Location: 15 Greenwich Avenue New York, NY 10014
Cuisine: Asian
Items: 2 appetizers, 2 drinks, 2 entrees, 1 dessert
Cost: $100.00 (with 20% tip)
Best Dish: Ocean Medley Soup, the best value with such a wide assortment of seafood.
Overall: A great place for new foodies to immerse themselves in various flavors and textures.
On a breezy evening my companion and I wandered into the west village to visit Niu Noodle House. In Asian culture noodles are an important addition to many meals. Whether stir fried with vegetables or as part of a simmering soup, noodles in their various forms give a meal substance. The noodles of Niu aren’t only delicious they are a one of a kind treat as they are made daily by the head chef. We started the night off with a round of bubble tea. For those who don’t know bubble tea is a sweet flavored beverage that contains tiny orbs or “bubbles” of colored tapioca. Its like a milk shake with floating pieces of candy. Tea cleansed and readied our palates for our first course. For appetizers we chose the pork and crab meat soup dumpling and Truffle Shao Mei. A soup dumpling requires some finesse as its dough outer layer encased scalding broth and meat a.k.a soup. To be eaten properly you must place the dumpling on the soup spoon, poke it with a chop tick, then drink the broth from the spoon and finally enjoy the dumpling. Having a ritual in order to enjoy these tiny morsels made them all the more delicious. The succulent bits of real crab meat and seasoned pork worked well together both as a broth and in solid form.
Shao Mei is a denser dumpling with dough gathered at the top. Traditionally this style of dumpling is served filled with meat, leaks and bamboo. Niu House’s version includes the rich flavor of truffles for an extra bit of decadence.
The dumpling whet our appetites for our main courses, Ocean Medley Soup and Crispy Shrimp with Walnuts. Seafood lovers must try the Ocean medley, it is packed with a divine mix of marine life. Mussels, Shrimp, Scallops and crab combine in light broth with mixed vegetables and a hard-boiled egg. As this is a noodle house patrons are invited to choose their own soup noodle or enjoy the chef’s pick. The options available include egg noodles, wheat noodles as well as wide noodles. We opted for chef’s choice and enjoyed a generous helping of thick udon noodles.
Though noodles take center stage we opted to sample one of the chef’s other specialties. The Crispy Shrimp with walnuts is composed of several jumbo shrimp tossed in a honey mayo sauce and fried lightly. The shrimp are served with candied walnuts steamed broccoli and white rice. The flavor and texture is indescribable. At first bite they are crunchy and sweet then suddenly the sauce kicks in with a creaminess followed by firm well done shrimp.
After such a savory meal we needed something sweet but light. Having heard rave reviews of the light crepe cake we ordered it only to find it had sold out! As a runner-up we sampled the mango shaved ice instead. The ice cream like dish is served with an assortment of citrus tapioca “pearls” and bits. The creamy texture and balance or sweet and tart flavors was a great end to a good meal.
For about 100.00 we took a culinary journey to Asia, sampling a few well known dishes. This small west village eatery is charming and warm with a surprising street cafe feel. The decor and relaxed staff add to the dining adventure ensuring a great experience.
All Food Images were taken with the Samsung Galaxy Note II.
