Just flavored noodles.
NYC tops the list when it comes to Chinese food in the United States, according to Yelp.
The popular review site ranked Queens restaurant Maxi’s Noodle number one in its new list of the 100 best Chinese restaurants – much to the delight of the owner, who traded a corporate job for the rigors of the restaurant.
“I just want to scream right now,” Maxi Lau-O’Keefe, 35, told The Post after learning her seemingly modest hoax had come to light.
Currently with two Flushing locations, the casual eatery is known for its oversized wontons.
“The wontons are different in my store because they’re oversized — traditional Hong Kong or Cantonese wontons, they’re bite-sized,” said Lau-O’Keefe, who left an HR job at Home Depot for feed foods full time.
“I have people say to me, ‘Why don’t you make it smaller?’ And I’m like, “No, sorry, no sorry.”
Catering to pious foodies and homesick Hong Kongers, the brawler said she is proud to be able to produce a product that “warms souls and brings back memories”.
In fact, Lau-O’Keefe said she opened Maxi’s to honor her late mother, who died of cancer.
“The main reason I opened Maxi’s Noodle was because of my mom,” said the dumpling seller, who moved to NYC from HK in 1997. “It was always her dream to open a restaurant.”
Maxi’s joined eight other Big Apple spots on the chili-packed list. Yelp awarded sales by business rating and volume of reviews, they said.
The ranking suggested that Americans are largely tiring of white cardboard fodder like General Tso’s chicken — increasingly seeking “authentic specialties from across China,” a representative wrote.
The first Maxi’s location, located at 135-11 38th Ave in Flushing, boasts 4.6 stars on 712 reviews at the time of writing.
Hong Kong-style noodle bowls make up the bulk of the menu. A new branch recently debuted on bustling Main Street in the pot hot spot.
Choices at Maxi’s include duck noodles and another garnished with beef that has been simmered for 6-7 hours until tender.
But the most popular combination comes with scratch-made wontons featuring three different types of shrimp and a dollop of pork in a giant, bag-like wrapper.
Fortunately, most people seem to be using the plus-sized pleasure pouches – custom-wrapped for maximum flavor and silkiness.
“This is as authentic as it gets,” said Yelp Elite reviewer Joanna M, adding that “everything is made fresh” and “the wontons are the biggest I’ve had.”
In October, the noodle parlor was featured on The Drew Barrymore Show’s “Pro Tip With Pilar” segment; Chef Pilar Valdes visited the Hong Kong hotspot and then recreated some of the recipes for Barrymore on the square.
In addition to the throngs of locals eager to get a taste of the homeland, the shop has also attracted hordes of hungry folks thanks, in part, to its famous Yelp status.
The business is also frequently promoted by the now ubiquitous food purveyors – such as Instagram content creator @curly.edgy, whose Maxi video has reportedly reached over a million views in two and a half weeks.
“She had a hundred thousand followers, and then they’re all Latino,” Lau-O’Keefe said. “I’ve been getting a lot of Latinos in my shop lately, eating.”
In January, Maxi’s will open a third Manhattan location — at 68 Mott Street in Chinatown.
Another NYC spot made the Top 10 – Chang Lai Fishballs & Noodles at 55B Bayard St. in Chinatown sailed in 5th place. It is known for its fragrant curry fish balls – a popular street snack in Hong Kong – served in a bowl of delicious rice noodles.
Other local announcements near the top of the list included Chili in Manhattan’s Garment District at 16th Place (15 E. 37th St.) — thanks to its authentic spicy and tangy Sichuan dishes like dan dan noodles and mapo tofu . The vegetarian antidote in Williamsburg (66 S. 2nd St., Brooklyn), a Sichuanese spot sprung from Shanghai that serves all tastes with hearty meaty fare like dongpo pork along with mushroom egg tofu and side dishes. other herbivore-friendly, came in at no. 22.
Yelp’s Top 20 Chinese Restaurants:
- Maxi’s Noodle (135-11 38th Ave Flushing, New York)
- Jayd Bun (South Kingstown, Rhode Island)
- Dumpling Yo! (Sacramento, California)
- Lily’s Restaurant (Amherst, Massachusetts)
- Chang Lai Fishballs & Noodles (55B Bayard St. New York)
- Mama Chow’s Kitchen (Portland, Oregon)
- Wagyu House by the X Pot (Rowland Heights, California)
- China Mama – Shanghai Plaza (Las Vegas, Nevada)
- Tian Fu DIY Hotpot (Corvallis, Oregon)
- Oyama BBQ (Newark, California)
- Pepper House (Ellicott City, Maryland)
- Kwok’s Bistro (Reno, Nevada)
- TJ’s Shanghai Dumplings (Madison Heights, Michigan)
- Meet Dumpling (San Diego, California)
- Shang Artisan Noodle – Flamingo Road (Las Vegas, Nevada)
- CHILI (13 E 37th St, New York, New York).
- Corner 21 Chinese Kitchen (Springfield, Missouri)
- Delicious Dumplings (Lowell, Massachusetts)
- The Magic Noodle (Las Vegas, Nevada)
- Wok’s Deli (Norwalk, California)
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Image Source : nypost.com