Luo Yang Center Chinese Restaurant

36-58 Main Street, Flushing NY 11354
(718) 886-6686

Celebrating their newness and addition of more tables to seat their recently acquired devotees, this beautifully decorated, high-ceiling establishment is giving 30% off to introduce their dim sum delicacies Monday through Fridays at lunch time during this month of September. Run, don't walk, to enjoy to enjoy both savories and savings.

Luo Yang was once the capital of China, as a matter of fact, nine of the great dynasties of China used Luo Yang as their capital city. Since the seventh century Tang dynasty when empress Wu Tze Tien served some terrific repasts, the Luo Yang style banquet has been famous.

This cuisine is special! Unfortunately, it is little known in this country. Chef Dong Xue Li, from that city, is the highest grade master chef (three classifications of this title exist plus a fourth for those whose performance is above all those; such is the title of Dong). His exquisite ability and attention to different and unusual tastes are reflected in the foods of Luo Yang Center Chinese Restaurant.

Wonderful noodles in soup (served in a tureen), rice dishes, pan fried noodle and rice dishes, and special lunches can also be had to "dot the heart" of your dim sum choices. They arrive for your selection on sterno-heated stainless steel wagons. I loved the Braised and Soft Noodles with Seafood in Hot Sauce on one occasion, but then was too full to enjoy any of the dim sum that came by.

Another day, I limited myself to only dim sum and devoured two orders of Scallion Pancakes, and one each of Chicken Feet (in a deep brown sauce), Soup Dumplings (that required special ordering), Bean Curd Packages (that saw sheets of bean curd wrapping chicken and a variety of vegetables), and Har Gao (those very special steamed shrimp dumplings in paper-thin dough).

At dinner another day, I enjoyed Thousand Layer Eggplant (also available as a special at lunch). It was not layered but dozens upon dozens of slices cut into each of six halves of eggplant; they were not cut all the way through allowing ever so many surfaces to lap up the sauce. Must confess that I did not eat all of them. At lunch the next day, I brought them to work and my colleagues who consumed them are now regular Luo Yang customers.

Lamb Casserole with Garlic Sauce was good, Braised Fresh Eel even better, and Hog's Leg with Special Sauce, even better than that. Beef and Vermicelli Casserole, Vancouver Crab, and Boneless Deep Fried Flounder with Lettuce Vegetable were terrific, too. So were the other two dozen items I've tasted to date from General Tso's Chicken, especially the Hand Stretched Noodles, and the Ling Bao Marinated Jujube in Chinese Wine. One day I hope to brag that I've tried every item on the menu.

A Luo Yang Banquet for ten costs $295.00. It comes with Assorted Appetizers, a Mixed Seafood Dish, Chopped Whole Lobster with Mixed Vegetables, a Steamed Carp, and nine other dishes. I'm looking for table-mates...want to join me and try this distinguished banquet cuisine?