It's no surprise that Mission Chinese is a hot topic for foodies. With the introduction of a New York location in 2012, people have been excited to finally experience the hyped up cuisine compliments of renowned west coast master Danny Bowien. After gaining quite the reputation on Mission St. in San Francisco, expansion was the next logical step, and oh how thankful I am that the fates have spoken. The result is an authentic, amazing hot spot at 154 Orchard St, right off the 2nd Ave. F stop.
I walked into what looked like any crummy Chinese takeout joint (except for the fact that it WAS PACKED) at approximately 8:10 PM on a Friday evening. "No, we can't take any more names until 9 PM", I was told by a hostess who was sweet but seemed slightly overwhelmed. I walked to Todd's Mill down the block for a glass of wine (P.S. Todd's Mill has a Veal Tongue Burrito so that has been added to the list of places to review, because whoa, WTF. We're doin' it!). At about 8:55 PM I walked out to the street and noticed that a line had formed outside the door leading to Mission Chinese. "Uh, six people? Well that's going to be a while. Maybe someone won't show up?" Not the most promising answer I could have received from the hostess, but I didn't care. I was in for the long haul.
I was now allowed to stand inside, and what a treat this was. FREE BEER TIME! Okay, it was sh*tty keg beer. But it was FREE. Also, the hallway that we waited in was adorned with Pearl Jam and Michael Jordan posters. As I was pumping the keg, filling my little SOLO cup, I almost felt like I was hanging at the Delts house again. Except in this case I didn't have to hang out with any Delts, and this was preferable. (Belvo needs to send me the photo he took of me in front of that Eddie Vedder poster because it's so badass.)
Not gonna lie - we probably waited about an hour and a half in this hallway. Considering the amount of time I had already waited before I could put our names in, this was approximately a 2.5 hour wait for a table. It was Friday, and I had been warned. To aid in killing time there was a very special bathroom surprise (See organic video below). I wasn't bitter. Instead, I was just getting increasingly more excited by the intoxicating smells wafting from the kitchen full of hipster chefs.
And then it was time. "Megan, I can take you guys back." And this was when the real magic happened. What seemed to be an unassuming takeout storefront turned into a hipster style den full of gourmet mystique. At this point I was almost two hours deep in keg beer so it gets a bit blurry, but I can tell you about several of the dishes that stood out like champions in my inebriated brain. Also, the food came out quickly. The iPhone clock don't lie.
The stars in my mind - Salt Cod Fried Rice (perfect level of seasoning, and awesome for cutting the heat. This is Szechuan cooking after all - see also: CRAZY EFFIN' HOT.), Kung Pao Pastrami (savory, salty cubes of the Jewish Deli favorite accompanied by spicy peanuts. So baller!), thrice cooked bacon (the best dish of the night. Spicy, smokey bacon accompanied by the chewiest rice cakes I've ever had. Delicious sauce, daring heat. A must for any adventurous pork lover. Photo below.) The Ma Po Tofu was so awesomely spicy. The peppercorns in this achieved that numbing feeling that I crave so desperately when nomnoming on this type of cuisine. This one sealed the deal for me. I was in love. We ordered some tasty greens as well, because you need the veg. Not super memorable, but at the point I don't know that memory was even in play, so there it is.
We also ordered some kind of vinegar peanut which was worth trying if it's your first time there, but not my favorite bite of the night. The one dish I absolutely would not recommend was the pig ear terrine (photo below). Though beautiful to the eye, I did not enjoy the flavor or texture. Then again, maybe I'm just not a terrine girl. It wasn't awful; I just didn't care for it and would rather fill my mouth with more of that thrice cooked bacon.
This place offered me a reminder of why New York is so effin' awesome. Only in NYC can you attend a restaurant that rocks the atmosphere and also has insanely unique food to back it up. I am thrilled to have had this experience. Three days later, I cannot stop talking about this place. I am already eager to share this with my friends, particularly the out-of-towners. This is one of those game changers. Everyone should try Mission Chinese. And believe me when I say, IT'S WORTH THE WAIT. I have smiles to prove it. (See photo below.)
You guys aren't going to believe this. Zagat named this one of the top 10 restaurants in the world in 2012.
THE DAMAGE: $30.00 per person including tax and tip. (+ FREE BEEEEEER).
Other damage: I walked to UCB East and creepily stood in a corner and texted when I didn't see anyone that I recognized. After that, I took a cab to Brooklyn instead of going home to Queens ($14.90). I bought a PBR tallboy at a bodega ($1.50) which I took about three sips of before falling asleep at my friend Rachel's place. That was a weird choice. #noregrets
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