Peachy Picks Yunnan Kitchen Our Coverage Sponsored by Fresh Origins
Owner Erika Chou
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This is not what you think a typical Chinese joint would be! It's far better. It's not who you know, it's Whom You Know, and now Peachy Deegan knows periwinkles thanks to Owner Erika Chou's Yunnan Kitchen and our panelist who ordered them! If you are a seafood enthusiast like our Editor-in-Chief, these are a petite treat that you literally fish out of a tiny shell with a toothpick. Succulent little snails they are! We ventured way out of our geographic comfort zone to frequent the Lower East Side and Yunnan Kitchen was worth the trip.
Yunnan Kitchen was first featured in Tasty Tidbits:
And we are pleased to announce it has joined the ranks of Peachy's Picks.
We adored the quality Chinese food with no greasiness! Owner Erika Chou was gracious and pleasant (Note: her English is flawless-no issues here like you may have at restaurants less committed to the English language we worship-having a restaurant communicate properly is high on our list) and you'll find the atmosphere at Yunnan Kitchen friendly and with neighborhood banter. Every table we saw was busy and though this has only been open since May 2012, it is a clearcut winner already.
In the wide world of Chinese food, Peachy's favorite are spare ribs and roast pork fried rice. She always orders these everywhere, and the closest version to this was the Ground Pork and Chicken Fried Rice which was supremely delicious. Long beans and house pickled shallots rounded out this fantastic concoction and this is comfort food at its best.
The angel of nutrition on Peachy's shoulder named Bloomberg after our favorite mayor ordered Chinese Greens accentuated by crushed garlic. This achieved a terrific balance to the meal; they were fresh and crunchy and full of color (probably vitamins too!) Note that this concept is Chinese Tapas; of course, the idea of Tapas descends from Spanish cuisine but the idea is several small plates so no matter what you order, these Greens will go well with it and you should try them!
Peachy is a fan of seafood and Steamed Market Fish is a hot option each night, and is recommended by Erika. Filet of Red Snapper was the fish the night we dined, and it was paired with mushrooms and chives that enhanced the flavor. Peachy had one glass of Italian sparkling wine that she'd order again-Catarratto, Gazerra (Sicily) 2011 which we believe is on tap-so, no picture of the bottle.
Some crunchy Coconut Cookies (sans fortune) and the night was complete!
Our esteemed panelist adds:
What a great surprise Yunnan was to discover! I loved it. I grew up eating incredible Chinese food in New York’s Chinatown. It was mainly Cantonese and was super! Yunnan played with my concepts of what Chinese food should taste and look like. I very much subscribe to the tapas style of dining. The space felt perfect for the locale. It was chic and dark with exposed brick and screamed Lower East Side. It looked warm and inviting and contrasted with my preconceived notions of what a Chinese restaurant should look like. Right away I knew I was in for a treat. It was as if it was in bold letters screaming at me to order it – PERIWINKLES.
I adore this little treat from the sea, and it is such a rare occurrence to find it on a menu! Suddenly a steaming bowl of periwinkles with cured pork, chilies and garlic arrived with a small container of toothpicks used to extract the meat. It was amazing! It is a dish you need to work for to enjoy but it was worth it every time the meat was freed from its shell.
Next was the lamb meatballs grilled on skewers. They were spiced to perfection, a nice medium rare and a delicious treat on a stick and who doesn’t love meat on a stick!
My last dish was steamed egg custard topped with preserved mushrooms. It was soft and delectable with the right amount of firmness topped with a well cooked and seasoned variety of mushrooms.
But here is what I love about tapas style dining because I wasn’t done with my tasting experience. I was able to share in some epic dishes that I didn’t order. First off the Chinese greens with crushed garlic that was excellent. There is nothing better than green simply prepared and seasoned with garlic. It was very well done and excellent. Next there arrived a large bowl of ground pork and chicken fried rice which looked insanely good. What I loved was the ground pork. This is a huge difference to what I am used to eating. It is a wise and tasty choice. I could have eaten two bowls of this friend rice! It really is that good. Last but not least was a whole market steamed fish with chives and rice wine. A beautiful whole white fish came, and it was a show stopper. It was exactly what it was supposed to be. It was tender and firm at the same time. The flavors were great and didn’t overpower the delicate nature of the fish.
To sum up Yunnan – the food is excellent, the crowd is lovely and the atmosphere is downtown and hip. Go here! And go here soon! The food is such a pleasure, and I cannot wait to go back for more!
Peachy Picks Yunnan Kitchen!
Yunnan Kitchen is Recommended by Whom You Know.
