• Chinatown’s been in need of another hand-drawn noodles spot, and Brian Freedman says that Yummy Lan Zhou is “excellent” at filling that void. “Gently spiced (pig) ears” in the the “aromatic mixed platter” appetizer “did their little gelatin jiggle in the grip of the chopsticks,” while “cool sliced meat” was “like some sort of perfect leftover brisket.” And the marinated intestines’ “thin strips of organ topped with a frizzle of villi” were the “leanest-tasting, most easily lovable intestines” he’s eaten all year. But the “silky pasta slightly thicker than standard ramen in gauge” in the noodle with pork soy sauce, “the springy strands” in the seafood noodle soup, and the shaved noodles are the “star here, and the real reason for a visit.” [PW]
• Adam Erace takes the Stephen Starr and Chis Painter collaboration, Il Pittore, to task, weighing the “too many slips” against the tab’s “final tally.” Noting that the “cooking is very good,” he laments that it’s not enough to sweep him off to a “deserted island of amaretti-crumb beaches and hundred-dollar-bill palm trees.” Pasta dishes bear “noodles of peerless quality,” but are ultimately mired by things like the “sloppy glob of uni crema” in the crab-sauced malloreddus. The “tender” involtino of veal was “just dreamy,” and the octopus-and-potato salad was packed with “multiple flavor and texture contradictions” worthy of love. [Citypaper]
• Shying away from dishes that contained cilantro Phyllis Stein-Novack and picky eater Sandy settle on Jasmine Rice’s Thai basil meatballs, and although only six come to an order, she writes they “could have eaten more.” Crab nuggets melted in their mouths, and the pickled plum dipping sauce “was not too sweet.” The beef thani entree’s “mix of ingredients and the richness of the brown sauce imparted a most pleasant flavor,” while the crispy, duck-fried rice was “succulent with crispy skin and tender meat.” [South Philly Review]
