Mister Chen In Mamaroneck: Handmade Dumplings and Authentic Chinese Cuisine

In recent years, many Asian restaurant openings were a combination of several far eastern cuisines. As these “fusion” restaurants became very popular, and some, quite good, I found myself craving some authentic Chinese cuisine. Paul Chen must have heard my plea, with the recent opening of Mister Chen Authentic Chinese Cuisine in Mamaroneck, in the space vacated by Haiku. The contemporary space seats about 80 guests. A carved black screen with the Mister Chen logo greets you as you enter. Free standing tables, a long banquette and a few high tables provide seating. Striking is the wall sized mural above the banquettes depicting the many regions of the far east from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Shanghai, Beijing, and Taipei.

With its black ceiling and black chairs, the space emits a simple but sophisticated appearance. Paul Chen, the owner, said,” Mister Chen serves authentic Chinese food.

We have brought a bit of Flushing, Queens, where Chinese restaurants are in abundance, to Westchester. My favorite part of restaurant ownership is the excitement and challenge that greets me every day. I enjoy meeting new guests and welcoming old ones. Mamaroneck is a family oriented place and brings a great variety of guests to its many restaurants.”

The food at Mister Chen is traditional and many of the recipes are those of Paul Chen’s mother, the executive chef at Mister Chen. She owned a restaurant in New Jersey where Paul Chen helped out and honed his restaurant skills.

At a recent lunch, I chose several items from the menu. They were all presented at the same time and reminded me of the saying, “To the Chinese, a western meal is like a short story, but the best Chinese meal runs the length of War and Peace.” Since a Chinese meal combines many dishes, contrasts of color, flavor and textures become part of your dining experience.” Appetizers here include spring rolls with vegetables or shrimp and vegetables, scallion pancakes, pork belly sandwiches, salt and pepper calamari, lettuce cups with chicken or shrimp and as I sampled, spareribs, very meaty and glazed with a light honey sauce. I look forward to sampling the red bean paste cake and shredded turnip puff pastry on future visits.

My favorite part of the Mister Chen dining experience is the dumpling station, where I observed two dumpling chefs in their pristine white coats and caps, as they briskly cut, rolled and filled the many varieties of dumplings and buns. Especially tasty are the delicate soup dumplings filled with crabmeat and pork or just pork. These hand pleated treasures arrived in a bamboo steamer. Bite off one corner of the dough wrapper and allow the juices to fill your porcelain spoon. Sip it slowly to get the full flavor and then enjoy the filling and the thin dough wrapper. Although I have never visited China, I have tasted these dumplings in Manhattan’s Chinatown as well as in Flushing. At Mister Chen, they are exceptionally delicious.

We also found the pan-fried pork buns excellent. Here, the light bread like dough encased chopped pork filling. Black and white sesame seeds and thin slices of scallions enhanced these lovely buns. Other filled handmade creations to be sampled are vegetable dumplings, pan fried dumplings, shrimp and pork dumplings in chili oil and vegetable and pork wontons tossed with chili oil, as well. For me, a variety of these made from scratch dumplings and buns with perhaps a bowl of Chef Chen’s Taiwanese braised beef and noodle soup would constitute a fine meal.

From Taiwan, we enjoyed a bowl of Taiwanese mei fun. At Mister Chen you can order these thin noodles with chicken, shredded pork, beef, prawns or vegetables. Our noodles were mingled with julienne slices of pork, scallions, fried egg pieces, red onion slivers and shredded carrots. Colorful, mild and fresh are words that come to mind when devouring this hearty bowlful. Other classic noodle dishes are cold sesame noodles with peanut sauce and cucumber, noodles with pork and black bean sauce and the popular lo mein. Pad Thai and crispy Shanghai noodles are available with chicken, shredded pork, beef, prawns or vegetables. With cool weather on the way you may enjoy some soup. There are the familiar, wonton, hot and sour, egg drop, chicken and corn as well as minced beef and egg whites or seafood and bean curd soups and a Chen family favorite of braised beef and noodle soup. Fried rice is prepared here with a choice of additions such as chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, vegetables or Chinese sausage. Rice a Chinese staple can be ordered as minced pork or pork belly over rice or with a combination of ingredients in the house special fried rice.

For your entrees, choose among poultry, men style pork ribs, braised pork belly and jumbo prawns and scallops with garlic sauce each sounded interesting. If you wish to stick with the familiar there is General Tsao’s Chicken, crispy shredded beef, mixed seafood in a bird’s nest and beef and broccoli. I tried the orange flavored beef, nicely presented with the crispy beef slices surrounded by bright green broccoli florets and scattered with hot peppers and large segments of dried orange peel, which infused the sauce with wonderful flavors. For the vegetarian in your group, broccoli, bok choy, string beans, Chinese water spinach, eggplant and Chinese cabbage are prepared in interesting ways.

If you wish to enjoy a beverage with your meal, beers, wines and original cocktails such as orange oasis, blue China, Green dragon and Crouching Tiger await you. At the time of my visit the dessert menu was just being assembled. Meanwhile, I sweetened my taste buds with an imported Chinese fruit flavored hard candy, in a bowl at the door.

Enjoy authentic Chinese cuisine soon at the new and appealing Mister Chen, where dumplings and buns are one of the star attractions.
MISTER CHEN
265 Mamaroneck Avenue Mamaroneck
914-77701221 or 777-1212
www.misterchenny.com