Archive for 'Ying Du'

Could New DOH Rules Mean The Return of Ying Du’s Roasted Meats?

Earlier this week Gothamist reported that the Department of Health has relaxed restrictions on allowing roasted meats to rest in a window of your shop exposed in the open (heaven forbid!)    Does this mean the proper roast pork and roast duck will finally return to the window of Ying Du (on 38th btw. 7+8th)?  It hasn’t yet, but we are holding out hope!

Related:
Ying Du’s Roaster Ruined by the DOH?
Ying Du Reopens Minus Their Roast Pork/Duck Station

Robyn Lee is a Midtown Lunch’er

twitter_robynlee

The Serious Eats offices are about 5 blocks outside the official Midtown Lunch’ing range, but it looks like on Friday Robyn Lee (their photographer extraordinaire and expert on all things manatee) found herself at two Midtown Lunch favorites: Go Go Curry, followed by a little dessert at Ying Du (both on 38th btw. 7+8th.)  Nice choices!

Related:
Make Your Own Bo Lo Bao/Pork Chop Sandwich at Ying Du
Go Go Curry Hits a Japanese Curry Grand Slam

Make Your Own Bo Lo Bao/Pork Chop Sandwich at Ying Du

To say I was inspired by this post on Fork in the Road about a pork chop stuffed bo lo bao would be an understatement.  Mesmerized? Entranced? Seduced?  Whatever you want to call it, seeing a pork chop sandwiched inside a sugar topped Chinese pineapple bun stirred up feelings in me of extreme desire. But how to get one of these creations?  The piece mentioned that this treat is indigenous to Macao- but nothing about where to enjoy one here in New York City!  Clearly I would have to take matters into my own hands, and go to the one place in Midtown that I knew had buns and pork chops: Ying Du (on 38th btw. 7+8th).

Read more »

Ying Du’s Roaster Ruined by the DOH?

DSC00170 

Is it possible that the secret to great roast pork and roast duck lies in the caked on juices that occur after years and years of use? That’s what one commenter suggested about Ying Du’s roasted meats, which made a return last week after disappearing following a visit from the DOH.

“I went last week on Monday and can confirm that the roasted meats are indeed back at Ying Du, and they still cost $5. I went with the roast pork and roast duck combo. I agree that the flavor isn’t nearly as good as before the DOH close, and I can only assume that it’s because they were forced to clean everything and remove the years of built-in flavoring.”

Let this be a lesson to all you neat freaks and germaphobes. Dirty = Delicious!

One Thing I Am Incredibly Thankful For: They were already sold out by the time I got there today (Weds) at 2:30, but I was told by the ladies behind the counter that the roasted meats have returned to Ying Du (on 38th btw. 7+8th).  Hallelujah... praise the lard... thank you baby jeebus... and a Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Ying Du Roasted Meats Update: Walked by Ying Du (on 38th btw. 7+8th) this morning and the roasted meats in the window are still MIA.  The owner (?)  said they are hoping to have them back up next week, and their disappearance has nothing to do with the Department of Health;  the machine they use to roast the meats is broken.

Ying Du Reopens Minus Their Roast Pork/Duck Station

DSC00249

Ying Du, on 38th btw. 7+8th, has reopened since being shut by the Department of Health for a second time, but the roast pork and duck station in the front window of the store is gone. They are saying it will be back on Wednesday, but my sense is that is more wishful thinking than guaranteed action. Not sure exactly why it’s gone… it may have something to do with their DOH violations. Ying Du is not nearly as good a lunch option without it- although there was one item on the steam table that caught my eye as a possible replacement…

Read more »

Ying Du Deja Vu: Closed For Renovations

From the Midtown Lunch inbox this morning: “Just as a heads up, I went to grab breakfast this morning from Ying Du (on 38th btw. 7+8th) and it was closed… AGAIN. They said something in “english” about construction in the basement or something and will be closed for about 3 days… Where will I get my grimy Chinese food fix?” *Sigh* No word on if this is related to their DOH closing last month, but there is only so much abuse I’m willing to put up with before I stop going back. Who am I kidding. I’ll always go back.

Taking One For the Team at Ying Du

 Lunch from Ying Du

It’s been over a week since Ying Du on 38th btw. 7+8th was shuttered by the DOH, and no “live animal present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas” or “evidence of rats” is going to keep me away from my favorite take out Chinese place in the Garment District. Ok, so maybe I would have felt different if I had looked at the restaurant inspection before I went… but it doesn’t matter! Clearly they’ve fixed the problems if they’re back open, right? And my $5.50 order of head on salt and pepper shrimp and roast pork over sauteed noodles was most excellent.

Ying Du Gets the DOH

DSC00187

Alright.  We get it.  The best fast food chinese places in Midtown are dirty.  It’s ok.  WE DON’T MIND. Right?  I found this sad scene at Ying Du yesterday (on 38th btw. 7+8th) one of my favorite chinese places in Midtown.  It was certainly not a surprising sight (we all know it’s dirty), but it’s still kind of upsetting. Anybody who eats at Ying Du (or Hing Won for that matter) kind of knows what they’re in for.  We’re adults. Maybe we should move to the L.A. system of putting letter grades in the windows. If you are clean, you get a big A.  If you’re not, you get a B or a C (actually, I don’t know if I ever saw a C).  Then, let the consumer decide.  “How much of a risk do I really want to take eating lunch at this place?”  I guess what I’m saying is, can’t the Department of Health just let Ying Du be? Unless there was evidence of roaches in the food area.  Were there roaches? That’s just gross.