What at hidden gem. The golden mall is located in the Chinatown of Flushing, NY. It was a little hard to find, I almost missed it (truly hidden indeed). There’s apparently two entrances to the underground market. The main one has a big yellow sign above the doorway with “Golden Mall” in red letters. The mall is actually split into two levels. The main entrance takes you to the top level. This is where you’ll find Xi An Famous Foods. This was on my list of places to try, but I knew it would be crowded (I had decided I wanted to go to their other, newer location). One thing to know before you enter. Most vendors in this mall only take cash. So definitely come with cash in hand.
I had two main stops on my mission here, Tian Jin Dumpling House and Chen Du Tian Fu. I’m a huge dumplings and noodles lover. After learning about all the authentic szechuan food in Flushing, I knew I had to make it a point to drive up to NY.
Chen Du Tian Fun was my first stop at the Golden Mall. Dan Dan Noodles is one of my favorite Sichuan dishes and this was THE place to get it. They use the numbing peppercorns in this dish. It was my first time trying this wonderful spice. I’ve had many spicy Sichuan dishes before, but none with the actual peppercorns. I got to the counter and was greeted with a friendly lady ready to take my order. To the right is a wall of photos of different types of Sichuan dishes and its prices. I got an order of the Dan Dan noodles for $5. I haven’t had delicious, authentic Chinese food in a while. This definitely hit the spot. It’s hard to find good, authentic Chinese food for that price nowadays.
A couple vendors down is Tianjin Dumpling House. You can’t miss it, there’s a big red sign over head with gold letter and a big arrow pointing to the vendor. On their was was an extensive menu with many different kinds of dumplings. You also have the choice of making your own too. The nice ladies there cook all the dumplings to order. Aside from dumplings, they also offer various meat and vegetable side dishes. You can even order frozen dumplings to take home and enjoy later. If I had been prepared and brought enough cash, I’d definitely have gotten some frozen ones. I got A3: pork, spinach, egg, chives, and shrimp; and A8: pork and cabbage. Both were so wonderfully delicious. I couldn’t help but to also get an order of the pumping tan yuan. Make sure you ask for the chili oil sauce. I got these to go to enjoy at home. Even when reheated, they were still great. Price: $5 for 12 dumplings. Can’t go wrong with that!
Initially, it was a tad hard to find both stalls, considering I did not know there were two levels to the mall. And then finding my way to the lower level was another story! Come here if you enjoy authentic chinese food, is an adventurous eater, and love spicy food. Don’t come if you are easily turned off by the looks of a grungy, dim-lit marketplace. You’d have to look past all that to enjoy the wonderful dishes this place offers.