China Blue in Tribeca
We were looking for a place to eat near Canal street when we stumbled upon China Blue, the sister restaurant of Cafe China, a place I visited last year while going through some Michelin Star restaurants. I was not sure what to expect but, as we entered, we felt immediately that we would probably have a memorable lunch. Yes, the decor is beautiful with all its Chinese ornaments and the dining room spacious enough to allow for some privacy, at least at lunch time (we went on a Saturday at noon).
And the food was amazing: they offer a wide variety of dishes, vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Here is what we tried:
Thousand year eggs in pickled chili sauce that is in fact a cured duck egg where the white becomes brownish and the yolk dark and transparent with a gelatinous texture. Taste wise, it does not really have the same taste as a boiled egg. In fact I am not sure how to describe the taste to be honest and think that when you get past the look, you can really enjoy this dish that is a bit spicy.
Thousand years eggs at China Blue in Tribeca
Thousand years eggs at China Blue in Tribeca
Savory bean curd wrap with marinated shiitake mushroom: this was delicious and tasty, surprisingly cold.
Bean curd wrap at China Blue in Tribeca
Bean curd wrap at China Blue in Tribeca
Scallion pancakes: our go to dish when eating in a Chinese restaurant. Perfectly made and delightfully greasy.
Scallion pancakes at China Blue in Tribeca
Pork soup dumplings: another dish I love to get in a Chinese restaurant. Well made, the shell was thin but did not break out and the soup was deliciously fatty, as expected.
Soup dumplings at China Blue in Tribeca
Soup dumplings at China Blue in Tribeca
Vegetable potstickers: made with bok choy, shiitake mushrooms, carrot and cellophane noodles. I admit that I am not always a big fan of veggie dumplings but these were very good and quite tasty.
Vegetable potstickers at China Blue in Tribeca
Vegetabe potstickers at China Blue in Tribeca
The last dish was the crispy eels Wuxi style that is like baby eels fried and smothered by a sweet sauce. Very good, crunchy but a bit too sweet.
Crispy eel Wixu style at China Blue in Tribeca
Overall we had a great meal at China Blue: the food was delicious and items on the menu are great options to share. I should mention the service that was impeccable. Definitely a place I am looking forward to go back to.
Enjoy (I did)!
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China Blue -135 Watts Street, New York, NY 10013
