Top 100 Chinese Restaurants (Overall Excellence) (2012)
Top 100 Local Favorite (2012)
Top 100 local Favorite (2011)
Comments(28)
Reviewed by:
Davina D. on:
3/27/2013 1:42:00 AM
my favorite place thus far in Chinatown for BO JAI FONChinese sausage straight up.Love that they still give customers the claypot whether you're dining there or taking out.And I eat slow so the rice has time to get even more cripsy and burnt on the edges and bottom,THE RICE IS SUPPOSE TO BE BURNT, PEOPLE. It's BO JAI FON. (for those who are whining about burnt rice)
Reviewed by:
Rico R. on:
2/28/2013 4:58:00 PM
We were looking forward to a good meal after reading the reviews, but it was total dissapointment.Tasteless food, badly prepared. There was absolutely nothing going for the three dishes we ordered. It's not even worth mentioning the dishes.There's too many other places to go to in Chinatown, so it will be our one and only trip to A-Wah.
Reviewed by:
roger h. on:
2/15/2013 1:03:00 PM
In the mood for BO ZAI FAN? forget yummy noodles, this is the place to go to if you need that one particular fixa rare a novel food item because so few restaurants even serve it, bo zai fan is basically a rice casserole topped with various goodies like lop churng, salted duck, chicken and pork, all cooked inside a clay pot, with a little bit of scallions on top for good measure. what makes this place stand out is the fact that they have a unique condiment I have never seem before. Thick syrupy sweetish soy sauce, that when drizzled on top of your dish makes it truly a magical moment. With great prices and a great variety of dishes to choose from, this is an establishment i would recommend when one needs a simple homely pick me up.
Reviewed by:
Tillie K. on:
2/7/2013 8:08:00 PM
Only a few restaurants in Chinatown that has Casserole that lets you take the claypot to go without extra charge. This place is cheap too, less then $10. I always get the baby beef ribs Casserole. Sometimes I get a beef chow fun and it has the right amount of beef.There is a seating area with about 6/7 tables that I saw and only 1 was occupied when I went into the restaurant to pick up my order during lunch time on a weekday. There was others customer picking up their lunch too, so I'm guessing most people usually order over the phone and goes pick it up. Therefore, if you choose to dine in, there would be seats. I asked for extra soy sauce and hot sauce. She gave me the extra soy sauce and told me they don't serve hot sauce, kinda weird.
Reviewed by:
mi y. on:
1/27/2013 8:14:00 AM
hot and sour soup was spicy waternoodles were soggy and tastelessduck bun app was edible but nothing specialpretty bad chinese food
Reviewed by:
Scott E. on:
1/27/2013 5:29:00 AM
The best Bo Zi Fan in the US. I thought i would never be able to find such authentic claypot rice anywhere but in China. But i am so glad to find this little hidden small restaurant in NY. I have tried claypot rice in California and they failed. I was in love after the first taste.
Reviewed by:
Jennifer Z. on:
1/11/2013 1:00:00 PM
4 starts only because I've never stepped foot inside of the actual restaurant...I was given their delivery menu by an old roommate who frequently ordered from A-Wah. I'd always been curious over the clay pots that would appear ever so often in our fridge so I finally asked her one day. She simply gave me the take out menu and told me I HAD to try it.So I did and from that first time- I was absolutely hooked! I've ordered from A-Wah at least 15+ times over the course of the year and have literally introduced it to my whole family and my boyfriend, who have all embraced and loved it as well. Not only are their hot pots delicious, they are also such a steal at less than $10 per hot pot depending on which flavor you order. The seafood ones tend to be a bit more expensive. I always stick with the classic A-Wah hot pot while my bf has gone down the list to try a different flavor each time. From trying his each time, I'd say they're all pretty solid, each with its own uniqueness and flavor.Their soups/veggies are also spot on- good flavor and great taste. One of these day I'll have to actually stop by in the store and check it out!Also- in terms of ordering I don't believe they're on seamless, but we have called the store each time with our order and as soon as you tell you want delivery, they know exactly who we are by caller id! They just have some system in place, where after you order from them the first time- they have all your info- inc. address and delivery info. Delivery is usually ~ 30 mins if not sooner.
Reviewed by:
christine a. on:
1/9/2013 1:12:00 PM
Once we got past the unassuming store front and narrow entrance way, we entered a tiny dining room. We were the only non-Asians, so that was a good sign.There was a huge press clipping in the dining room that recommended the "Hot Pot." Ends up it's rice served in a super hot clay pot topped with your choice of meat, etc.It was delicious. We also had the Duck bao "sandwich" which rocked. And the ginger custard was awesome.
Reviewed by:
Nina S. on:
12/13/2012 5:50:00 PM
I came here to try the house special sausage and pork claypot. I enjoyed it but it definitely needed a lot of the soy sauce mixed in to make it have flavor. Also, I wasn't a big fan of the sausage pieces, they were rather bland.
Reviewed by:
Jeffrey Y. on:
12/12/2012 12:55:00 AM
Fresh ingredients in their delicious clay pot rice (Bo Zai Fan). One of the best in Chinatown. Everything else was eh OK noting spectacular just your good ole greasy Chinese food.
Reviewed by:
Irena T. on:
11/21/2012 8:00:00 AM
I had a huge craving for claypot rice while in NYC, so who else do I turn to? Yelp! And this is where it led me.I was not disappointed. I got the classic claypot with spareribs. The rice was deliciously crispy and the ribs were perfectly cooked. I usually don't douse my pot of rice with soy sauce like some people, but someone on Yelp said the restaurant made their own sauce, so I had to try it. YUM. Their soy sauce tasted like oyster sauce to me, so away I doused.Beware, though - I think the waiters speak only Cantonese. Thank god I know how to say my numbers.
Reviewed by:
Vivian T. on:
11/20/2012 11:35:00 AM
Hooray for claypot rice!When we came for lunch on a weekday, there was no wait for a table. We were seated instantly, and given hot cups of really refreshing tea.The waiter only spoke Cantonese, which we don't, so there was some good-natured ribbing on his part as we tried to say the order numbers in Cantonese. Pro-tip: Just learn to count in Asian languages so you can say the menu numbers when you order at really ethnic restaurants.Claypot rice was good! The rice was nice and crusty on the bottom without being burnt - so tasty.I had the beef with raw egg. When you stir the egg in, it gets really fluffy. The beef was good, but I think I would order something with more fat and more pork next time. My companion's black bean rib claypot was really good.Yum, claypot!
Reviewed by:
Lordale B. on:
10/26/2012 3:43:00 AM
Other than Wo Hop or Hop Kee, this place did not ring a bell. Brought here by a close friend of mine, I thought it would be just like any other low scale restaurant in Chinatown, but soon I was in for a treat. The ambience was dominately asian families and their kids dining out for a good meal. The noise level was average and the food was the best part. Their specialty is NUMBER 61, Bo Zai Fan (Claypot Rice). It will fill you up for less than $6. They bring it out in a clay pot that was just made that morning. Also you can keep the clay pot you ate from when you leave as a souvenir!
Reviewed by:
Jo K. on:
10/20/2012 8:22:00 PM
I've had their sausage and duck claypot rice a couple of times and it's super delicious on a cold day. i like to drizzle a little bit of soy sauce and hot sauce on top. I would have never tried this place except my old employer used to order from them and order us dinner from here when we slaved away way past dinner time. They deliver the food in the clay pot and pick them back up when you are done, which is pretty awesome.
Reviewed by:
Gloria F. on:
8/17/2012 6:57:00 PM
Not sure why this place has such a low overall rating. When you scroll through the ratings, it looks like there are way more 4-5 star ratings than 1-3 star ratings. Not sure how the overall star rating algorithm works!ANYWAY...I love this place. Definitely try the Chinese sausage and preserved duck claypot rice. And the black bean sauce clams are good too!
Reviewed by:
Tony C. on:
7/18/2012 5:06:00 PM
I read several reviews that A-Wah was the go to place for Bo Zai Faan (Claypot Rice). Already with the tastes and experience of the claypot rice in Yummy Noodle in mind and stomach, I put A-Wah to the test.Chinese Sausage & Preserved Duck Rice ($6.99) - I ordered this since that's what I ordered at Yummy Noodle. Midway through the meal I already know that Yummy Noodle had the better version of this particular rice. It tasted fine but the rice didn't have enough of the flavor of the meats and the meats had a lot of loose bone shards, especially the duck meat. The positives were that most of A-Wah's claypot rices are 50 cents cheaper than Yummy Noodles' and there are more meat. (6.5/10)When on a budget, A-Wah will be a good place to go even though claypot rices are already cheap. You will definitely get more food for your money here.
Reviewed by:
Bernard Y. on:
6/27/2012 8:06:00 PM
For most non-chinese, claypot rice is meant to be a savory and hearty dish, it's the epitome of comfort food for us chinese. And I'm from singapore, and this is the closest and best tasting thus far that could remind me of the food back home. What made me even happier was that they packed this dark sauce which is what I would always remember doing back home, drizzle the sauce over your rice and mix them till your heart's content!In my opinion, the food here is most value for money, judging from the only dish I ordered which is the chicken and mushroom casserole rice. 6.50, comes with a bowl of watercress soup and they literally packed my takeout rice in a authentic clay pot to go (which to me could easily cost 5 bucks, wonder how this establishment makes money) I must say the serving of the rice could easily be shared among 2 people, but I was so happy with it I finished it all. Now I feel so bad having this empty giant pot staring at me, think I'm gonna return it the next time I visit them.Honestly, would definitely go back and try the other dishes. The staff are super friendly, and it's not like you get a greeting or smile from most restaurants especially in chinatown.
Reviewed by:
Lisa H. on:
6/21/2012 10:47:00 AM
best rice casserole/clay pot in chinatown. dont know what that is? go FIND OUToh yeah and try their salted duck egg. homemade and very salty.....that means very good.
Reviewed by:
Trisha W. on:
5/20/2012 5:53:00 AM
CLAY POT RICE: I ordered the first one on the list but there are over 15 different clay pot rices to choose from.. WOW. These come out HOT and the rice is CRISPY and totally well done-not burnt but not under cooked- cooked to perfection. I'm sure they'll take your request if you desire the rice to be more on the burned side. I was very very satisfied because this is exactly the thing I have been hoping to find so that I can take my mother here.It's all so reasonably priced for 6.50 you get a heaping clay pot of crispy rice. Check out their review in the New York Times & New York Magazine below.http://www.nytimes.com/2…http://nymag.com/listing…ps: this was my first time here and first impressions are what make or break my chances of going back taking friends and loved ones.
Reviewed by:
Danny L. on:
5/3/2012 6:37:00 PM
I had the house special clay pot rice that seems to be recommended by many and it's definitely similar to Dol Sot Bi Bim Bap thats cooked in a stone bowl until the rice is crunchy. And unfortunately I rather prefer the Dol Sot Bi Bim Bap over this.The best part of the dish is the crunchy rice. I love me some crunchy rice. But this dish left a lot to be desired, for the most part it just tasted like a giant bowl of rice with chinese sausages on top and another chinese meatloaf looking slice as well. It's not expensive, but it's overpriced for what it is and seriously lacking in variety and balance. Now I know why it was empty both times I went and why I became duke after only my second check in.If you order from here I would def recommend getting something else instead of the house special.
Reviewed by:
Vick B. on:
4/9/2012 4:51:00 PM
Love this place. We go probably every other weekend and while hubster is more adventurous than me, I always order the same thing. Bo zai fan (clay pot rice casserole) with chinese sausage, ONLY chinese sausage and EXTRA chinese sausage.Hubster has tried about 3 or 4 different casseroles and has liked them all - the last one was pretty good, I must say, and almost made me waver from my extra chinese sausage: beef with egg casserole. The egg was cracked raw on the top which scared the be-Jesus out of me to begin with, but when hub started the ritual drizzling & mixing of the delicious sticky sauce (what IS that stuff? It's not regular soy), the egg started to cook and it turned out a-MAZING, like the egg in fried rice.We've tried lots of starters and they're all good. They have also offered us free desserts on occasion, some kind of ginger milk pudding, which frankly made me want to chunder, but hell, it was free - you can't complain about free stuff. Just not my cup of tea.The staff, by the way, is always and efficient.We've tried the other place that does bo zai fan (Yummy Noodle), but it's just not as good - and they don't provide that sticky soy sauce stuff.Sometimes, the rice isn't as crispy as I'd like, but that could be to do with my sauce drizzling skills. I need more practice so I suppose I should mosey on down there right now and get - well, practicing.
Reviewed by:
John L. on:
3/29/2012 12:35:00 PM
I love this place. I've lived around the corner from A-Wah for the better part of a decade, and the Clay Pot is one of my favorite things to eat in Chinatown.With hand pulled noodles all the rage right now they get overlooked, but if you are in the C-Town definitely stop in.
Reviewed by:
Vanessa T. on:
2/23/2012 8:07:00 AM
To all the yelpers comparing this to Bi Bim Bap and to those who don't understand the concept of clay pot rice I've got one thing to say to you: GET THE HELL OUTTA HERE! Your reviews are tainting this establishment and have no place being on this wall. Please don't come here and order your standard Panda Express crap and if you do order the famous claypot rice dishes, first educate yourself on the dish and our culture before giving your two cents.I feel the need to address what a few other yelpers wrote:1. "the rice being terribly overcooked - and not in a good way"Uhm... no shit Sherlock, it's claypot rice and the overcooked rice is the best part.2. "there were a lot of bones and barely any meat"Well if you got the preserved duck, any Chinese person knows what the meat to bone ratio is. It's preserved so of course the meaty parts shrink. Idiot.3. "bones are a choking hazard"Then go buy yourself some chicken nuggets. Culturally, we eat all types of meat/fish/seafood with the bones/shell/head on it, it's a sign of freshness.4. "the meat inside the claypot was fatty"The Chinese sausages, preserved duck, and "bacon" are all fatty and high in sodium. Chinese people know this. Don't order it and then complain.But enough of my rant, I think my blood pressure is getting high. From start to finish, A-Wah serves delicious Chinese comfort food. We ordered pig feet in a ginger soy sauce marinade, the house special clay pot, stir fried pea shoots and a steamed milk and egg white custard with ginger for dessert. Everything was perfectly cooked and tasty. What sets A-Wah apart from Yummy Noodle is that it's more authentic. Yummy Noodle doesn't offer the sweet dark soy sauce that completes the claypot dish. Definitely try the dessert I mentioned. It's refreshing and light.
Reviewed by:
JP B. on:
2/2/2012 8:31:00 AM
Great rice casseroles. Perfect salty, fatty blast of white starch. Not health food by any means, but just the thing on a cold night when you feel like a little indulgence - a warm clay pot full of hot rice with some tasty bits of meat on top. Don't neglect the crunchy rice stuck to the bottom of the pot - it's the best part.They deliver to a (surprisingly) wide area, but the place is cute enough to warrant a visit. And the owner is both very nice and proud of his casseroles - rightfully so.
Reviewed by:
Stephanie C. on:
1/27/2012 9:32:00 PM
Eh, very mediocre. This was a default "there's nothing else and we want to stop walking" lunch place for my colleague and I. We ventured for a quick Chinatown lunch on Chinese new year...so Monday around noonish. It wasn't crowded (surprisingly for the biggest day for the Chinese), but then again, the place is really, really small, and unnoticeable. I can see why. Albeit very clean, the service is especially bad if you don't speak Canto (they don't speak English) and the menu is a bit blah and expensive. This is a Canto place through and through (not my region or food), so perhaps I was in the wrong for ordering wrong.One surprising thing is that they give you a healthy ginger/chicken broth soup to start (free). We then ordered an app of the peking duck sandwiches- some $4. There were three and more bread (the bun bread), and less duck. The hoisin (to perhaps some of you people's approval) wasn't very strong or flavorful.. it wasn't thick. The duck was... not much. It was too small in portion for me to determine if it was juicy or not.I ordered the house chow fun, $8, which was supposed to have spam (they said ham but it's spam), pork, shrimp and chicken. I asked for the latter two and just got shrimp (baby shrimp). The noodles were good- flat and chewy, but standard. The sauteed veggies (mostly onion) was kind of whatever- there were no eggs, or green scallions. The one thing I'll say is that it wasn't super oily, so that was a plus. There was a lot of it though- expect big portions.My colleague ordered the BBQ pork over white rice (standard stuff you see in the window), which came with some lettuce. This was very big too. It looked simple but good. My colleague enjoyed it. At some $4.50, I wouldn't be as "meh" about this dish but for mine, which was double, and mostly noodles (they forgot about my chicken), I left with the feeling that I don't want to return.Food comes out fast, though.
Reviewed by:
Reana K. on:
1/21/2012 3:08:00 AM
A-Wah is about as legit as you can get. Menus are in Chinese and English, pictures are also printed on the table mats for your viewing pleasure. We had the fish cakes to start and then an array of bo zai fan: chicken, duck, and a special bo zai fan full of all the stinky Chinese delicacies for our Taiwanese friend. The clay-pot rice is to die for, for added goodness scrape off the crispy bits along the edges of the bowl. The chicken itself was okay, but the duck, oh the DUCK-like buttahhhhh. Its a pretty straight up no frills Chinese joint, so there's gonna be some bone bits in your meat. Its okay white people, just chew your food and spit out the non-edible bits, you'll live. The soy sauce is home made and I definitely had the urge to steal the bottle. Even if you're a no-soy sauce purist, try theirs, you can thank me later.As an added bonus I hear that when you order delivery you get the clay pots, at first this seems obvious bc its clay pot rice, but think about that...free clay bowl! The bowls are actually super nice, so I'm currently hatching plans for a Seinfield-esque delivery scheme. Anyone in Chinatown got a maintenance closet I can use as a temporary apartment?
Reviewed by:
crs1212 on:
2011-06-03
Best home country cookin. A-Wah's purpose on earth is to serve. Most pleasant people, most delicious food. #1 in Chinatown NY.
Reviewed by:
jaysonch1982 on:
2011-05-12
this food is so yummy, i cant find another good pot rice in chinatwon. i had try other pot rice in some restaurant, but they make a different tase. So, if you want to try to eat pot rice, this is the top one restaurant you should try.
AVG:(4.8)
