Whoa, a friend told me last night that the underground Golden Mall in Flushing has closed, taking with it our favorite dumpling spot.
We called it the Three Ladies dumpling restaurant – located at the end of the side ramp leading down into the mall and not far from the former Xi'an Famous Foods stall. They only served about 3 styles of pork dumplings, plus soup and noodle dishes.
Anyone know what its name is and where it could have gone?
About the closing:
http://www.grubstreet.com/2019/07/nyc...
Joe DiStefano on the mall:
https://newyork.seriouseats.com/2008/...
It was called tian jin, you might try galaxy dumplings, I believe they had the same owner.
More concerning to me is the loss of chengdu heaven...anyone know if they've moved or plan to return?
I'm pretty sure it was NOT Tian Jin. The three ladies 1/ Cooked pork dumplings and 2/ Did not offer much variety of dumplings types. I think they had 3 versions: boiled guotie (crescents), xiaolongbao (soup dumpings) and sheng jian bao (fried round dumplings).
No news about Chengdu Heaven, sorry. I don't have so much interest in that style of food.
We’re heading to flushing this week, we typically start with white bear or Sifu chio, both inexpensive.
Is White Bear a hole in the wall, dirty little place with a couple of tables crammed into the space in front of the ordering window?
exactly right, they painted it a year or two ago, so nominally looks cleaner. Still, on the whole, cleaner and brighter than the basement of the golden mall where you've been going for dumplings.
I found it considerably grungier and a lot more depressing.
My family and guests we brought to the underground mall, just loved it. But I can see where Americans might find it not very appealing.
not to my eye, but to each his own. If you google it, you'll find many people feel they arguably serve the best dumplings in flushing and it was a chowhound darling back when the site had some traffic.
>>But I can see where Americans might find it not very appealing.
I suppose, but to my eyes and ears, most of the people eating there were Americans.
I know the dumpling place that you're thinking of, kimijye2. It's not Tianjin Dumpling House, which does business now, as Dumpling Galaxy, in the Arcadia Mall (as a full-sized restaurant) and in the Super HK Food Court (as a stall), under the same ownership. The owner told me that the basement level of the Golden Mall is being renovated, and that she'll return when that's complete. (Renovations are already behind schedule.) According to Joe DiStefano, the owners of Chengdu Tianfu planned to retire and not to return.
In 2010, Serious Eats identified your "Three Ladies" as North-South Dumplings ...
https://newyork.seriouseats.com/2010/...
... but, sorry, I don't know if they're in business anywhere else now, or if they plan to return to the Golden Mall. Let's hope.
Dave Cook
http://www.EatingInTranslation.com
Thanks, Dave. I'll keep an eye out for them, in case they surface somewhere.
What are your favorite low-cost spots in Flushing and/or Manhattan Chinatown?
I try not to focus on old favorites, which can be impediments to finding new favorites. That said, when I visit Flushing with friends who rarely get out that way, it's hard not to stop first at Joe's Steam Rice Roll. I also really like stall 25 in the New World Mall; lately its English name might be Fish Dumplings, though I prefer lamb-and-carrot. In the Super HK food court, I enjoy the "oil-spill noodles" at Shaanxi Tasty Food. In the New York Food Court, I like the seafood rice cakes at Diverse Dim Sum. For that matter, I don't recall being disappointed by anything my friends and I have ordered at Diverse Dim Sum.
Dave Cook
www.EatingInTranslation.com
"I try not to focus on old favorites, which can be impediments to finding new favorites."
That's probably the best approach to things here in NYC, where restaurants can close so abruptly. My addiction in the Golden Mall basement was the mapo tofu and mala rabbit at Chengdu Heaven. Can you recommend some other places?
I really like the tofu pudding with spicy and sour sauce at Szechwan Absolute ...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/eatingi...
... but there's no replicating the atmosphere at Chengdu Heaven.
Dave Cook
http://www.EatingInTranslation.com
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