Queens Tribune

97-20 Queens Blvd., Rego Park
(718)-897-8202
CUISINE: Chinese
PARKING: Street
HOURS: Noon to 1 p.m., 7 days
DELIVERY: Yes
TAKE-OUT: Yes

Mr. Tong’s celebrated its one-year anniversary March 15, and if the first year is any indication, there will be many more happy years to try the delicacies that this intimate Chinese restaurant has to offer.

I entered Mr. Tong’s with an open mind and an empty stomach, and looking back, I wouldn’t have done it any other way (for those who also have an empty wallet, Mr.’ Tong’s offers weekday lunch specials with entrées that start as low as $4.50).

After a few recommendations, I started with the Shanghai Wonton, followed by a short stack of scallion pancakes. The wontons were in a light peanut sauce, and stuffed with pork and shrimp. They were light with just the right measure of spice; still a kick, but not overpowering. The scallion pancakes were crispy and just right.

I followed the appetizers with Steak Kew in Peppercorn sauce, Jumbo Shrimp Peking-style and a large helping of Chicken with Basil. To accompany this bounty, a side of asparagus with minced cabbage and pork materialized.

Everything was prepared to perfection, a benefit Mr. Tong himself said comes from using only the freshest, quality ingredients. The asparagus dish, he added, is usually prepared with green beans, but because asparagus is in season it made the jump to the regular menu on this particular night.

The shrimp was perhaps my favorite course of the night. Prepared with ginger and scallion in a light brown sauce, accompanied by fresh broccoli, the flavors were perfect, and the ginger gave the shrimp a wonderful flaky texture that I’d never tasted before.

The steak and chicken were also very flavorful dishes, simple, but prepared with care, and garnished alternately with peas, peppers and basil.

After all this, I couldn’t leave without trying a customer favorite, the Filet of Sole in Rice Wine Sauce.

The filet was light and aromatic, served over a bed of soft mushrooms. The mushrooms gave the fish a wonderful texture, and the rice wine sauce lent a hint of flavor without drowning the very delicate filet.

The venue itself is a small, 60-seat restaurant with understated decoration and a quiet atmosphere. The owner used to run a much larger Chinese restaurant in the area, but he and his head chef decided to open Mr. Tong’s to provide a premium on good service, and quality dishes based on the best ingredients and it shows.

When I was nearly finished I asked Mr. Tong about a dessert course.

“That’s the only problem,” Mr. Tong replied. “When you eat Chinese, there’s never any room for dessert.”