Spicy Village
| Cuisine | Chinese |
|---|---|
| Price | $ (under 15) |
| Rating | 7/10 |
| Last Visit | Aug. 15, 2019 |
| Location | New York: Lower East Side |
General Notes
Spicy Village is not a flashy or even aesthetically pleasing restaurant. The restaurant is tiny, with exactly 20 seats. That being said, the food itself is excellent - intense flavors, good texture, and incredibly cheap. I ordered their 大盘鸡, one of their flagship dishes, which was delicious but felt ever so slightly off for some reason. I'd love to go back and try their other dishes, especially the 肉夹馍 and some of their dry noodle dishes (you can probably tell what nearby tables ordered).
Positives
> The food is excellent! Northern/western Chinese food is my favorite cuisine. I like how the thick noodles are present in most menu items.
> The food is absurdly cheap. Most dishes will set you back at most around $8-9. The most expensive item on the menu by far is the 大盘鸡, which is $16 ($18 with noodles).
Negatives
> Can get very busy. The restaurant itself has only 20 seats. Definitely expect to wait for a seat even on weekdays. I came here by myself and waited for around 30 minutes for a seat at 8:30pm on a Thursday. That being said, the servers will typically take your order while you're still in line, so you can get your food as soon as you sit down.
> Cash-only
> Not the most comfortable environment nor the best service (I had to ask specifically for a cup of water).
Dishes Tasted
- ★★★☆ 大盘鸡 -- You can optionally add on noodles for $2 (definitely go for it, the noodles go beautifully with the broth). Chicken is flavorful and cooked well. Noodles are thick and have a good texture. My primary complaint is that the there are a LOT of raw spices on everything, which makes the flavor you perceive somewhat inconsistent. It is also a surprisingly large amount of food, a single person will likely not be able to comfortably finish it. A very good dish, though not quite the best.
