Gary L.
Yelp
Difference between Chinese takeout in Elmhurst and Forest Hills? Well, in the hood, they don't charge you extra dollar for your sweet and sour chicken sauce on the side. At Taste of China, it just normally comes like that. Chinese takeout spots in Forest Hills is an absolute rip off compared to the takeout spots in the densely diverse minority neighborhoods like Elmhurst, Woodside, Jackson Heights, and Corona.
Taste of China is located directly across the street from Elmhurst Hospital's Emergency Room. It's a little hole in a wall. The place looks real crummy both inside and out. However, the food and service, it's reputable. 2 people I know in the neighborhood recommended it, so I gave it try. The cashier lady taking orders is nice. She can speak and understand English. It's a cash only spot.
For lunch I ordered their beef with broccoli w/ pork fried rice and sweet and sour chicken w/ pork fried rice as well. The beef w/ broccoli was very saucy. Your typical takeout type. Nothing was under or overcooked. The beef was nice and tender and the broccoli did not taste old or mushy. The pork fried rice here is pretty good. Yellow texture, it almost taste like arroz amarillo yellow rice. As for the sweet and sour chicken, the deep fried goodness was actually really good. Nice golden color and there's actually chunks of chicken in each bite. The sweet and sour chicken in Forest Hills was nothing but deep fried batter and a string of chicken. The only complaint I have here is their sweet and sour sauce. I found their sauce too watered down and mellow. I would prefer a darker shade of red and for it to be more gooey and slimey so that it sticks onto the chicken better for each bite.
Verdict - If you're looking for a very cheap spot to fill you up that won't break your wallet, Taste of China is certainly the way to go. Two of my orders came out under $11 w/ soda. I recommend Taste of China just for their lunch specials.
