Lao Dong Bei

Quite frankly if it wasn’t for Unilocal,I would have never ventured into Lao Don Bei. I’m very skeptical about this place mainly because Lao Don Bei is a real hole in the wall that’s in an area not really dominated by Chinese (food wise) plus the fact that every restaurant in this storefront tend to close down within a year so yea you get the idea why I hesitate to set foot at their door.
But it’s 9:30pm and Lao Don Bei happens to open till 11:00pm plus we are running low on options in this part of town so we are gonna chance it.
Lao Dong Bei is a Northern Chinese restaurant that is hidden in the south eastern side of Flushing on Kissena Blvd. It’s a bit harder to find but look for a Walgreen and it’s two storefront away.
Parking: Surprisingly random around this area, you’ll probably be able to find a spot in the afternoon but things turn difficult at night. If you have problem finding a spot, try hitting up Cherry Ave, it’s still going to be hard but at least better than Kissena.
Ambiance and Décor: Small restaurant with about 5 tables in it, no décor really unless you count the dishes written on colorful construction paper on the wall. But it is clean and very bright inside, there’s even mirrors on all 4 sides so you can check what got jammed between your teeth.
We got here around 9:30pm and we asked them if they were about to close and they said of course not. They sat us down and proceed to ask us what we want. The owner spoke English but I’m not quite sure if all the waitresses does. As with many Asian restaurants, their waitress was a little pushy in trying to sell us one of the more expensive item on the menu (cause we looked young), we politely rejected her 3 times and she finally gave in.
We ordered a total of 4 dishes for 5 people, which might be too much for most people since their portions are quite big but our 5 were hungry so it wasn’t a problem.
The two dishes that stood out to us were the Crispy Sliced Fish with Cumin and chili. and the Fried Pork in Orange Sauce
Crispy Sliced Fish with Cumin– Can’t go wrong with a dish that every Unilocal review recommended! This is really crispy fried fish at it’s finest, you can tell the filet they used are fresh, almost melts in your mouth texture, the outside is fried to golden yellow and it’s not just fried, it’s probably double fried to make it extra crispy. The cumin and dried chili added a depth to the flavoring, matter of fact you’ll straight smell like cumin after you eat this dish but it’s so worth it! The dried chili is not very spicy but just enough to fish (pun intended) you in for another piece! Overall a very flavorful dish with a generous portion! For $ 13 this is just very hard to beat. MUST GET!
Fried Pork in Orange Sauce– At first I thought this is similar to the ones in Chinese take-​outs but it is totally different. It’s like taking a piece of thin pork chop, slice it in quarters and then double fry each one. The pork were extra crispy but it was the sauce that made this interesting. I would actually call it orange glaze instead of sauce, it’s very sticky and have a honey texture. You will work to separate each pieces but it’s so good, each piece is covered with a copious amount of sauce. It’s almost as if the sauce solidify after coating the pork so you’ll always have a piece that’s perfectly saucy and a crunch in every bite! be warned tho, these things will get stuck between your teeth, the mirror comes in handy! MUST GET!
Honorable mention– Sheet Jelly, I can’t even tell you what this is but it is delicious, texture is like Jello, except it’s savory of course and a lot chewier but with the vinegar it’s just perfect so give it a shot!
Service: Other than the pushy waitress who tried to sell us the expensive items on the menu, we are pleased with their service!
Price: Affordable! Most dishes ranges from $ 8– $ 15 (other than seafood and lamp chop) and come in very generous portion.
Overall: A gem in the middle of Kissena, the place is not big but it is big on flavor and taste. The food is comparable to the biggest restaurants in Flushing. Affordable and generous portion means you will never leave the restaurant hungry and your wallet empty. A perfect restaurant for groups of 8 or less unless you go late at night.

Worst restaurant and service ever. It is like they don’t want customer. Once I walk in it like they want us to leave. No wonder y they have to change their price. Because they don’t have customers.

Rude!!!
Nobody speaks English
I wanted to order for pick up, but the worker doesn’t speak English. she kept saying «no English». So i spoke slowly but she hung up! 2times!!! what the.

Another great Northern Chinese style restaurant in Flushing! The restaurant is small but clean. We ordered the crispy fish with cumin & the sliced pork with hot garlic sauce. The portion is definitely generous so don’t get too excited ordering too many. If you don’t have a big appetite, you can pretty much share one dish for two people. Okay, now let’s talk about the food. We love both dishes that we ordered. Between the two, we love the fish even more! It’s crispy for sure! It’s not as greasy. The amount of spices there were just absolutely perfect! As for the sliced pork with garlic sauce, when it first came out, it did not look like what we thought it would be but as soon as we take the first bite, wow, it was just mind blowing! It’s so delicious! It’s sweet, you can somewhat taste a cooking wine mixed with garlic sauce.
All total, we spent about $ 31. It was definitely worth it! There were so much food for the price you pay. We were stuffed!
This restaurant can be a pretty far walk from the subway (about 15 mins) but it’s definitely worth the trip. Street parking can be tough to find if you come during dinner time because there are lots of residential buildings nearby but if you are patience & willing to walk few blocks, finding parking space isn’t really that bad.

Authentic Chinese cuisine from the northeast province of China. The food is extremely full of flavor and fresh. The menu is in Chinese and English with plenty of pictures to help you choose. The pictures match what is served.

Man, so very disappointed in this place, especially for the 4 stars it currently has. We came in as a group, and the hostess didn’t quite get it, she offered us a table with two seats for four people (This was definitely a sign to know to walk away) and a family eating on a nearby table offered one of their extra seats. Why they had an extra seat, is still a mystery considering their table had about 9 people on it. And our table easily could have fit 6 people but only had 2 seats. Then the hostess points at a bucket and says we can use as a chair. At this point I flat out laughed… as another server came from the kitchen with an extra seat. the thought of sitting on a bucket as a seat… LOL, I mean, this is what my family does when we go cook at the river in Puerto Rico, but not exactly what I was expecting at a restaurant in NYC, and most definitely not one with 4 stars.
None the less, we thanked the family for the extra seat, and laughed at this beginning experience. Our hostess, bless her heart, had no clue what we were saying and got our orders all wrong, the kitchen made multiple mistakes, we had to point out the dishes we wanted on the menu so she could jot down the Chinese name. Ok, I don’t mind that, but man, our water was served in a cracked glass, small glass btw, never ever served us a second glass of water. She also seemed irritated that we did not know what we wanted as soon as we sat down. After reading through their menu, which funny enough, starts with desserts and ends with appetizer sin the back (no, we were not reading this incorrectly) I decided to get the lamb soup. I was expecting a hearty soup, something filling, but not heavy, other plates ordered for the table were their string beans and tofu, which looked really good, but they were ordered extra spicy, and I can’t eat spicy. We also ordered the cumin fish (which I could not eat, because it was extra spicy), which sounded great, but never arrived at the table until we asked a third time why it had not come out with the rest of the food, and the kitchen said they messed up. Another dish was the chicken and vegetables… It had red chilies (so I could not eat that). So what is left, yes, that soup that never arrived cause the waiter forgot to put the order in… at which by the point, I truly was a bit frustrated with the hostess getting the order wrong and not bringing them all together. She finally brought me a bowl of the most fowl/​putrid looking soup. The water was grey and white, but not like a miso type way. and the meat smelled awful. I sniffed it and knew right away, this is not something I would be able to eat. I shared it at the table, no one liked it. I asked if I could return it, as it definitely was not something we could eat, and it arrived at the table after everyone ate… yeah, the hostess response was, well you ordered it so you pay for it. Ha, now she knows English.
Yeah, this was by far the worst hour and a half I have ever spent in a restaurant. I will compliment the paint on the walls which looked clean. otherwise, not a single thing here to ever make me want to come back. It’s so disappointing to go home late and not have enjoyed dinner, because in fact, I ate nothing, except a small glass of water. Seriously, common courtesy at a restaurant is to keep the water glass full, and come on, for Gods-​sake, throw away your cracked glasses. They are super cheap and you can afford them.
Not a first, second or third date, in fact not a date type place at all. Seriously, many better restaurants in Flushing.

Good place. They deliver!

I am a big fan of Fu Ren and Lao Dong Bei is rumored to be offering similar dishes so we gave it a shot. It is a pretty far walk away from the subway station although it is reachable by bus after you get off the subway.
The restaurant is small but cozy. The waitress we had was very friendly and welcoming. We ended up ordering similar dishes as I did at Fu Ren — Lamb Chops Xijiang Style, Spicy Jelly Sheet, Cumin fish and eggplant in garlic sauce. The price seemed slightly lower than Fu Ren but that is understandable given it is further from downtown Flushing. The food is also on par with Fu Ren in terms of flavor, quality and quantity.
It is a great North-​Eastern Chinese restaurant if you don’t mind the trek. You most likely don’t need to wait!

Oh, awesomeness.
I have no idea what we had. About six of us went with someone who had been there before and we just ordered and ordered guided by the young son (?) who works the front.
Outstanding.

the environment and service are OK but the taste…
i ordered some typical Chinese northeast cuisine. they r all red and carelessly dealt with. the taste is OK, just OK. but all the dishes tasted the same flavor. i ate i lot in China so i shall say it isn’t worthwhile to spend ur money there. the worst but not least is the DISANXIAN (potato.chilly and eggplant) it should be sliced rather than chunked, the taste is from the dressing instead of the food itself. when u take a bite of it, there is plain flavor inside… so sad

CUMIN FISH! COME ON PEOPLE! Since when do you have fish like this? My close friend hosted a Flushing food tour and 5 of us had one serving together. 5 OF US! It was sooooo light and fluffy. And the cumin seeds weren’t overpowering and you can still taste the goodness of the sea in between your teeth (I have gaps in between my teeth, all the better to savor for the entire day… :) :) .dont’ get grossed out now)
Anyways, we loved it and I’ll definitely order again.

We came here after some research on Unilocal.We were looking for Northern Chinese food and landed at this place. After coming here, we not really sure what the hype is all about. We ordered the famous green bean jelly sheet, lamb chops and cumin fish.
The green bean jelly sheet was delicious and it would be the only reason why I would come back here for take out. The lamb chops and cumin fish was overly flavored and after a couple of bites became too overwhelming.

On a whim with a party of two unbeknownst to my usual Cantonese realm, Lao Dong Bei presents Northeastern China cuisine. The staff mainly speaks Mandarin as luckily my second is from Taiwan who did all the ordering while I felt transparent due to my lack thereof Mandarin speaking skills. Ergo, the four stars to vouch this review. I’ve requested two bowls of white rice and when our entrée platters were served only one measly bowl of rice was presented. My second reiterated to the staff (entirely in Mandarin) for one additional bowl of white rice. Party of two’s dinner consists of:
* Spinach with garlic (very light and not fatty nor overall oily, which I very much like) $ 7.50
* Sliced Pork with brown sauce $ 9.95 (overloaded with too much MSG and huge dosage of salt)
* Sesame Chicken $ 8.50 (overloaded with too much MSG and huge dosage of salt)
Overall Lao Dong Bei’s food is okay, pending on the entrée platters ordered, as we requested the wrong ones– opposite Unilocalers’ review recommendations! A single uni-​sex facility exist which is fair to middling condition. Restaurant is mid size and can accommodate two large parties in two circle tables. Staff greats loyal patrons like an old friend in Mandarin. My second was monochromatic and stolid which I hope to never see again.
Note: Reservations not accepted. This restaurant sits half mile from Main Street’s #7 train and all points buses meet, which on a nice non-​heat wave, non-​humid day it is a nice walk all the way to the outskirts of Flushing on Kissena Boulevard where you immerse oneself with the sights and sounds of Flushing. It is also a nice method to digest a large heavy meal by trekking on foot six blocks back to Main Street afterwards.
Lao Dong Bei was featured in «New York Times» on January 31, 2013 of Hungry City:

Service is fast. Had the lamb chops, pork, and rice noodles. All was great! The lambchops were seasoned well. The pork was crispy and yet, were covered in a sweet sauce. The rice noodle was spiced perfectly! Would come back, for sure.

I trek from the UWS to eat here. My perfect meal:
1.) In the specials section — lamb chops… something starting with a X. AMAZING! Crusted with whole cumin and sesame seeds.
2.) Pea shoots with garlic. I’ve shared pictures of the two to get your mouth watering.

I don’t know what happened here but I came cuz I saw a lotta good reviews from Unilocal friends, and it sucked!
Besides the bad service where we had to ask for the same things repeatedly, they also found it really necessary to spray thick mists of Windex next to us when we had a table full of food. Honestly, when it comes to chinky northeastern cuisine, our first shot being at Fu Run was the best there is. Times after when i was recommended by colleagues & Unilocalers to another northeastern restaurant have always been sub-​par.
While i REALLY hate comparing restaurants or one chain to another, even something as simple as the Triple Delight (stir fried eggplant, potatoes, and hot peppers) managed to come out with almost no peppers at all. The guys didn’t enjoy the cumin lamb at the slightest (usually the show stopper), and the bean sheet cold dish didn’t taste like anything. I think these 3 dishes are pretty standard in NE Chinese cuisine and if you can’t get those right, i dunno wut more can you do.
Sorry, but as close as they are to my house, I will not be returning.

This is the kind of place where post-​dinner, you get excited about the prospect of eating the doggie bag leftovers the next day. And indeed, as I write this review, I am savoring the sour, salty, chile, garlic and coriander spiked green bean jelly and cucumber dish. It holds up in the fridge quite nicely. Oh, and yes, I slurped up the juices in the bottom of the bowl.
Also recommended, although not quite as suitable for the next day meal of leftovers, is the delectable crispy cumin fish which has probably been reviewed ad nauseum. Mapo tofu was much milder (but still delicious) than in the typical Sichuan joint, but this being a harbin-​dong bei one, not surprising. What was quite surprising was the low price tag: $ 6.95. I honestly can’t recall seeing one as low in nyc in this decade.
It’s not fancy, and the trip there may be painfully long, but the meal in the end more than compensates. A definite MUST in Flushing.

Lao Dong Bei has the same chef that used to work at Fu Run… and I love Fu Run —
I had this place bookmarked to go… and suggested that we go for my birthday dinner (which was suppose to be a small group)… but special thanks to Helena H for coordinating a large surprise birthday dinner for me. I was 100% surprised!
My favorites were the Beer Duck, Pig Ears, Green Bean Jelly and their Dumplings!
Special Thanks to all the LOVELY Unilocalers I’ve met in the past 5 years! I HEART YOU!

Lao Dong Bei Restaurant has some of the Best food around, Chinese or otherwise. Lots of flavor, lots of aromatic entrees that makes this restaurant special within Asian style restaurants in Flushing.
Shout out to Helena H who gave this gem kudos. Lao Dong Bei Restaurant will not disappoint and will do the job with some delicious food. Yum!
As my wife and I walked in 8 pair of eyes check us out. The 2 servers and a party of 4 guys and 2 women. Oh oh, we are not in Kansas any more. This was weird as well as cool. Last time I felt like this was years ago when my friend and I walked in to an after hours joint and cleared half the place. People thought we were «Five 0».
The restaurant is a little stark for my taste with the «hospital white walls». Not my cup of tea, but I am here for food. The place is small about 25 or so seats with 6 or 7 tables. TV on wall with Chinese programming. No music. Very simple place, but the aromas in the air was not simple. The place had this feel and smell of complex spices cooking in the air. Delicious.
Slice Fish with Cumin
Crispy slices of fish that was packed with cumin flavor and not oily. Outstanding. It was golden brown with a nice crunch and snap with the first bite. Yum! This was my favorite and so good.
Chinese Watercress with Garlic
This entrée was so fresh with a bright green color. Yum! It was perfectly cooked and was not overpowered by garlic. A nice dish to complement the cumin entrees.
Lamb with Cumin
Double sauté pieces of lamb with roasted cumin. Nice dish. Lots of flavor. Lamb had that crispy edge and was moist inside. Very different, but tasty.
I know I over did it with «cumin», but I had a bit of communication problem on ordering the seafood entrée. No English here. I wanted a different dish, but no worries. Everyone was very friendly. Seem like a family business. Mom, Pop and son. Very cool.
Overall, don’t be turned off by the feel and look of the place. It is very clean, but stark. Some work is needed here, but the food is outstanding. The fish entrée was the Best ever. OK top 3. It was that good and a must order. I need to come here with family as the table next to us was ordering entrée after entrée. All looking good with outstanding aroma. This is a must visit within the must visits of Flushing. Support Delicious Food!

Jocy’s surprise party! Tsing Tao and Pork in Orange Sauce for the win.
We Unilocalers took nearly half of the restaurant as a mixed group of regulars and newcomers kept filling the other half.
We were a noisy bunch as this was a momentous occasion celebrating one of the awesomest Unilocalers and personal friends ever!
The owner was a real nice lady who made extra accomodations and attention to all her customers.