Grand Sichuan

St Marks @ 2nd/3rd ave

a few standouts from last night:

• loofah
  
• twice-fried pork
  
• tea duck
  
• chong ching chicken
  
• wontons in chili oil
  

soup dumplings were okay. sweet-potato curry was decent. rest, though, was standout.

Taim

Harissa-flavored falafel sandwich -- soft fresh pita, warm freshly-fried falafel, great salad, all drenched in sauce, and absolutely glorious. on off-days, it's acceptable. but when they're on... they're 100%.

Lovely way to spend the winter...

New Green Bo

Bayard St at Mott Street, Chinatown, New York

Even though New Green Bo is always jam-packed, with a line snaking out the door, I suspect that the farangness of the line should be telling. It's always a decent meal, but never as good as across the street at New Yeah.

Last night, the four types of dumplings were... good... fine... okay... But these are soup dumplings! These are supposed to be a warming, calming, nurturing. A substitute for a good hug. A cheap way to tolerate a winter's night. And to be perfectly honest, I didn't find any of that in these. Not a semblance of it. These were just dumplings.

The scallion pancake was greasy and didn't taste like much at all - maybe a little like cardboard dipped in peanut oil, truth be told. And the lo mein (?) that someone ordered, with baby corn, really wasn't worth the space it took up on the table. (I've come to believe that any dish with baby corn isn't worth the space on the table. I've nothing against the vegetable, but it reeks of middle-America Chinese.)

The only standouts were the Snow Pea Shoots, a late arrival at the table, but a nice garlicky, pungent, bold-green addition to the cardboard-generic-ness of the rest of the meal. And the dessert -- Sesame Rice Ball In Soup (pictured above) -- was everything it sounds like, and was absolutely divine.

Dishes to try next time (from window reviews):

• shrimp with seaweed
  
• tong po pork
  
• fried yellowfish with seaweed
  
• duck cooked three ways
  
• mock duck
  
• fried eel in ginger sauce

New Malaysia

Halfway down the Chinatown Alley, Chinatown, NY

Aish -- this used to be my favorite can't-fail always-absolutely-superb Malay restaurant. Guaranteed to be packed, few farangs ever present, and spicy, tasty, superb foodie food. Floors so greasy you had to step lightly, infallable recommendations, and nasi lemak to make you realize you've never tasted nasi lemak before.

But with the coming of the new year, the last three visits have left me with one sure belief: their old cook quit. or died. or ran off to singapore to cook the few meals I ate there. in any case, they must have changed their cook. The food is now lousy. Every now and then, there's a standout -- last week's Roti Canai (not pictured) was amazing. Perfect buttery fried roti, with a small bowl of amazing tasty chicken curry. The ice kachang was fantastic and weird.

but everything else form the last thee visits -- bland hainan chicken with dry rice, (again, dry) beef rendang that bore no semblance to the firey bold rendang of visits past, a char kueh teow that tasted like midwest Mall-sold pad thai (actually, it tasted like noodles in a thick brown sauce). an inedible nasi lemak. a barely-okay roti canai (pictured).

Last night, I asked for a dish that would slap me in the face with the flavors. I mimed it out, to be sure she understood. the waitress thought for but a second before recommending homemade tofu. "are you sure? I want to be slapped with taste!" again, I mimed a slap followed by an explosive smile at a plate. she nodded, "yes, with pork!" I gave it a shot, and -- unlike any amazing tofu dish I've ever had -- and just like every bland boring tofu & vegetable plate I've ever regretted -- this was edible. and that's really kind of it.

Tea-licious

Mott St, just south of Bayard St, Chinatown, NY

Wow. The bubble tea? Sure, it's fine. (Bubble tea always seems to be. Can you really mess it up?)

But the $1.50 toast with condensed milk? Omg! Gorgeous! Absolutely gorgeous!!! Thick wondrous, crunchy, light bread, with the milk of the gods drizzled over it, almost as an icing. Worth every penny of that buck fitty.