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Chef yu is solid
The other day my roommate told me about a Chinese restaurant near her office. I was skeptical because she works around 34th street area - the tundra of the midtown tundra that is the New York food landscape.
"Yea my Chinese coworkers took me to Chef Yu's and it was really good."
She told me. I had to see about that! I went twice last week, and came away a believer.
Chef Yu is tucked under construction awnings right now; walking down the street you could easily miss it. It is not like walking down the street and seeing Jean Grey or Professor Snape because you always notice THAT. But I guess people are easier to spot than restaurants sometimes. (Oh and I did not see those two at the restaurant, I was just making a point about spotting comic book characters and evil professors on the sidewalk... oh and now back to food).
The lunch specials are all around six dollars, and they give you these mini spring rolls along with a really random salad. The spring rolls barely register in my stomach and they really do not offer much. They offer decent crunch and leave you wishing the restaurant would not tease you like that... offer you free stuff as part of the lunch special, but the free stuff turns out to be free of substance. yo come on!
As for the salad, you should eat the salad AFTER the main event. Always, always do this because the dressing is like liquid novacaine. I mean that in the best way possible because I love spicy food, but the dressing leaves my tongue numb, and me in a sweaty mess.
You also get to choose between white rice, brown rice, and vegetable fried rice. Most places charge you more for brown rice and fried rice but Chef Yu is kind and the choices are free. The first time at Chef Yu, I got Spicy Diced Chicken, and the second time I got Kung Pao Chicken. Basically the only difference is that the latter offers peanuts. Who does not love peanuts?
The vegetable fried rice is just okay, but it is free! And I love free. Although I can see myself just ordering the white rice more often. You know when you walk into a street stand and the vendor is all like, "We have oyster pancakes!" And you are all like, "Fo shizzle? I love that!" And you eat it and it just does not taste the same. See, that is why sometimes I would just pick the white rice.
The chicken is yum. It lacks the spice that I really want. The spice that goes into the salad dressing should go into the chicken. Still, I like both the Spicy Diced Chicken and the Kung Pao. Unlike Szechuan Gourmet which sometimes lean on the oily side, Chef Yu seems to do fine with the right amount of oil.
Also, if you choose to dine in, Chef Yu's dining room looks bigger than Szechuan Gourmet and Wu Liang Ye. Problem is, they are packed just like the other two Szechuan places. Apparently people like spicy food for lunch? The first time I went there were fifteen people waiting for tables around 12:30. Get there early if you want to eat at the restaurant.
And now for more non-food related things. Who is excited about the Final Four on Saturday?!?! Huh?!?!? It is going to be AWEEEEESOOOOOOME!!!! Ok, that is enough, have a good weekend everyone. Eat a cupcake or something.
Chef Yu
Address: 520 8th Ave . New York, NY 10018
Phone: 212-736-6150
MapPosted by Danny on April 4 2008 at 8:37 am
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This meal looks really good. Where exactly is Chef Yu? I work on 44th, but it may be worth the walk!
Miss Menu on April 4 2008 at 11:23 am
Chef Yu is my fave Chinese restaurant, it is practically a hidden gem! :o)
Genevieve on April 4 2008 at 10:43 pm