Hunan Slurp Shop may just become a very welcomed neighbor in the East Village, as their soft opening last week proved just how distinguished they are among all the redundancy that is plaguing Manhattan.
The space, located right off the M15 SBS bus at 1st avenue between East 6th and 7th street, is one that took more than a year of development and preparation to come together. Hunan Slurp Shop is moderately sized, with a limited amount of seats which is crucial knowledge to know once this place really blows up as getting a reservation might be tricky given just how great the food is.
It is being promoted as New York’s first Hunan regional rice noodle bistro. So what does that exactly mean? It is derived from their chef & food artist Chao Wang, who grew up in Hengyang which is part of the Hunan province of China.
According to his official bio, Chao has a deep understanding of food that is deeply rooted in the slurping sound-filled little alleys and what his grandmother has cooked. He spent 25 years of his life as an oil painting artist, and has taken that experience and put that onto some delicious plates of food which he considers to be an extension of his art rather than a new venture.
The flavor that Chef Wang is able to get into each and every dish is unbelievably incredible. The heat could be too much for some to handle, but its all worth it in the end. Notable dishes that show just what a talented chef he is happens to be Fish Fish Fillet Mifen (pictured above) with homemade chopped chili sauce.
He slow simmers the pork bone overnight and adds in wok-fried fish, boil until the soup turns milky white. And then, you dive in. And after that, you are left with a smile on your face as the taste from the pork bone and the fish blend beautifully together, making it one scrumptious dish.
If you are looking for some cold dishes to calm your palate down, then their Spare Rib and Cucumber plates are fantastic as well. Overall, this soft opening was a major success and I am hopeful that Chef Wang’s dishes will be quite popular this summer and beyond.
For more information on Hunan Slurp Shop, please check out their official website.