Chairman Mao’s red-braised pork. Photo by Dave Cook at @eatingintranslation.
A Chinese restaurant on the Upper West Side has been recognized as one of New York City’s best, according to a recent roundup by Eater. The publication highlights the immediate area surrounding the restaurant as an “under-the-radar location for excellent Chinese restaurants.”
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The list of 21 restaurants starts with Happy Hot Hunan, located at 969 Amsterdam Avenue (between 107th and 108th streets), though it’s worth noting the order was determined geographically (from north to south, for the most part).
“Few restaurants serve such a wide range of Hunan specialties (quite different than Sichuan ones, and often spicier.),” Eater writes. “Foods preserved by pickling, drying, and smoking provide unique flavors, including one dish of smoked pork and smoked bamboo shoots.”
Black mushroom salad. Photo by Dave Cook at @eatingintranslation.
Eater also spotlighted Happy Hot Hunan back in July in an article covering the Chinese food scene between West 98th and 113th streets. However, the restaurant’s health grade is currently a C, and they were cited for several health breaches back in September.
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Just a few blocks south of Columbia University’s main campus, Happy Hot Hunan offers a wide-ranging menu marked by many hot and spicy options. Eater called the smoked pork with smoked bamboo shoots “exhilarating, with a powerful smoky taste that exuded equally from the fat-rimmed pork belly as well as the springy bamboo.”
The menu includes a number of traditional Chinese dishes (sweet and sour chicken, chicken with broccoli, and Kung Pao chicken), but the Hunan special section is what differentiates Happy Hot Hunan. Here, you’ll find 27 options that include the likes of steamed whole fish with chopped chilis, Hunan double cooked pork, Chairman Mao’s red braised pork, minced pork with pickled beans and jelly noodle, and plenty more.
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I was excited until I got to the “C” health rating ?
So you’re highlighting a restaurant that, “Eater also spotlighted Happy Hot Hunan back in July in an article covering the Chinese food scene between West 98th and 113th streets. However, the restaurant’s health grade is currently a C, and they were cited for several health breaches back in September.” Frankly, why patronize a restaurant with a C rating and several health breaches?
Moon Kee for Cantonese food on 100th and Broadway is great. Generally better than Chinatown.
Ordered in from Happy Hot Hunan as a result of this article and it may have been the worst Chinese food I’ve ever eaten.
That area is Harlem not upper west side ?. Stop supporting gentrification.
i’ve been eating at Happy Hot Hunan for several years now. Never had any issues with the food which is really authentic and good. Not worried about the grade. people who know how those inspections work, know that restaurants can be marked down for pretty random things.