Noodles only with flavor.
NYC tops the list when it comes to Chinese food in the United States, according to Yelp.
The popular review site ranked Queens Maxi’s Noodle Restaurant no. 1 on the new list of the 100 best Chinese restaurants — thrilling 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 at my store because they’re big — traditional Hong Kong or Cantonese wontons … are bite-sized,” said Lau-O’Keefe, who previously worked in HR at Home Depot than feeding 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 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 New York from Hong Kong in 1997. “It was always her dream to open a restaurant.”
Maxi’s joined eight other Big Apple spots on the Chile-filled list. Yelp ranked the media according to their ratings and volume of reviews, the site said.
The ranking suggests that Americans are largely tiring of white-card fodder like General Tso’s Chicken — increasingly seeking “authentic specialties from across China,” a Yelp representative wrote.
Maxi’s first location, at 135-11 38th Ave. in Flushing, boasted an average of 4.6 stars from 712 reviewers at the time this article was published. A new branch recently debuted on bustling Main Street in the pot hot spot.
Hong Kong-style noodle bowls make up the lion’s share of the menu.
Choices at Maxi’s include duck noodles and another garnished with beef that has been simmered for six to seven hours until tender.
But the most popular combination comes with made-from-scratch wontons featuring three different types of shrimp and a dollop of pork in a giant, baggy-like wrapper.
Fortunately, most people seem to be using the plus-sized delight pouches – custom-wrapped for maximum flavor and tenderness.
“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 Maxi’s and then created some of the recipes for Barrymore on the square.
In addition to the throngs of locals eager for a taste of the homeland, the shop attracts a host of hungry folks, thanks in part to its famous Yelp status.
The business is often promoted by the now-ubiquitous caterers – like Instagram content creator @curly.edgy, whose Maxi video has reportedly racked up 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 location, this one in Manhattan – at 68 Mott St. in Chinatown.
Another NYC spot made the Top 10: Chang Lai Fishballs & Noodles at 55B Bayard St. in Chinatown sailed into fifth 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 include Chili (15 E. 37th St.), authentic spicy and tangy Sichuan dishes like dan dan noodles and mapo tofu land the spot at No. 16. Antidote in Williamsburg (66 South Second St. ), a Shanghai-influenced Sichuan spot that caters to all tastes with hearty meat dishes like dongpo pork alongside mushroom egg tofu and other side dishes herbivore-friendly, came in at number 22.
Yelp’s Top 20 Chinese Restaurants:
- Maxi’s Noodle (135-11 38th Ave., Flushing)
- Jayd Bun (South Kingstown, Rhode Island)
- Dumpling Yo! (Sacramento, California)
- Lily’s Restaurant (Amherst, Massachusetts)
- Chang Lai Fishballs & Noodles (55B Bayard St.)
- Mama Chow’s Kitchen (Portland, Oregon)
- Wagyu House by the X Pot (Rowland Heights, California)
- China Mama – Shanghai Plaza (Las Vegas)
- 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)
- Shang Artisan Noodle – Flamingo Road (Las Vegas)
- Chili’s (13 E. 37th St., Murray Hill)
- Corner 21 Chinese Kitchen (Springfield, Missouri)
- Delicious Dumplings (Lowell, Massachusetts)
- The Magic Noodle (Las Vegas)
- Wok’s Deli (Norwalk, California)
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Image Source : nypost.com