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Downtown Lunch: Yee Eng Home Cooking Opens on Mosco Street
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 (insuring 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.)
Mosco street is one of the coolest blocks in NYC. It’s basically one big ramp, starting at Mott and sliding down to Mulberry. On it you can find one of the best Thai grocery stores in the city, a funeral parlor for all your otherworldly needs, and a dumpling shack (it’s inferior to Tasty D around the corner though). And now it’s home to Yee Eng Home Cooking, the newest Mosco street addition…
The interior is not air conditioned so try to sit yourself somewhere near the oscillating fan after ordering at the counter. The choices are kinda across the board Asian, from Thai to Malaysian curries, Shanghai Spring Rolls, and “French Fried” (which I’m assuming just means “fries”.)
The big draw here is the prices. For the cost of a barrel of crude oil you could eat here everyday for a month. The most expensive dish on the menu is $4 but many things come in around 2.50 (Curry Chicken over Noodle, Pan Fried Wonton, and Meat Sauce Noodle, to name a few.) At $3.50 the pad thai is flavorful and filling.
If you go though, you have to try the $2.50 pickled vegetables which come slathered in a potent garlic mixture that sports a bit of heat. At $1.75, you’d also be hard pressed not to order the amazing scallion pancakes or the summer roll, which is packed with veggies and surprisingly refreshing (even after being dipped into the small puddle of oily peanut sauce.)
At Yee Eng Home Cooking all the food is well executed by the chefs (or what have you) sweating over the same oven you probably have at home (which I guess accounts for the second half of the restaurant’s name.) Plus 5 bucks will feed you well, or you can do what we did- throw down $14.50 for two people- and have enough to take home for an afternoon snack.
Yee Eng Home Cooking, 105 1/2 Mosco Street (btw. Mott+Mulberry St) 212-608-2510
Post and photos by www.danielkrieger.com
Posted: July 11th, 2008 under Downtown NYC.
Comments: 12
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Comments
Comment from Yvo
Time: July 11, 2008, 11:13 am
Curious why DK put “(or what have you)” after the word “chefs”…
Comment from Brownie
Time: July 11, 2008, 11:24 am
You had me at $3.50 pad thai. Flavorful and filling? Sigh.
Comment from Danny
Time: July 11, 2008, 11:41 am
Ooooh, this one is going to come in handy. Thanks Daniel!
Comment from JustNancy
Time: July 11, 2008, 12:15 pm
Need. Malaysian food. Midtown. Argh!
Comment from Jason
Time: July 11, 2008, 1:11 pm
I ate here about a month or two ago with my son. We were heading to the dumpling house on Mosco (which I happened to like very much, thank you… 5 dumplings there are still $1) but it was closed. It was as delicious as described, and my little boy had his first scallion pancake.
Comment from louis w
Time: July 11, 2008, 2:16 pm
Yum! This place looks great.
What is the dish in the first picture, over rice?
Comment from Daniel Krieger
Time: July 11, 2008, 6:48 pm
louis - that was the basil chicken which was better than the pad thai I thought. You have to get the pickled veggies there and the scallion pancake.. I think the appetizers were the best dishes
Comment from louis w
Time: July 14, 2008, 9:30 am
Brilliant, thanks Dan. I will check it all out.
Comment from noni
Time: July 17, 2008, 12:12 pm
I think this was my friend’s pizza place last year. Mosco Pizza. How restaurant spots do change hands!
Comment from jeffrey
Time: July 18, 2008, 4:23 pm
hey daniel thx for the reviews. we have installed an ac here. come by again.
Comment from stevieb
Time: July 25, 2008, 9:22 pm
Had the pickled vegetables appetizer salad and scallion pancake there earlier today. Very good and honest food. The vegetables were more than a meal for in and of themselves, and at only $2.50, quite a bargain. A very refreshing treat during the hot summer months. The scallion pancake was very light, pan fried (not deep-fried), and not greasy. Served delicately, with a winning side of curry sauce, it invites the eater to sample the mains on the menu which feature the same curry. Yee Eng is a sincere little place that deserves to succeed; See for yourself and it may become one of your favorite hidden food spots in the city. By the way - the Air conditioning IS on, and Amy, the owner, is very friendly and welcoming - Worth the visit to Mosco Street for a great change of pace!
Comment from MaryAnne Marese
Time: August 11, 2008, 1:36 pm
Finally, a restaurant that got it right, price wise as well as quality. This quaint little restaurant in the heart of Chinatown reminds you of your grandmother’s home style cooking. The food is plentiful and fresh, and the price is down right cheap. I had the cold sesame noodles with homemade peanut sauce, out of this world. And the scallion pancakes made with lots of scallions, light and not greasy, were just perfect. Now did I mention the fried chicken wings, seasoned to perfection, with their juices dripping down your throat. And as if this isn’t enough, they have specials of the day going on everyday to surprise you. What more can you ask for. This is one good restaurant where the quality, price, fast service, and quantity can’t be beaten. All I have to say now is, “Where have you been all my life”.
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