Midtown Lunch » Wu Liang Ye

At Lunch Now: Wu Liang Ye Protestors Now Outside Mapo Tofu

Mamacita — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:24:46 +0000

Here we go again… was on my way to Oaxaca Grill and noticed this madness outside of the newly opened Mapo Tofu (on Lex btw. 39+40th). The restaurant claims there is no connection between them and Wu Liang Ye (the former tenant), but clearly the protesters disagree. This all stems from a lawsuit in which Wu Liang Ye employees claimed to be mistreated. We’re not sure who is right or wrong, but the cops have shown up.

Check out that photo after the jump…

Wu Liang Ye Becomes “Mapo Tofu”

Zach Brooks — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:15:56 +0000

Here’s an interesting development… it’s been months since the Wu Liang Ye on Lex btw. 39+40th closed, amidst a legal battle in which they were accused of being owned by the Chinese govt. and mistreating their employees. Well, the restaurant has reopened as “Mapo Tofu” and claim to have completely different owners and better food (natch) than the original. The lunch menu actually looks amazing, and kind of supports their claim. It’s filled with far more authentic Sichuan specialties than the Wu Liang Ye menu, and is already receiving good reviews on Yelp.

Check out the lunch menu after the jump…

All dishes are $7.45 and come with free szechuan pickled vegetable, rice, and soup.

L1. Shredded Pork * with spicy garlic sauce
L2. Sliced Beef Filets with broccoli
L3. Baby Shrimps * with szechuan chili sauce
L4. Baby Shrimps * with roasted chili-peanut (kung pao)
L5. General Tso’s Chicken *
L6. Tangerine Chicken *
L7. Sesame Chicken *
L8. Sliced Chicken with broccoli
L9. Sauteed Chicken** with spring onion
L10. Sliced Chicken with spring onion
L11. Double Cooked Sliced Pork Belly ** with chili leeks
L12. Stir Fried Fresh Pork Belly ** with chili leeks
L13. Braised Fish Filets*** with chili miso
L14. Stir Fried Fish Filets with mixed veggie
L15. Fish Filets with pinenut in sweet vinegar sauce
L16. Stir Fried Prawns ** with chili minced pork & veggie
L17. Stir Fried Prawns ** with spicy garlic sauce
L18. Braised Prawns with fermented rice tomato sauce
L19. Stir Fried Sea Scallops ** with roasted chili peanuts
L20. Braised Crispy Tofu ** with chili sliced pork
L21. Braised Ma Paul Tofu *** with chili minced pork
L22. Shredded Pork with spiced tofu & asian celery
L23. Shredded Pork with sweet miso sauce
L24. Sliced Pork with baby eggplant
L25. Stir Fried Chicken with string beans
L26. Stir Fried Chicken Breast with mixed veggie
L27. Sliced Chicken with baby eggplant
L28. Shredded Chicken ** with spicy garlic sauce
L29. Sliced Chicken Breast with baby bok choy
L30. Crispy Chicken ** with spicy garlic sauce
L31. Sweet & Sour Chicken
L32. Stir Fried Chicken *** with roasted chili & green chili
L33. Chicken with black bean sauce
L34. Braised Silky Tofu with baby shrimps
L35. Scramble Egg with baby shrimps
L36. Shredded Beef * with asian spicy green chili
L37. Stir Fried String Beans with yibin veggie buds
L38. Baby Eggplant ** with spicy garlic sauce
L39. Stir Fried Spinach
L40. Beef Chow Fun
L41. Singapore Chow Mei
L42. Chicken with cashew nuts
L43. Hunan Chicken *
L44. Pepper Steak with onions
L45. Sliced Beef with shiitake & bamboo shoots
L46. Hunan Beef *
L47. Baby Shrimp with green peas
L48. Baby Shrimp with cashew nuts

Mapo Tofu, 338 Lexington Ave. (btw. 39+40th), 212-867-8118

48th St. Wu Liang Ye Pulled Into Protest

Zach Brooks — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:30:08 +0000

The Rock Center Tree Lighting wasn’t the only thing causing craziness on 48th Street yesterday. Fork in the Road is reporting that disgruntled Wu Liang Ye workers (from the now closed 39th & 86th Street locations) were protesting the branch on 48th btw. 5+6th yesterday. You might remember that back in July these same workers held a demonstration outside the Wu Liang Ye on 39th and 3rd Lex., claiming that the restaurant (along with the 86th Street location) was owned by the Chinese Government and horribly mistreated their employees. In October, a judge ruled that the locations had to pay back wages and compensation to the workers, but those two branches have closed since then- leaving the Wu Liang Ye on 48th Street the only location left to protest in front of (even though 48th Street was excluded from the lawsuit by proving they had a different owner.)

The workers told Fork in the Road they don’t care what the paperwork says, all three Wu Liang Ye locations were opened and run by the same person. If these allegations turn out to be true, it’s hard not to side with underpaid and mistreated workers- but my stomach hopes that the 48th Street location really does have nothing to do with this. Wu Liang Ye serves some of the best Szechuan food in Midtown (a fact that I discovered thanks to Fork in the Road, coincidentally enough.) It looks like Blondie and Brownie agree with me as well. They broke the picket lines yesterday for some Dan Dan Noodles.

New Grand Sichuan Will Be East Meats West

Zach Brooks — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 18:15:28 +0000

Take the Handle has a great interview with the owner of Grand Sichuan who discusses how he helped start Wu Liang Ye, stole their menu, angered their ownership, and built his Sichuan empire. He also confirms that there will be a new Grand Sichuan on 46th btw. 8+9th that combines “Eastern and Western styles”.

Fork in the Road Weighs in on Wu Liang Ye

Zach Brooks — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:30:12 +0000

If you wanted to read more about my kid’s first taste of tea smoked duck, the Village Voice’s Robert Sietsama has a great write up of a sit down lunch we shared last week at Wu Liang Ye (on 48th btw. 5+6th). Sadly, none of what we ate is in the Midtown Lunch price range- with the exception of the dan dan noodles and the wontons in hot oil. Both were delicious, but neither are big enough to make a complete lunch. Wu Liang Ye’s takeout menu does have a list of $8 lunch specials- but very few of their “Szechuan Specialties” are on it (unlike Szechuan Gourmet, which has a number of their specialties available as lunch specials.) Either way, it was still a really tasty lunch- and worth checking out the write up if you love Szechuan food. [Fork in the Road]