(Or, Food Court Press, Part 3)

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On a recent trip to Eat Up! the new food court in Flushing, I visited vendors located at booth #16 (“Bao Boom”) and booth #2 (don’t look for any English but my iPhone thinks it saw “Tasty Taiwan”) that presented a study in unlikely contrasts on both the micro and macro levels. Allow me to explain.

Bao Boom highlights sang ji bao, a featured component in many of their menu choices. Sang ji bao (you may be familiar with sheng jian bao – it’s just a difference of dialect) are remarkable buns, crispy on the bottom but implausibly yielding on top (a contrast in texture). Sang ji/sheng jian translates literally to “raw-fried”: they’re pan-fried and steamed simultaneously to achieve that golden bottom and pillowy top (a contrast in technique). The filling consists of a dense ball of tasty seasoned pork swimming in abundant, surprisingly rich broth (a contrast in state). After the dough is filled and sealed, it’s turned upside-down for cooking so the bottom is actually the top and vice versa (a contrast in orientation) and served with a packet of Chinese balsamic vinegar (a sweet-sour contrast in flavors).

They’re so juicy you might want to heed the instructions offered in their conveniently posted how-to video (along with a history of the delicacy itself) before consuming lest the bao bursts unexpectedly. (Note to self: edit out the “baos bursting in air” pun.) Maybe that’s the Boom reference in the name. But seriously, they may be the best I’ve ever experienced in terms of flavor, composition and technique.

At Tasty Taiwan, I ordered the smoked chicken, an exercise in textbook simplicity. It was chicken. It was smoked. It was tender. It was perfect.

The only non-contrast in this tale of complex bao and simple chicken? The two dishes were equally exceptional.

Obviously, they’re on my food court centric Snacking in Flushing ethnojunket. Let me know if you want to come along!
 
 
Stay safe, be well, and eat whatever it takes! ❤
 
 

I’m Baaa-ack!

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Flushing is the epicenter of Asian food courts in New York City and there’s nothing more compelling than the launch of a new rival to coax this food writer out of his recent hiatus.

Food courts come and food courts go and I’m old enough to remember the OG food court in Flushing that closed at least a dozen years ago. The latest contender is called Eat Up! located on the lower level of the newish 99 Ranch Market at 37-11 Main St, a formidable addition to the neighborhood in its own right. It’s home to 28 booths featuring a variety of Asian cuisines (primarily Taiwanese and Chinese but sushi, pho and Uyghur samsa round out the assortment) from snacks to complete meals.

Surrendering to my OCD proclivities, I started with Booth #1, Pop Mao, which features Sichuan Maocai, an individual hot pot where ingredients you select are pre-cooked and served in a spicy broth. But faced with 27 additional booths to investigate across the two days I had allocated for the maiden voyage, I thought it best to stick with a snack so I opted for the Pumpkin Pancakes since I hadn’t seen them elsewhere. Crispy outside and a little chewy inside with two layers of flavor, they were a sweet surprise (but not too sweet 😉) – so much so that I opted to bring the rest home and order a couple of other items to go: spicy Wolf’s Tooth potatoes and Sichuan Crispy Pork. Like the Pumpkin Pancakes, both were unique and excellent.

The lesson I took home from that visit is that Eat Up! is not only a top-notch addition to the food court team but the players are significantly different from other venues in the neighborhood – so stay tuned: more to come.

And yes, of course it’s already on my food court centric Snacking in Flushing ethnojunket! Hope to see you soon!
 
 
Stay safe, be well, and eat whatever it takes! ❤