Return to Sender - New York's NoMad Arrives in L.A. - Mezzanine [Thoughts + Pics]

Mission Chinese is a restaurant in San Francisco’s Mission Distict that opened an outlet in NY several years later. It’s California food. Though it’s nice to know New Yorkers like it enough to claim as their own. :slight_smile:

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I wouldn’t call Mission Chinese “California food.” The original had a very SF-centric menu inspired by Danny Bowien’s favorite dishes at various Asian restaurants in the city. His NY place has a much longer and more ambitious menu of mostly new dishes he developed after he moved there.

https://www.missionchinesefood.com/sfo/#sf-menu-anchor

https://www.missionchinesefood.com/nyc/#ny-menu-anchor

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Okay. I haven’t eaten at Mission Chinese NY, so I defer to you. The San Francisco version I consider California food. We’ve started so many Asian-fusion trends, which then make their way across the country.

Having spent time in both Gothams, I’d agree with that. But I just feel all the energy and momentum right now is swinging in LA’s favor.

Spending more in time in NYC the past year and so far dining scene has been quite disappointing after a decade’s absence. Either my palate has become more sophisticated or NYC has really fallen behind the rest of the major world cities - me thinks its the latter resting on its old laurels.

Grocery shopping is pretty awful, terrible QPR in lower end and mid range dining scene … $16 for a bowl of pho / ramen. Asian scene is not great, Chinese food is downright awful (Flushing ain’t worth the hike), no wonder all the chinese college kids hang out at high end sushi bars… don’t blame em. Only saving grace is curry hill for half decent indian. Wtf no decent patisseries??? Michelin ratings are a total dud at 1* level.

Wonder why Brooklyn gets all the hype… LA is a wayyyyy cooler hipster city.

NYTimes and Eater NY all need some new blood… fucking hopeless and out of touch

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Hahhahahah somewhere Aesthete is saying I told you so!

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In some cases, I wish we could get what works in New York here. Witness abcV, which is divine. Instead Vongerichten brought us the mediocre The Rooftop by JG and the boring looking Jean-Georges which looks too '90’s retro to even try.

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When I left Popeyes with a 9-piece meal the cook came out of the back and wouldn’t let me take it because of the bones. Ok no.

Seriously, are they idiots?

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I find that be mildly gauche but I do think it was classy that they offered to send you home with some broth.

Mildly gauche to ask for the bones or to be denied the request when you’ve spent $100 on what was supposed to be an entire chicken?

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Call Mission Chinese whatever you want, but it’s just not very good. It’s an accurate reflection of the state of Sichuan cuisine in both SF and NYC (or lack thereof)

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We’ve gotten take-out a couple of times a few years ago from the SF one. I loved it but thought of it as “fusion” not Sichuan.

I really like it, but I don’t think of it as Sichuan. I mean, Danny Bowien was born in Korea and grew up in Oklahoma. It’s just good food. God bless America. :slight_smile:

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The NYC menu has a lot more Sichuan-ish dishes than the SF one.

I tried the SF place once, before Bowein moved to NYC, and found it too hit-and-miss to bother going back.

There are a few good Sichuan places in the Bay Area, though I think not on the level of Chengdu Taste.

Someone should drown in it and sue them. That’ll teach them a lesson about the whole chicken bone thing.

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So does the L.A. menu mean we don’t get a whole chicken? But in NY, they do? What kind of patronizing tomfoolery is that?

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F that. LA has some great chicken dishes already.

Isaan Station’s Gai Yang with sticky rice and papaya salad.

Pollo Ala Brasa Western, wood fire Peruvian Roast Chicken with Aji sauce.

At this moment I really don’t care for these NYC Chefs. I am more into the specialists of Asian and Mexican cuisines. That gets me excited.

I rather eat from some unknown person cooking up a speciality from their culture than any big name NYC Chef. And that ain’t no f’ing joke

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The roasted chicken at Republique is $39, but I’ve never tried it. I thought the roasted chicken at Zuni Cafe in SF was quite good, but it was around $70. It’s not that hard to spatchcock at chicken at home BTW!

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Good reading, r. Worth a phone call?

I fix the Zuni chicken and my only problem is finding a small one.

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