Thursday: Three Chinatown Classics
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Gather your friends and head to Manhattan's Chinatown for a night of duck, drink and disport.
STOP 1: PEKING DUCK HOUSE
In a restaurant culture with a preponderance of no reservation policies and prime time tables requiring an app, a deposit and a surcharge, the atmosphere at the decades-old Peking Duck House is refreshingly cordial. You won't get the "Let us know when everyone in your party has arrived" treatment here. Instead, dinner reservations can be secured on a whim and, should you arrive ahead of your companions, the staff will promptly show you to a table to peruse the menu. They'll even get you started on drinks by opening that bottle of wine you brought; incredibly, this white table cloth establishment is also BYOB.
Groups of four or more can order the Peking Duck Dinner, which includes a whole bird, hot & sour or "house special" duck soup, selected appetizers and a choice of additional entrees, all served family style for $31 a head. The duck is outstanding, crispy and succulent, served with the requisite accoutrements of scallions, cucumber strips, hoisin sauce and soft pancakes to wrap it all up. While most of the other dishes are your standard Jewish Christmas fare, featuring the ubiquitous and decidedly non-artisanal orange flavor or sweet & sour sauce, they are expertly prepared and totally hit the mark.
With bonafide old-school service, dinner at Peking Duck House is perfect for celebrations and large gatherings. Servers are efficient and unobtrusive, interrupting your meal only to present the finished duck before it is carved and plated. Where some other New York hot spots put on a nostalgic show with flamboyant front of house theatrics, commanding attention with affected table side tartare and caesar salad preparations, here the toque sporting chefs break down the bird almost out of sight at a nearby carving station. Sure, you can get up to watch, but in this dining room the food, though delicious, is more for revelry than reverence.
STOP 2: CHINATOWN ICE CREAM FACTORY
While a small dessert of fried banana and walnuts is included with your duck dinner, for a more substantial and singular snack, head up the block to the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. Keep the party going at this neighborhood staple from the '70s by convincing whoever had the most to drink at dinner to order a cone of the durian flavored ice cream, an acquired taste (if not smell) to say the least. The facetiously organized menu presents flavors in two categories, "regular" and "exotic", with the more conventional ice cream offerings listed under the latter. The "regular" menu features the aforementioned durian flavor, but less adventurous (and more sober) eaters may choose to sample the lychee or black sesame varieties instead.
STOP 3: CHINATOWN FAIR
For decades, the dark, grungy and narrow rooms of the Chinatown Fair were host to throngs of hardcore gamers, there to play the imported Japanese arcade cabinets densely packed along the red concrete walls. The Chinatown Fair was also home to the famous tic-tac-toe playing chickens, against whom victory would be the stuff of legend, with claims of conquest immediately dismissed as dubious unless such a feat was witnessed in person, which of course it never was.
In 2011, the Chinatown Fair closed, only to reopen in 2012 under new management. The interior underwent a major cosmetic makeover (think Times Square post Disney) and many of the classic fighting games were replaced with more family friendly options and carnival style games. Also gone are the mighty chickens.
Despite these changes, the Fair still retains some of its heyday charm and has added one major draw: Killer Queen, the world's first 10 player arcade and the reason for your visit. Killer Queen is a fast-paced game of strategy in which, "Two teams, each led by a powerful Queen, face off to be the first to bring the giant snail god home, fill their hive with nectar, or execute a triple assassination of the enemy Queen" (Killer Queen website).
This social, inclusive game is both immediately engaging and extremely addictive, even for those ordinarily averse to joysticks; every game will assuredly end in unbridled, profanity riddled cheers, jeers and hurried calls for another round. The Chinatown Fair is one of only ten locations in the country to feature this game, so load up on credits and go at it. Game on!
See below for a nice video about Killer Queen:
RECAP:
- Peking Duck House: BYOB, white table cloth Chinese restaurant with a relaxed vibe, stellar service and fantastic duck dinners. Go with a group.
- Chinatown Ice Cream Factory: Ice cream parlor with unique Asian flavors.
- Chinatown Fair: Revamped historic arcade featuring Killer Queen, the best game you will ever play.
ESSENTIAL INFO:
-Peking Duck House is located at 28 Mott Street. Chinatown Ice Cream Factory is located at 65 Bayard Street. Chinatown Fair is located at 8 Mott Street.
-Total Cost: About $65 per person for Peking Duck Dinner, BYOB wine, ice cream and credits at the arcade. Could be less depending upon the wine purchased. Tax & tip included.
-Peking Duck House is BYOB for wine and liquor only, as they serve $4 Tsing Tsao by the bottle.
-While the Peking Duck Dinner is the best value, there are many menu options, including prix fixe dinners and à la carte plates. Reservations are usually easy to come by during the week, but the larger the group, the further in advance you should book. Tables are tougher on the weekends, so plan ahead.
-Chinatown Ice Cream Factory is open until 10:00pm, so you should plan on having dinner around 7:30pm for a leisurely meal.
-Chinatown Fair accepts credit cards, as all games are paid for by a store issued debit card. It closes at midnight on Thursdays, but you will usually be able to play until your credits run out. They don't serve alcohol, but a discreet flask or bottle of whiskey typically works (just don't be a jerk about it).
