Potluck Club is one of those new Asian restaurants designed to feel a bit like a night market. It’s a very welcoming intriguing ambiance when you step inside.
It lies in a unique area of the city that is really where Chinatown and the Lower East Side come together. You can see the hip LES crowd mingling with the classic Cantonese dishes of historic Chinatown. The young owners grew up in Chinatown themselves and so understand New York and understand this food.
And I’m pleased to say the dish I tried lived up to the expectations set by the sleek restaurant design.
I’m not sure why but the Chow Mein is only available on the brunch menu so while others rave about the dinner specialities like Tiger Shrimp or Salt & Pepper Fried Chicken, I felt like I got to experience a somewhat secret off-the-dinner-menu dish.
Chow mein, of course is one of the classic Cantonese plates that you can find on every American-Chinese menu. It can sometimes be a bit greasy and sweet.
This plate is a masterful rendition of stir-fried noodles. The toothsome soy sauce-slicked noodles are packed with flavor enhanced by meaty succulent hanger steak, aromatic and deeply flavorful garlic chives, and crisp bok choy.
It was really addicting and practically perfect on its own, but they served a chili sauce on the side that was fantastic and brought this dish from a 10 to a 1,000. The secret sauce was so good that I had to ask for more. The waitress knowingly hinted that is a common request.
While I could tell the design here is geared toward evening feasting, there are some real good reasons to stop by here while the sun is still shining. Price: $22
| POTLUCK CLUB |
| 133 Chrystie Street (between Delancey and Broome Streets), Lower East Side |
| thepotluckclubny.com |
