Reviewed: Dinner at Red Egg, 3/21/09

Restaurant: Red Egg
Cuisine: Chinese/Dim Sum
Location: 202 Centre St, (At Howard St)

In the five years that I’ve lived in NYC, I’ve never once dined in Chinatown or Flushing, Queens (known for its amazing Chinese food). It’s not that I’m opposed to these neighborhoods, but it seems that every time I’ve had dinner plans in the past, something always fell through.

Red Egg, Chinatown’s newest restaurant, was getting a lot of positive buzz among local foodie blogs and websites. I was intrigued by the fact that its fusion menu incorporated both Chinese and Peruvian cuisines.

Inconspicuous from the outside, Red Egg’s interior could not have been more chic, modern and sexy. Upon our arrival, the restaurant was at 50% occupancy. Emily, Deidre and I were seated immediately at a large circular booth with plenty of purse, coat, elbow and leg room.

A waiter promptly greeted our table and supplied us with dim sum, dinner and cocktail menus. It didn’t take us long to decide that we’d each split two appetizers and two main courses. To whet our palates, we ordered Shanghai Steamed Juicy Dumplings (soup dumplings) and the Lettuce Wraps with minced chicken (made famous at P.F. Chang’s). We chose Garlic Jumbo Shrimp, General Ching’s Chicken and an order of vegetable fried rice as entrees. (Typically, I would have ordered much more adventurously, but my fellow diners had more conservative tastes.)

The appetizers arrived simultaneously and were attractively presented. After preparing an iceberg lettuce “cup” with minced chicken and a hoisin-like sauce, I eagerly grabbed a dumpling and began my meal. While I appreciated the delicate thickness of the dough, I found the pork filling of the Shanghai Steamed Juicy Dumplings to be flavorless and bland. Emily and Deidre took one bite of their dumplings and didn’t finish the rest. The lettuce wrap, on the other hand, was flavorful and had a nice textural balance between the crunchy lettuce and the warm, chewy minced chicken. However, I hate to say this, but I prefer P.F. Chang’s version. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I felt that this appetizer was lacking creativity and was a “safe menu choice” for the gringo.

Shortly after our appetizer plates were cleared, the entrees arrived. The vegetable fried rice was quite ordinary and mediocre. It could have been warmer, moister and to be quite honest, a little bit oilier. General Ching’s Chicken was nothing more than batter fried chicken fingers dressed in a cornstarch-rich sweet and sour sauce. The best part of the dish was the fresh, crispy bell peppers that dotted the plate. The Garlic Jumbo Shrimp was my favorite entrée of the two, which really doesn’t say much. I took solace in the meaty, amply-sized shellfish drenched in a sauce that hardly had any garlic notes. By the time we paid our bill and left the restaurant, there was only one other occupied table (note that this was at 10p.m. on a Saturday night).

I am fully-aware that this review sounds brutal, but to be fair, I’ve concluded: Don’t go to Chinatown and waste your meal ordering Americanized Chinese food. Choose adventurously and ask the waiter for recommendations based on your protein of choice. On a positive note, Red Egg’s service was excellent, the pricing was reasonable and the room was lovely. I fully intend to return, perhaps solo, and take a more creative approach to ordering.

Update on 2010-11-30 15:05 by The Lady Who Lunches

Having recently returned from Hong Kong, I'm not sure that I could/should be considered a fair judge when it comes to state side Chinese food.  It's been nearly two-years since my last visit to Red Egg - Chinatown's most hip dim sum - and I'm pleased to report that, on this particular visit, we tackled the menu with a more authentic mindset.  With the aid of our server, Qinghao, a Hong Kong native, we sampled a glorious array of dishes from each portion of both Red Egg's dim sum and dinner menus. 

Located under each of the photos below, you will find a description of the said dish.

Red Egg's modern interior space

Les deux menus

Steamed pork buns: at first glance, I was off-put by each bun's sloppy appearance - looking more like a child's attempt at creating a "Wonder Bread" ball than an authentic Chinese bun. Instead of a smooth surface, the top of each bun revealed a mountainous formation with deep crevices. Looks aside, however, the buns were quite delicious. The ratio of sweet, roasted pork meat to the fluffy breading was near perfect.

Shrimp Sui Mai: these morsels of shrimp-dumpling deliciousness actually had chunks - not a congealed mass - of the said crustacean. My only complaints were: wrapping was a bit too thick and there was no sauce/soy to dip.

Pork Sui Mai: these tasted and resembled "sui mai" more so that their shrimp counterparts. The ground pork, taking center stage within, was flavorful and well-seasoned. I would have enjoyed a dipping sauce/soy as an accompaniment.

Xiaolongbao / pork "soup dumpling": I was quite impressed with Red Egg's version of xialongbao, which was my go-to staple in Hong Kong. The ratio of soup to pork to dough exterior was precise. I found the ground pork perfectly cooked and flavorful, especially with the addition of the ginger-infused vinegar.

Vegetable spring roll: I'm not quite sure how anyone - even the most self proclaimed food snob - can resist a fried spring roll. From its crispy exterior and steamed, julienned vegetable filling - to the fluorescent orange dipping sauce - what is not to love?

The making of our Peking Duck Sliders: this bird was a bit thinner and smaller than the one I had eaten at Hong Kong’s “Peking Garden Restaurant”

Peking Duck Sliders: steamed and halved buns were filled with skin-on, sliced duck, cucumber, green onion, and sweet hoisin sauce. Believe it or not, I liked this version better than the one I had in Hong Kong. I would return to Red Egg for this dish, alone!

Tofu with sauteed bok choy and fresh garlic: I have to admit, before I had Red Egg's version, this vegetable protein was always off-putting and scary to me. The tofu in this dish, however, tasted akin to buttery, scrambled eggs - which I love. Roasted garlic slices brought out the flavor of the steamed, mild bok choy. The fragrant broth united every ingredient.

Steak cubes with chive buds: prior to this experience, I had never had "chive buds," which I assume to be the green stem of the scallion. Dotted with sliced mushrooms and enveloped in a rich, sweet soy glaze, were chunks of tenderloin cooked to a precise "medium" temperature. This dish would have fared even better with a side of white rice, which I noted did not accompany any of our entrees.

Dessert: young coconut pudding, served table side, within its shell

Young coconut pudding: dense and voluptuous in texture, light and sweet in flavor - I have not been able to stop thinking about this pudding since I left Red Egg. Definitely another dish worthy of its own return visit.

From left to right: Hairemy, The Lunch Belle, Qinghao (our server), and Leila

…

Until we eat again,

Lindsay, The Lunch Belle