The Best Chinese Food Court, a New Guatemalan Bistro, and More

Three for the Weekend, March 14

Clockwise from upper left: pork soup dumplings, lion’s mane meatballs, and fish-fragrant eggplant, at New York Food Court, Stall #12

A weekly column suggesting food expeditions for the weekend

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Flushing’s best food court

There is nothing better on a weekend afternoon than jumping on the 7 train and heading for Flushing’s food courts. I currently count seven, and my favorite is not the wildly popular New World Mall or the pricier revival of Golden Mall, but the generically named New York Food Court. It lies at 133-35 Roosevelt Avenue, two blocks west of the subway station, and the entrance is not well-marked.

Why do I love it? It’s the cheapest food court, has ample seating, public restrooms, and 30-odd stalls that represent what the Chinese shoppers who frequent the neighborhood want to eat.

New York Food Court has around 30 stalls.

Those stalls concentrate on the food of Sichuan, Shanghai, Taiwan, Beijing, and other fare from Northern China. It features hot pots, noodles and dumplings, sushi, and bubble teas. My advice is to bring a couple of friends, pick one stall, and get to know it well. On a recent Sunday, I went with two friends who had extensive knowledge of contemporary Chinese food after living in China for a decade.