bustling service. I rarely leave there without leftovers of some sort or another. Although I dislike China Palace's version of chilisauce, which is way to sugary and tastes cloying. Taipei I've only been to twice despite living behind the restaurant for about a year. I find their service to be unbeatable and very attentive.During the first year that it was open it must have taken a horrible loss because people rarely frequented it, myself included. I wasn't the only one to think, 'Great, all Shadyside needs. Another chinese restaurant.' What with both China Palace, Sechuan Gormet, and Taipei all in a 200 foot radius. Anyway, I found thier dim sum to be enhhhhhhh with somewhat harsh prices to go with what you get. The first time I went there, their water was over chlorinated but their orange beef was delicious an excellent meal. The second time was incidentally my birthday whereI did try their dimsum and several of their other meals but found nothing memorable to tell any of my other friends. One friend at the dinner, however, found a rock in his meal which to their credit, they offered us a free desert to try to make up for it. I usually go to Sechuan Gormet when on Walnut Street for a variety of reasons. I've gotton to know the owners. And they have very reasonable dinner prices. (For Lunch go to China Palace). One dish that I always get for takeout is Beef Noodle Soup. A dish unfoundso far in any other menu, which I've become addicted to. It sounds lame, but wow. Yummy. Also, their pork buns and steamed dumplings are normal fare but often a dollar cheaper than the other restaurants in the area. One complaint I do have about the Chinese restaurants in Shadyside which not many people addressed is the atmosphere. Gah. From the neon lights of TaiPei, the Green Formica of China Palace, and the utterly uninspiring bowels of Sechuan Gormet, there is not a single one which I would find interesting in the least. Cloth napkins and tablecloths do not an atmosphere make. -ed