Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
Aptly Named Chicken Dish at Flushing's Canton Gourmet
By
Joe DiStefano
Published Nov 30, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Joe DiStefano
Published Nov 30, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Years ago before the nearby Flushing Mall opened, Prince Street near 38 Ave. was well known for the "octopus guy", a friendly gent who grilled up skewers of baby octopus, among other things. When he vanished, we barely frequented that block. The other restaurants just never held much appeal; instead we stuck to Little Pepper, a nearby bastion of fiery Sichuan flavor. Largely because of the crowds and the huge posters of its specials Gothamist had always been curious about a spot with the auspicious name Canton Gourmet. Thanks to a Chowhound post that whet our appetite, we finally ventured inside last night.
There was only one other solo diner in the joint; the rest of the tables were filled with families. So we sipped some tea and munched on a small dish of salted peanuts while perusing Canton Gourmet's encyclopedic menu. After glancing at the 175-item roster that included all the usual suspects plus some more challenging items like an appetizer of salt baked snail and an entrée of pig intestine with sour mustard, we were quite overwhelmed. And then we looked up and saw a poster with a Shrek-sized portion of golden-skinned chicken chunks showered with fried garlic and chives. The photo was appetizing but it was the dish's name that sold us: Famous Garlic Aromatic Crispy Chicken. Leaving aside the grammatical issue of whether the garlic itself was famous or the entire dish, we chose our second item, sautéed hollow cress.
One taste of the garlic-infused shin hong gai, with its crunchy Beijing duck like skin and toothsome tender flesh, and we knew that it's the entire dish that deserves the designation "famous," not just the garlic. The crunchy shards of pungency are aptly described as "aromatic." Crunching on salty bits of fried skin and bone reminded us of tea-smoked duck sans smoke. Bai fung tong, or stewed hollow cress, brought even more garlicky goodness to the party in the form of tender whole cloves. We can't wait to bring a crew to this place and dig deeper into its menu. And if anyone's feeling especially flush then they can pop for the $150 portion of shark's fin with crab meat.
Canton Gourmet, 38-08 Prince Street, Flushing, 718-886-9288
Tagged
baby
beijing
Canton
chicken
flushing
flushing mall
food
gothamist
In the 'Hood
prince
prince street
restaurants
Joe DiStefano
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
Can opening a restaurant in a New York museum turn the food into a work of art?
These city institutions — including museums, galleries, and auction houses — are hoping customers will find a luxurious meal to be as appealing as the priceless works on the walls.
By
Joshua David Stein
Published Nov 4, 2026
Why NYC restaurants are playing coy about sustainability
Though it has multiple benefits, the practice remains popular for one basic reason: it saves money.
By
Samantha Dady
Food
Why NYC restaurants are playing coy about sustainability
Though it has multiple benefits, the practice remains popular for one basic reason: it saves money.
By
Samantha Dady
Where are the cheapest drinks in NYC? A new report details the city's average prices.
By
Hannah Frishberg
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
By
Robert Sietsema
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
By
Robert Sietsema
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .