"The Show: Seafood Crispy Rice Soup At this Sichuan restaurant in Flushing, a group dinner isn’t complete without big platters of mapo tofu, Tibet-style spare ribs served in a gilded birdcage, and the seafood crispy rice soup. A giant mound of crispy rice is served on top of a large bowl of shrimp- and baby-corn laden soup, and when it arrives at your table, your server will crack the rice open with the back of a spoon like an archaeologist. It’s not the most exciting, but it’s definitely strategic, because as soon as the rice is cracked into the soup it begins to lose its crunchiness. Eat it quickly—the combination of crispy rice and rich, smoky soup is what makes this dish special." - willa moore, molly fitzpatrick, sonal shah, will hartman
