August Gatherings ..MANHATTAN CHINATOWN

Regional Dining Discussions New York City
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HI…Still getting used to this format as opposed to CH…

So will begin slowly and please let me know if I did anything wrong with this post.

We have not been out to eat in the homeland–Manhattan–for a long time (partner medical issues which are slowly resolving) with a few exceptions.

.I did have lunch at Joe’s Rice Roll last week…my advice is to get the special rice roll–the one with only the roast pork is nothing special. Inside the Canal Street Market…walk in only but I’ve been at various lunch hours and never had a problem grabbing a seat at the long tables…

Nice rest rooms…brought me back a few years to a rest room in a Flushing mall where over the sink I spotted this sign:

"NO VOMIT SINK IN’

Just read about this place–August Gatherings…anyone here care to give a comment?? Reviews on other sites–you know of what I am talking…mention overpriced… I have no budget but do not want to pay high if not warranted…

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I’m a little late getting back to you, but here goes! I first heard about August Gatherings 15+ years ago, when I was tutoring standardized tests and asked a kid in Chinatown where his family liked to go for special dinners. He said August Gatherings was his favorite, and for whatever reason, I have retained this information until now. A friend wanted to take H & me out to celebrate a recent nice thing, friend likes Cantonese, H is obsessed with har gow, and I like unusual food. So! August Gatherings.

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Complimentary pickles. Maybe melon? Or pear? Anyway, sweet, sour and refreshing.

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Salt & pepper squid, a very competent rendering. Batter was a little heavier than I like it, but crisp and peppery and grease-free.

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Tofu skin in abalone sauce. I cannot pass up tofu skin. I could not be 100% sure what it was wrapping, so I went into don’t ask, don’t tell mode. Pretty sure it was chopped vegetables. I don’t know what abalone sauce is supposed to taste like, so we also got

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braised egg tofu and three kinds of mushroom in abalone sauce, and there it was again! Tofu was lovely, king trumpets also. Subtle yet powerful hit of ginger and garlic.

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Scallops with garlic and cellophane noodles. I wasn’t all that impressed with this - it was undistinguished, although there was nothing really wrong with it.

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And the har gow. We got four orders of this. I’m sure the waitstaff thought we were insane, but as mentioned, H is crazy for the stuff.

The place is not huge, so reservations are a good idea. Service is brisk and gracious, and they make a fine cocktail. The menu’s got a ton more I would game to try, so maybe get a group together at some point? Lots of great big expensive fish that would be ideal for a crowd.

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Looks really good. We are free and in NYC Saturday 11/19 for dinner if we want to get a group together.