Cafe China* (1/29/18)

Given that the Michelin Guide for New York City awards a star to only one Chinese restaurant, one might think that Cafe China would have the indubitable best Chinese food in the city.  I do not know what restaurant in the city has the best Chinese food, but I know that is not Cafe China.  The holes in the wall in Chinatown by and large serve much better Chinese food than what we found at Cafe China.  That is not to say that the food at Cafe China is bad.  In fact, it is quite good, but it is certainly not the best.

Where Cafe China outshines the restaurants in Chinatown is the decor.  Meant to bring you back to the opulence of the 1930s, Cafe China succeeds from the moment you step through the curtain into their dining room.  The canvases and posters on the wall transport you both to the 1930s and to China for the evening.  The sparse wooden furniture does little to distract from the rest of the decor and allow the patterns of the dishes to take center stage.

The Michelin Guide recommends the Pork Dumplings in Chili Oil as a starter, so we obliged their recommendation.  While the chili oil provided a unique flavor that I had not previously experienced, I would be hard-pressed to say that these dumplings were in any significant way better than the dumplings that can be found at the best dim sum houses in Chinatown.

For main courses, we followed the Michelin Guide's recommendations and ordered the Sauteed Duck with Ginger and the Eggplant Szechuan Style.  While both dishes were exceptional, the duck was not the best duck I have ever had at a Chinese restaurant in New York.  That honor would go to Wo Hop's Wor Shu Duck.  The duck was tender and succulent and properly accented with flavors, but it does not measure up to other duck I have eaten in Chinatown.  The eggplant provided the most unique experience.  It was unlike any other eggplant we had ever eaten, perfectly cooked and enhanced by the Szechuan flavors.

For the price (service included), there is no doubt the meal provided sufficient value, but we judge that this does not measure up to what we expect out of a star from the Michelin guide, nor is it by any means the best Chinese food in the city.  Perhaps the fact that it stands out from the homogeneity of Chinatown, which, while all good, are equally good, is how the Michelin Guide justifies awarding the star.  We disagree.

Food: Hit
Decor: Slam
Service: Miss