Xie Bao - Review - Hell's Kitchen - New York - The Infatuation
"Xie Bao in Flushing was one of our Best New Restaurants of 2024. Now, the crab-roe specialist has a casual sit-down storefront in Hell’s Kitchen. The crab roe noodles are just as creamy and comforting, and the crab roe meatballs in a lightly sweet, star anise-laced sauce remain delicious. We do miss the bustle of the original’s Queens food court setting, but the upside to this quieter dining room in Manhattan is that the menu is much more extensive, with seafood boils and reasonably priced lunch specials. Xie Bao is a great option for a reliable, delicious meal in the neighborhood, whether you’re in need of a pre-theater dinner or just a mid-day excuse to escape your desk for half an hour. The three-martini lunch is out, but the three-pound seafood boil lunch is in. Food Rundown Crab Roe Over Noodle Creamy, sweet, nutty, and briny—just as good as they are in Flushing, and still a must. photo credit: Molly Fitzpatrick Sweet And Sour Squirrel Fish Your choice of branzino or red snapper (the branzino’s the better vessel for these flavors) is scored, deep-fried until puffy and golden, and then doused in a thick, tangy sweet and sour sauce. Delicious, yes—and even more impressively, it’s a dish that knows how to strike a pose. photo credit: Molly Fitzpatrick Eel Rice Bowl Tender and lightly gingery. A solid option for a quick, satisfying lunch. Pan-Fried Yellow Croaker Yellow croaker appears on the menu at the Flushing Xie Bao, over rice or noodles, but not like this. The whole fish is shatteringly crisp, but not dry—it’s fatty and flavorful. photo credit: Molly Fitzpatrick Shrimp Seafood Boil There are splashier combinations available, with snow crab, dungeness, or king crab, but even the first option on the menu—with plump and juicy shrimp, mussels, clams, sausage, corn, and potatoes—is a great choice. It’s high in quality and in quantity, and could easily feed three or four. Every seafood boil at Xie Bao invites you to pick your own spice blend: Cajun, Chinese mala, garlic, or “Boom” (all three mixed). Embrace your inner maximalist and go for the Boom, because the heat, zest, and tingle harmonize into something better than the sum of their parts rather than getting muddled. photo credit: Molly Fitzpatrick" - Molly Fitzpatrick
