Han Dynasty was the newest Chinese craze this year which opened in the East Village and came from Philly. The lines can be long, and on Sunday night the restaurant is bustling with take -out orders and people trying to find a seat. We snagged two chairs at the bar around six o’clock easily and watched the restaurant transform from a quiet little room to a loud madhouse where we could barely hear each other speak. The service slowed down a lot as you can tell the kitchen was slammed and our food was no where to be found. However, this Chinese food is perfect for the neighborhood, spicy and offers several great options that will keep you coming back or ordering just so you can try all options. From dumplings, to spring rolls, wonton soup, noodles and options of all kinds of entrees like Black Bean Style, Scallion Style, Salt ‘n Pepper, Long Hot Pepper, etc. Most have protein selections from Beef, Pork, Chicken, Shrimp, Tofu. The Dan Dan Noodles are sticky in texture and spicy from the chili oil that it’s cooked in and sitting atop. It’s served with minced pork and basically like a Chinese version of spaghetti and meat sauce. I absolutely loved the King Pao Style Chicken with peanuts, celery and chili peppers. The chicken is cut into little pieces almost like chicken poppers. It’s the good kind of white meat chicken that you can feel good about as opposed to some places that have that questionable meat. It has a sweet and spicy kick to it that’s addicting. It’s a pretty large portion, so great for sharing.
Dan Dan Noodles
We also tried the Hot Sauce Style Beef with cabbage and celery in an authentic Sichuan chili oil hot sauce. I was underwhelmed by this dish. It was extremely spicy but lacked a powerful flavor that I look for in Chinese cuisine. I prefer a bit sweeter of a dish, too. It was soupy, but if you are into this and a rice lover, you’d like it because it can soak it up. The side of cabbage is a great veggie and other options include Eggplant, Tofu and Green Beans. Han Dynasty serves that craveable Chinese food you look for once a week. They do take-out and delivery and I’d definitely recommend this over eating there if you don’t want to wait.
Kung Pao Chicken