By Abigael T. Sidi
This column has explored a lot of what Eater refers to as the Upper West Side’s “Chinese Corridor,” the stretch of Broadway between West 98th and 113th streets, where a number of quality, next-gen Chinese restaurants have opened in recent years. We’ve covered fragrant hearty soups, takeout-style comfort noodles, luscious dumplings, and more. Today, we’re taking things up a notch—the elegant, upscale yet surprisingly affordable Chinese restaurant to rule them all, which sits quietly a few steps down West 109th Street: Atlas Kitchen. (If you know, you know, and if you don’t, read below, visit, and thank me later.)
Restaurants like Atlas Kitchen—formal, high-end Chinese restaurants—have become a rarity in the city, so much so that it’s the only one I know. (I’ve been told of a couple of others whose names I won’t mention here, but I’ve heard the food at both is subpar.) And I’ve been to banquet-style dim sum icons downtown (Golden Unicorn has a special place in my heart), but these places are bustling with energy and feel somewhat fast-foody (i.e., the food can be yummy but is not exactly inventive or elevated).
Atlas Kitchen, by contrast, offers a true, fancy dine-in experience, with attentive, old school-type service; an interesting, sophisticated menu (which does include a limited Chinese American section); beautiful plates, silverware and dish presentations; and a refined, ethereal décor. While we’ve tasted many of their traditional fare and more forward-leaning dishes (more on those later), I admit that my favorite is and always has been the seemingly simple yet perfect Yang Chow (aka Yangzhou) fried rice.
Growing up, I was introduced to the dish by my parents, who claimed it was the closest thing to the “riz Cantonnais” (Cantonese rice) of their childhoods, the staple rice dish of Parisian Chinese restaurants in the ’80s and ’90s. “Don’t get me wrong, I love a good fried rice, especially Japanese ones, and tasting some of the hot oil on each of the grains is part of what makes them great and delicious,” my dad said. (I thought Chick Chick’s version, which I covered here, fit this description well.) “But this one [Yang Chow fried rice] takes it to another level: it’s delicate, airy and light, yet somehow equally as delicious and comforting.”
The Yang Chow fried rice comes with the following simple ingredients: shrimp (cooked to just snappy), spam, scrambled eggs, green onions and, last but not least, shiitake mushrooms minced very thin (“the secret,” according to our server). Like a great lo mein, the dish has an addictive X-factor that is hard to describe: a mix of savory, sweet, and smokey flavors, as well as perfect execution on rice grain separation, coating, and oh-so-slight chew.
We understood from our server that the mushrooms serve to infuse the dish with umami, and that the chefs’ mastery of “wok hei” (extreme high heat, which vaporizes the oil) does the rest. Impossible to replicate at home, and perhaps not coincidentally, the Chinese dish we’ve most ordered for delivery in the 17 years of my existence.
As I mentioned earlier, Atlas Kitchen’s menu is replete with interesting, uncommon dishes, some of them authentic to the core (Sichuan pig trotters, traditional cumin lamb, sauteed pig kidneys and other adventurous delicacies), and some innovative modern Chinese fare. A family favorite is the sliced pork belly w/ garlic sauce ($11.95), in which the steamed, delicate pork is rolled around slices of fresh cucumber and seasoned with the above-mentioned tangy sauce. Again, the dish is simple, light and refined, with beautiful textural contrasts, and the cooking technique lets the pork flavors shine. And like the fried rice, the portion is copious and a great value.
The restaurant interior is elegant, airy and relaxing, with soft gray and light natural wood colors dominating the open space, and walls featuring large, quasi-muted murals of Chinese mountains and temples. China natives and UWS foodies form the bulk of the clientele, and many of my readers will be glad to hear: no noise; the place is the personification of Zen.
Atlas Kitchen is open every weekday from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., with takeout and delivery available at these times. Vegetarian and vegan options are plentiful, and I’d argue the vegetables dishes are some of Atlas’ best offerings, especially the green beans, cabbage, and eggplant dishes, all of which are transcended by the wok hei masters working their magic in the kitchen.
The Dish: Yang Chow Fried Rice ($13.95)
The Restaurant: Atlas Kitchen, 258 West 109th Street (between Amsterdam Avenue and Broadway)
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Another gem to add to Moon Kee on the upper west side. Great fried rice Cantonese style is my white whale of Chinese food. I am a veteran of the long gone Cantonese restaurant surfeit of the 1960s-70s. Chun Cha Fu, Chine House et al. Happy to see a return. Thank you Abigael.
Joel
This review brings up my recent lunches at Dong Lai Pavillion, thankfully replacing the Thai fusion menu that was from hunger. Dong Lai has a range of classic Cantonese and mainstream Chinese dished and very good dumplings. The Mongolian Beef is a winner, as is their wonton soup, among the best I’ve ever had. I mention this place here with the hope that they will stay inn business long enough to establish a customer base. Perhaps dear Abigael, you will give it a try.
Joel
The new menu does look promising. But the space will always have the ghost of Mirabelle hanging around it for me.
We certainly miss Mirabelle.
Sure do.
It would be helpful if the reviewer included a note as to wheelchair accessibility.
I agree with you. That said, searching the establishment on Google will give you that information.
Good restaurant, but it’s neither formal nor high end. It’s casual sit-down, and your own photos show the mischaracterization. Next time you go, live dangerously and try the duck tongues and the preserved eggs. Both great.
I go there all the time, and have often been close to pull the trigger, but never dared to try the duck tongues. How would you describe the dish ?
Unique. I know that for many, Chinese food is largely about comfort and familiarity, but it’s fun to go out of the comfort zone from time to time. Warning, it’s a large portion. There are a lot of mute ducks out there.
Atlas is an absolute gem. So happy to see they’re finally getting the recognition they deserve
The decor is minimalist. Used to be you could count on a Chinese restaurant to have an elegant imperial decor and Cantonese food. Fried rice is my favorite dish, but no one gets it right anymore. It should not be oily. It has to be wok’d on a very high flame to almost scorch it. It must have onions, scallions, bean sprouts galore, eggs, and preferably additional vegetables along with its meat (not spam). Something is always left out. Egg Foo Young is a good substitute.