Flushing is a neighborhood of Queens in New York City that is known as one of the city’s most culturally diverse neighborhoods in the state. The types of cuisine available reflect the area’s cultural diversity, with examples including Korean, Taiwanese, and Indian food. However, Flushing is home to New York City’s largest Chinatown, so there are more Chinese restaurants than any other option. Therefore, there are plenty of options if Chinese is your favorite cuisine. Here are the 10 best places to find Chinese food in Flushing, Queens.
10. Szechuan Absolute
There are some outstanding Szechuan restaurants in Flushing’s Chinatown, but one of the best is Szechuan Absolute. It is one of several Szechuan restaurants in the One Fulton Square development on Prince Street, and you will find it on the third floor. Most of the options at this affordable Chinese restaurant are Szechuan standards, but there are also other regional Chinese dishes available. Diners enjoy the relaxed ambiance at this eatery.
9. DaXi
While the food is probably the most important element of eating out, there are many other factors that contribute to the overall dining experience, and DaXi offers the whole package. It is a restaurant set in a huge space on the second floor of the New World Mall on Roosevelt Avenue. The restaurant has a blue, white, and gold interior with high, arched ceilings and the option to sit at tables or in booths. Diners can enjoy receiving their chosen dishes in unusual presentations, such as pork ribs in a birdcage or jumbo shrimp in rice paper boxes, says Eater New York.
8. Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot
Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot is a Shanghai-based restaurant chain with more than 300 locations in China. They also have locations in the United States, including a restaurant on 37th Avenue in Flushing. The restaurant has booth seating that is enclosed enough to enjoy a private dinner but open enough to absorb the restaurant’s vibe. Diners can choose their meat, fish, vegetables, and noodles before smothering their chosen ingredients in their favorite broth and cooking their own meal in a bubbling pot. If you visit at lunchtime, there is a pre-set special that you can enjoy at a reduced cost with some beer or sake.
7. White Bear
According to RESY New York, one of the best places to get dumplings in Flushing is White Bear on Roosevelt Avenue. Wontons in hot oil are one of the most popular dishes on the menu. The wontons are filled with pork and topped with roasted chiles, fresh scallions, and mustard root. There is also praise for the atmosphere and customer service at this restaurant, as diners say the owners are friendly and give their customers a warm welcome.
6. Soy Bean Chen Flower Shop
One of the more unusual places you will find Chinese food in Flushing is at Soy Bean Flower Shop. As the name suggests, it is a flower shop that sells cut flowers. Unusually, it also sells Chinese food, with a focus on tofu dishes. The tofu is prepared and cooked in various ways with a choice of sauces. Although many of the dishes are vegetarian, so it is a good place for those who follow a plant-based diet, there are also options with shrimp. Furthermore, there are some sweet tofu dishes, including warm tofu with ginger syrup and tofu ice cream. It is one of the few places in New York City where you can eat Chinese food for breakfast.
5. DunHuang Lanzhou Beef Noodles
Four Square lists DunHuang Lanzhou Beef Noodles as one of the best places to get Chinese food in Flushing, even though it is nothing fancy. It is a small restaurant on 37th Street that is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner service. It is known for its handmade noodle dishes, although there are many other items on the menu. Customers recommend the noodles, the salads, and the lamb dishes.
4. Szechuan House
Szechuan House is one of the best Chinese restaurants in Flushing, and you will find it along Roosevelt Avenue. It has been open for more than three decades, and it is known for its restaurant version of traditional street foods. However, it also has some more decadent fare, such as braised whole fish. There are also some off-menu dishes that are unique to the restaurant.
3. Joe’s Steam Rice Roll
Joe Rong is the owner of Joe’s Steam Rice Roll on Main Street, and he is famous for being the only restaurateur in New York to grind rice himself instead of using rice flour. It means his rice paper is thin with a wonderful texture and flavor. Diners can watch Joe pouring the batter onto a steaming tray to create the roll, and they can choose fillings such as egg, beef, pork, or shrimp. There are also sauce options to top the rice rolls, such as sweet soy sauce or peanut sauce.
2. Canton Gourmet
If you are a seafood fan, one of the top Chinese restaurants in Flushing is Canton Gourmet on Prince Street. There are 42 seafood dishes on the menu, including several crab options and the house special stir-fry, which contains squid, cuttlefish, clams, jellyfish heads, and sea-cucumber cylinders. However, there are also other options on the menu for vegetarians or those who prefer something meaty.
1. Dumpling Galaxy
Grub Street says that the best place to find Chinese food in Flushing, Queens, is Dumpling Galaxy on Main Street. There is an extensive dumplings menu containing both standard dumplings you will find in many Chinese restaurants and some more unusual options. However, dumplings are not the only food you can devour in this restaurant, as there are many other freshly prepared meals on the menu, including braised pork, garlic spare ribs, fried hot peppers, and pan-fried sole.