Anyone who’s ever gotten off the 7 train in Flushing and walked to the Queens Botanical Garden knows that the majority of the area’s Chinese eateries and businesses are clustered around the northern end of Main Street. As you move further south, Indian sari shops, chaat houses and grocery stores start to appear. But lately a handful of Chinese restaurants have elbowed into the southern end; one such newcomer is Oriental Express Food Garden, which took over the old Rajbhog Sweets space.
What makes this three-week old spot interesting is that it offers both Northern Chinese and Korean fare under one roof. To clarify, this place isn’t doing some sort of Chinese-Korean fusion: Oriental Express Food Garden might have one roof, but it has two counters, one for Korean food and one for Northern Chinese. Think of it as a more diminutive version of Flushing’s other food courts.
The first thing you see upon entering is the Korean area, which has a small selection of banchan and offers such dishes as bibimbap, sundubu jjigae and a soup that looks it contains half a chicken. The signs accompanying the pictures of Korean food in the window are written in Korean, but those at the counter are in Chinese. (The partners in this business know their neighborhood.) Since it’s a cafeteria-style joint, don’t be surprised if there’s no raw egg to drop into your sundubu. Other than that, the fiery stew is pitch perfect. The minicauldron comes to the table still boiling and bobbing with fresh tofu, baby octopus, mushrooms and mussels.
Bring a friend so you can try some Northern Chinese grub too. And don’t sweat the fact that the red plastic sign at the back counter is in Chinese; the friendly proprietress, from Shandong, is happy to translate. If you aren't down with the various pancakes or other dough products that she says are typically eaten with congee and pickled vegetables, opt for the lan zhou la mian. It's a mellow soup teeming with beef and plenty of long strands of toothsome hand-pulled noodles.
If you still feel a need to try some dough products, the xiao long bao aren't bad. The English menu doesn't bill them as soup dumplings, so their lack of juiciness is easily forgiven. Jiu cai he zi, on the other hand is like a Chinese calzone. It's chock full of chives, eggs, baby shrimp and bean thread. Add a cup of hot soy milk and some tea to end your feast with a complete breakfast.
Oriental Express Food Garden, 42-47 Main St., Flushing, 718-888-0553
