The Met & Flushing Dinner: Xinjiang BBQ Cart, Imperial Palace and The Peking Duck Stall

The next day, J and I explored the majestic beauty that is The Metropolitan Museum of Art.  I am seriously not sure what took me so long to finally visit this museum, but it has to be one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.

Period.

Love it.

If you haven't been, please go.  I feel it has ruined all other museums for me (aside from City Museum!).

Here are a few snapshots, but seriously, this museum must be experienced.

One of my favorite rooms in The Met complete with Egyptian ruins and sphinxes.

What I'm going to do if my husband cheats on me.  Muahaha.

 What do you do after visually feasting on gorgeous archeological delights?

You chow down in Chinatown Flushing, yo!

Everytime I go to Flushing, I head straight for the $1 skewers cart, more formally known as the Xinjiang BBQ Cart outside of Chase Bank (39th & Main St).   I just cannot eat anything else.  Must. Have. Lamb. Skewers!

This smoky cart is pure perfection.  They sell three types of meat skewers: chicken, beef and lamb, cooked over a rectangular metal box containing  hot coals, and all for a $1 a piece.  I literally can eat 20 of these skewers.  At least.  I love them that much.  The vendor speaks limited English, but one word transcends all barriers: "Spicy?"  And the answer is ALWAYS yes.  Just do it.  Even if it gives you acid reflux.  It's worth it.

I always get lamb skewers.  I haven't tried any other kind, but I know that the lamb is absolutely magnificent, and as you can see above, fat pieces are well placed between the meaty pieces to produce a juicy, tender, ridiculously spicy, cumin-infused carnivorous sensation.  OMGLOVEITSOMUCH.  This is one of my most favorite foods in all of New York.  And for $1!

I used to go to Flushing only during the day because I was not sure if the skewer cart man was there at night (I'm obsessed!).  But with the help of a bilingual skewer-lover, I learned that this cart is open until midnight!  If only I lived in Flushing, I would eat these skewers as a nightcap everyday.  I'll settle for living by the 7 train though.

With appetizers down, J and I head to the Imperial Palace Seafood Restaurant to try their infamous dungeness crab sticky rice entree noted in the NY Times guide to Flushing. 

Tools to eat the sticky rice

Imperial Palace's signature dish: dungeness crab with sticky rice.  Large enough to feed two or three.

  

The rice was seasoned with salty dried shrimp and scallions.  I thought the dish was good but not great.  I felt the crab did not add much to flavor the rice, and at $35/entree, it's a bit steep.  I wish I had bought 35 lamb skewers instead!  Glad we tried it though since I've been lusting after it ever since seeing it in the NYT feature.

The complimentary dessert was a nice treat though: canned longans and canned pineapple.

After, I showed J other nooks and crannies in Flushing including the charming Peking Duck stall specializing in $1 Peking duck buns.  We grabbed one for dessert.

Perfect flavor and lots of duck skin (muahaha!)

I always have the same problem when I go to Flushing.  My eyes are bigger than my stomach.  There is just way too much to eat.  Aah!  I can't wait for Diana to come visit in NYC soon so that we can conquer more of our favorite Chinatown!

Xinjiang BBQ Cart

39th & Main St

Flushing, NY

Imperial Palace

13613 37th. Avenue

Flushing, NY

 

Peking Duck Stall

Main St & 40th

Flushing, NY