Downtown Lunch: Big Wong
Midtown workers shouldn’t have all the fun, so to even the score, I’ve brought on Daniel Krieger as an official Downtown Lunch Correspondent to write up some of the tasty stuff you can get in the lower half of Manhattan. He’s a great photographer (ensuring good food porn), but more importantly he is a lover of cheap, unique and delicious eats (or as I like to call it- Midtown Lunch’ish food.)
For some reason whenever I hear someone mention Big Wong in Chinatown, I hear a gong sound go off in my head.. maybe I’m just thinking of an association with the Sixteen Candles character (of a different but similar sounding name). Word on the street is they have one of the cheapest lunch specials in the city, but I had never tried it so went with a friend to scope out the situation earlier this week. I was impressed with the number of lunch specials, all around the $4.50 range.
We started with a Fried Cruller Rice Crepe appetizer ($2.25) which arrived as a fried savory donut wrapped in a wet rice crepe. What’s not to like about a donut as an appetizer, although think I prefer them sans the crepe, and following a meal.
When a waiter carrying an order of the roast pork appetizer waltzed by us, the stare I gave it was worthy of a sexual harassment suit… so I knew we had to try a half order ($6). The two of us cleaned that plate and kept going back to it even after the lunch specials arrived. Neither lunch, such as the roast pork with pickled vegetables ($4.50) or the chicken with seasonal vegetables (also $4.50) was mind blowing, but it was satisfying, adequate, and an overall great value for your dollar.
One could easily visit this spot and with tax and tip have a nice lunch for under 7 bucks. The scene there is hurried and hectic, which is a good sign for the Big Wong, also sometimes referred to as Big Wong King (I’d make my last name “King” too if my first and middle name was “Big Wong”).
Big Wong, 67 Mott St. (btw. Canal & Bayard), 212-964-0540
Photos and post by Daniel Krieger
Posted: 10:00 am, December 19th, 2008 under Downtown NYC.
39 Comments | RSS comments feed for this post
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39 Comments
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@Yvo – I said the same thing! But in Daniel’s defense, he says the word “crepe” was used on the menu…
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*GONG*
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but Yvo – like Zackie said, I’m just calling it what they did. You can check it out on menu pages they’re listed as “Steamed Rice Crepes”, so that’s what I called them. *hits gong again*
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it’s definitely all about the roast pork and the wonton soup here. also try the “boiled chicken” which comes with the best ginger scallion sauce.
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@ Yvo: Or I like to call it “jah gwigh churng”
@ Daniel: Yo not sure if you know but the fried cruller goes well with a bowl of congee, esp. on a day like today. And if you ever need someone to help you out with the chinese stuff when you go out for these downtown things just let me know.
@ mm: Yeah I agree. Roast pork and wonton and, hey, add some noodles and you’re perfectly set!
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ditto on the ginger scallion sauce! when i go there for roast meats, i load up on ‘em.
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You missed out on having a “gnow lei sow”, a sweet version of the fried cruller. It’s the shorter, fatter one that looks like it is split down the middle. It’s basically the same dough used to make the regular fried cruller except it’s made to be thicker (and therefore more doughier in the middle) and it’s dusted with sugar. If you like churros, give these a try. :)
By the way, “gnow lei sow” means “flaky cow tongue”. Maybe because it actually LOOKS like one? LOL!
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Daniel: Nice post but the place seems like your run-of-the-mill semi-gross Chinatown spot. (Also, in Mandarin, you’re a “Lao wai.” But I’m basically a lao wai on the inside with a crispy Chinese wrapper so I call you that with a total sense of comradeship). And those “steamed rice crepes” are my favorite dim sum. If you haven’t already, I totally recommend you try them at a place that does only dim sum. They’re awesome.
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JustN – I checked this place out because it was one of the cheaper sit down lunch specials I’ve ever heard of. Also a restaurant owner in Chinatown I met told me it was one of his favorite, standby restaurants.
Gordon – Thanks for the offer.. Wendalicious has actually been my ambassador a few times but I think sometime we might have to do a downtown meetup.. I think Yvo is up for it too?
I’m a Jew though..isn’t that like honorary Chinese, at least when it comes to the food right?
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I don’t think Big Wong is your run of the mill Chinatown restaurant. IMO, Big Wong has some of the best Chinese BBQ in Chinatown. I’m a jook sing though, so what do I know?
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Dan, jews & chinese are locked in eternal mortal combat over which race can out-cheap the other. It’d be a 3-way with the Scots but there aren’t enough of them around in NY
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Big Wing Wong is better.
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Lay off of daniel, the guy has always been upfront about being a photographer not a food writer. Though the line, “the stare I gave it was worthy of a sexual harassment suit…” was brilliant!
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There’s a theory that all the “Wong” restaurants have good (everyday) food. Big Wong, Big Wing Wong, etc. That’s what people down in Chinatown say.
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that roast pork had like no fat on it
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you do know that wong is the most common surname in the whole world?
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Actually, Lee is one of the most common surnames even more so than Wong.
And no, the common Wong surname doesn’t have anything to do with the restaurants. They’re supposed to be owned by the same person.
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@ Gastro888: All the Wongs except though for Fu Wong. It’s definitely on the bottom of my Wongs list.
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@ no problem – thats exactly what i thought when i saw the roast pork. roast pork is definitely better when there’s some fat trimming…
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ah… Big Wong’s. Brings back memories of college. That place is good for some roast meats. The roast pork picture looks amazing. It does look leaner than most but hell, roast pork is awesome all of the time.
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But Wong & Lee don’t work in the joke “You have more chins than a Chinese telephone book”
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This brings about memories. I remember first hearing about this place in the newspapers. And I remember draging various friends down to have lunch at this place. It was so cheap and so good. Id always get the fish ball congee…it was just yummy to me. And of course u couldn’t leave the place without having those sweet fried crueller like things. Yum!
I remember having several meals that came in under 6 bucks…but so worth it and so much.
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just some inside information…Big Wong was at its peak in the ’90s. I used to stay with my grandma who lives in Chinatown. For the folks in chinatown, they were known for the roast pork and their congee…then their lease expired and the landlord took over the name and restaurant and kicked the original owners and workers out. Big Wong’s original crew have started their own restaurant a block away, called “Tsin Wong,” and has reclaimed their spot as the local favorite.
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@ Gordon & Daniel : Yes, I’m totally down for a downtown lunch meet-up, and I’ll use my Cantonese skillz if you please (though I can only say food items that I like, and I think Gordon’s Chinese far surpasses mine).
@ JustNancy : Lao Wai? Lao fahn no?
@ Gordon : that’s a good name, too, I just like jha leung as a name because “leung” (with that tone… don’t ask me what #) makes me think of those adorable gold “taels” or um, gold “hat” looking things. (To the furor of all Chinese people across the world, I think the money pieces of olden days looks like a hat. Sue me.)
@ Zach & Daniel : There’s a cart in Elmhurst outside my favorite Vietnamese place that sells fried dumplings. The sign/menu says “Fried Dumping 5/$1″ (or used to; not sure how much the price is now). :P Just because the menu says so, doesn’t mean that’s what it should be called! I dunno, “wet crepe” just sounds so wrong… plus I am not sure what makes a crepe a crepe, but the rice noodle wrapping the fried dough is so far from a crepe (I don’t believe it ever gets heated in a skillet… and I don’t think it comes from batter…)… I don’t know. Sorry for being bratty and nitpicky, I’m in a goofy mood and when done right, that is one of my favorite dim sum dishes. Sweet and salty at the same time, with the smooth tenderness of the rice noodle against the crunchy chewiness of the cruller… it’s harmony and bliss in each bite.
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Yvo – this definitely is not harmony and bliss, it was pretty good though I can’t complain….but if you have a recommendation of a better one I’d check it out.
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@Yvo: “Jah Leung” refers to this particular dish with the fried cruller wrapped in the steamed (not WET!!! I am so with you on that one) crepe and not the fried cruller itself. I’ve heard the fried cruller called “yao tew” and “yao jah gwai”.
All I know is that it’s yummy goodness. Corner 28 does a bang up job for those in Flushing and the same folks who run that run Rice & Tea in Elmhurst.
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actually a few places I’ve seen call the steamed rice noodley thing a crepe. Saigon grill on the UWS comes to mind. But what the hell do I know, i just a wetter
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PS…. Zach, Daniel…Dim Sum in Brooklyn? How about it?
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@ Gastro888 : Yup, I was referring to this particular dish by ‘jha leung’. I generally hear/use ‘yoh tiew’ Mandarin for the fried crueller itself, or ‘yao jha gwai’ in Cantonese. Interestingly, that translates to oil-fried-ghost.
And I’m jhuk sing to the maxXx… like I said though, Cantonese skillz when it comes to food.
Seriously, though, I’m down for a Downtown Lunch meet up.
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Tips for ordering BBQ Pork (Char Siu) and @ Big Wong:
Tip 1: going to Big Wong and not ordering their congee is a mistake. They serve THE BEST congee in Chinatown. Forget all those Congee Village, Congee Bowery, Congee Blah Blah Blah. Big Wong is THE place for authentic fragrant rice congee
Tip 2: Not every order bbq pork is the same, not even at the same store. To get a good succulent piece of bbq pork (char siu) @ Big Wong, order it at the counter. Point directly to the piece of char siu with dripping honey glaze hanging at the counter that appeal to you, and tell the butcher “I want this piece, fatty please!”. That’s how you get a good piece of char siu, not the sad-looking dry meat that you got in the picture :P
Tip 3: As much as I love Big Wong, their fried crullers and crepes (all kinds) suck. Avoid.
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I’d like to surprise my deary-dear hubby with a special greeting for Christmas, so can you all in the know tell me what DocChuck is in Cantonese? Is he for example a ‘Big Wong’?
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Mohammed Lee Wong Chin
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I wish I had known about pointing to the fatty piece to ask for that.
And yes I knew I should get congee but I just am not a huge fan of it.
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their wontons and roast duck are the best. I always get the shredded beef congee.
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Actually, if you want to score mad points in C-town ask for the “boon sau, boon fay cha siu”. That’s Cantonese for “half lean and half fatty roasted pork”. Then you’ll get a nice balance of lean and fatty.
Although, I must admit that when my dad would make these at the family restaurant, I’d slice off the fatty pieces and eat them fresh and hot over rice.
@Yvo: Oh, okay – I got confused with what you were referring to, my bad! They’re called oil fried ghosts because they were a representation of a traitorous couple in ancient China.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youtiao
GAH, now I’m going to have to eat one this weekend. Damn you, Midtown Lunch! (I kid!)
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Phonetic Cantonese of “DocChuck” = “Chuck Yee Sung”
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^^ That is, if the “Doc” part means “Doctor” ……
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Any Chinese reference to DocChuck must include “chee seen” as well as “hut yee”.
Unless you know a better term for crazy-ass white trash.
I’m slightly appalled at the description of “jha leung”… but I’ll let it slide since you’re a “gwai lo”. If you’re going to keep writing about Chinese food, though, …
:P