{"id":693,"date":"2008-03-20T15:57:00","date_gmt":"2008-03-20T19:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tylercowensethnicdiningguide.com\/?p=693"},"modified":"2008-03-20T15:57:00","modified_gmt":"2008-03-20T19:57:00","slug":"chinese-food-near-laguardia-nyc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tylercowensethnicdiningguide.com\/index.php\/chinese-food-near-laguardia-nyc\/","title":{"rendered":"Chinese food near LaGuardia, NYC"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you ever fly in or out of LaGuardia, you\u2019ve probably grown to dread the experience; a delay of \u201conly\u201d 60-90 minutes is better than average. But I\u2019ve discovered a new method for enjoying a LaGuardia visit. It\u2019s simple: I leave Manhattan 90 minutes early and I stop in Flushing for a Chinese meal. Flushing has most of the best Chinese food in the city, especially adjusting for price. The trouble has always been getting there and back–but the simple solution is to fly more often. For great Chinese food, no price is too high and otherwise you\u2019re simply not going to go.
\nThe logistics are easy. All the best Chinese places are right off Main Street and even Manhattan cabs know the general area. To continue to the airport after your meal, just have the restaurant call you a ride. Many of the major Chinese places have private limousine connections just for this purpose; I\u2019ve been charged rates ranging from $12 to $14. Conversely, you can arrive in LaGuardia and stop in Flushing before heading to Manhattan or elsewhere.
\nI went just last Sunday for what is, I believe, my sixth attempt at this strategy (I live in Virginia but I come to New York often). I\u2019ve learned a few things. The Shanghai dumplings are supposed to be so hot they burn your mouth a little bit. Even if you are dining solo, order three dishes and just sample. (You needn\u2019t be a hog, just ask yourself how soon you will get back.) Many of these restaurants post reviews, which usually have good ordering suggestions. If in doubt, it is more fruitful to look at the other tables than to read the menu. Not all these restaurants take reservations, so if you are going at Chinese lunch rush hour (10:30 to noon) leave some extra time. If you don\u2019t have much luggage, Main Street in Flushing is one of the very best walks in all of New York.
\nThe best Chinese places in Flushing change quickly, so one method is to Google \u201cbest Chinese restaurants Flushing<\/a>\u201d in the cab or in advance. At Joe\u2019s Shanghai, get the hot and sour soup (the best I\u2019ve ever had) and the juicy steamed pork buns, which are actually the famous Shanghai dumplings with liquid inside; the raw crab appetizer is a good dish not usually found elsewhere and it makes a nice cool offset to the other flavors. (There is a branch of this restaurant in Manhattan but I don\u2019t think it compares.) At Spicy & Tasty, try the dry-cooked green beans, the dumplings in red chili sauce, the lamb dishes, the potato and green pepper (with vinegar), and the Dan Dan noodles, which I think are the best single dish for judging a Sichuan restaurant. Order fresh greens for relief, you will need it.
\nOverall the district is strong on Shanghai cuisine, Taiwanese cuisine, Cantonese, and Sichuan. If you\u2019re undecided or can\u2019t get into your favorite place, just walk up and down 37th Ave., near Main Street<\/a>, and choose from a long row of excellent places. On Main Street you\u2019ll also find delicious Chinese street food, pork buns, and dumplings, not attached to any formal restaurant.
\nAnd if you don\u2019t care much for Chinese food, Jackson Heights<\/a>, with some of New York\u2019s best Indian food, is also only minutes away. Just think how much you are saving: what\u2019s really scarce in life is your time and the mere willingness to get up and go. Just do it.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

From “On the Way to the Airport . . .<\/a>” on Bitten<\/a>, a NYT blog, March 18, 2008
\nJoe’s Shanghai<\/strong>, web site<\/a>, 136-21 37th Avenue, Flushing, NY<\/a>, 718-539-3838 [NYT<\/a> | Yelp<\/a> | A Guy In New York<\/a> | openlist<\/a>]
\nSpicy & Tasty<\/strong>, 39-07 Prince Street, Flushing, NY<\/a>, 718-359-1601 [NYT<\/a> | NY Mag<\/a> | A Guy In New York<\/a> | Yelp<\/a>]
\nSee also<\/em> Chinatown Bus<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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