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Restaurant ReviewJiang Li Restaurant (Flushing in Queens NY)
| (718) 321-1262
| 44-18 Kissna Blvd.,
Flushing, NY 11355
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Reviewed by: Jacqueline M. Newman
Spring Volume: 2011 Issue: 18(1) page: 26
 This is David Liang's newest place. You may remember his 42-85 Main Street place called Hong Li Shun. This eatery is bigger, its foods better. Sam Bo and his wife Lydia, both related to David, are running back and front of the house, respectively. They are from Dalian, and Chef Bo's food from there is delicious.
The menu here is massive, almost two hundred dishes; in addition there are thirty-two lunch items that come with free soup and a vegetable. If you do not know Dalian, it is in the Dongbei region, a set of China's three northeastern provinces literally translated as east-north. Dalian is in the Liaoning Province, its second largest provincial city that is loaded with richly constructed foods. Worry not if you know them not, simply ask for the hard-copy menu and see about one-quarter of them in full-color photographs. They all look luscious, taste great, too. Begin with the Jelly Fish with Cucumber; a better rendition is hard to find. Another great appetizer is Beef Tendon with Red Chili Sauce. It is available hot or cold; we prefer the former. Terrific is the ten-piece Lamb Dumpling order; sauce with them is never to be wasted. There are many other appetizers, cold and hot; so try as many as you can. Beef Roll is loaded with shin beef and scallions, it is wonderful, too. So far, we have tried about twenty percent of the menu, and other than Fried Jellyfish Head with Sesame oil, all are wonderful. Velvet Chicken Corn Soup is very velvety. Pork Skin with lots of garlic is not to be missed. Crab Vermicelli is a great casserole, so is the Pork with Sour Cabbage Casserole. Salt Pepper Frogs are fried and fantastic, as is the Lamb with Cumin which sits on lots of chopped lettuce. It is addictive, too. We could go on and on. One day, we order Tuna with Special Sauce and are ready to be disappoi nted as it arrives but is not tuna. This butterfish comes in a finger-licking brown sauce and is phenomenal. Sea Cucumber with Pumpkin could not be better, nor could the Hunan Pepper Fish Head. Green Onion with Shredded Kidney is wonderful, so are the Dried Tofu Fresh Hot Pepper, and the Eggplant with Garlic Sauce. This chef has a light hand with greens, and his Tong Hao (Garland chrysanthemum) is tender and not a second overcooked. There are twenty-three vegetable selections, some made with meat. If you are a vegetarian you need to speak up. Ask that a dish be made totally vegetarian. This chef accommodates. Do not skip the Chinese Mushroom Cabbage, the Triple Delight Vegetables, nor the Shredded Potato in Vinegar sauce, all are winners. We plan to keep going back to try more of the dishes here. Speaking of back, go to the back which is off Elder Avenue for parking; it is free and almost always has empty spaces.
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