By Regan Elyse Murray
When my soul needs soothing, I head to Yu Kitchen for their chicken noodle soup with mushrooms. Although Yu Kitchen specializes in the cuisine of Northwest China, this soup sparks my nostalgia for brisk rainy days in the American Northeast. Enriched with garlic, soy, and plump mushrooms, the intensely savory broth tastes like the distillation of all of my family’s Sunday roasted chicken dinners into one bowl. The soup abounds with juicy slow-braised chicken thighs that fall from the bone with the mere prod of a chopstick. Beneath the chicken rests a golden nest of wheat noodles. Springy and soaked in the broth, I will take them over the sodden noodles in most canned soups any day.
Sipping and slurping mouthful after salty, meaty mouthful, remembering evenings spent watching football while doing my times tables, I tend to lose myself while eating this soup. I finally have to face reality again when I reach the bottom of the half-basketball-sized bowl. (Yu Kitchen offers a portion size so plentiful that it could cause doting grandmothers to doubt their own generosity.) I may not be able to get my Boston childhood back, but at least I can order this Upper West Side soup whenever I need my heart and stomach warmed.
Yu Kitchen
2656 Broadway (101st Street)
Hours: Every day from 11 am to 9:30 pm
Featured dish: Stewed chicken noodle soup with Chinese dark mushrooms ($9.95)
(Yu Kitchen is temporarily closed. Scheduled to reopen on September 30, 2021, according to Yelp.)
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Coming next Wednesday: Scarlatto’s Homemade Fettuccini with Half Lobster, Clams, Shrimp, and Calamari in an aioli sauce.
Read previous Here’s the Dish columns here.
Anything at Yu Kitchen is awesome.
It’s located at Broadway and 101 St.
I still wish WSR would include cross streets.
Is it open? Google shows it as still closed.
It is closed. The author should’ve made it clear.
According to Yelp, it is temporarily closed, reopening on 9/30. We added. Thanks.
Yu Kitchen is still closed as of Oct. 1.
Awesome post. I have yet to eat there. Excited to try it!
This is good to know. I’ve never ordered from Yu Kitchen but when they reopen, I will try them!
i always get the Chairman Mao’s red braised pork at Yu Kitchen!
Yum but do you know how salty is “mouthful after mouthful of salty, meaty mouthful?” For those of us watching mg of daily salt, any available data?
I looked at Scarlatto’s menu on their website, and I don’t see that dish. Is it a special?
I noticed that too.
I’m hungry now, but sadly they’re gone. They went out September 1st same week the jewelry store went on vacation. The jewelry store returned…Yu Kitchen not. We asked the maintenance man in the building and they said they’re done. Pity. I hope all are wrong but I think it’s officially curtains.
All Yu can do now is hope.