An order of "Yu-Hsiang Eggplant" ($8.50) — not listed on the English-language menu — was a bit of a surprise. Yu-hsiang ("fragrant like fish") dishes are typically ginger-garlic-chile-enhanced Szechuan stir-fries, but this turned out to be a southern-styled hot pot. It was the first dish we ordered and the last to arrive, since all hot pots here (listed under "casserole specials") are made to order and take 20 minutes. It was worth the wait, though, as this was a rich eggplant offering, perhaps too mushy in texture for some people, but with a flavor made more complex by a bean paste (maybe even a fermented-shrimp paste) that didn't dominate and added layers of complexity.
The chef's Mixed Seafood Chow Foon ($7.95) didn't have the wok-char of the greatest chow foon I've ever tasted. Then again, I've never sent back a plate of these soft, broad rice noodles. Plus, this one had a very interesting stew of scallops, squid, phony crab (a Japanese invention), and slices of distinctly Japanese fish loaf, in another fresh white sauce with crunchy veggies and soft mushrooms.
The complimentary tea looks strong but quaffs well, and water was refilled frequently. There is also a refrigerator of sodas and drinks. The white rice is great: aromatic, yet sticky enough to eat with chopsticks even if you came to chopsticks late in life.
Compared with another small Chinatown restaurant, the Gourmet Dumpling House, recently reviewed in these pages by MC Slim JB, I found Great Taste to be less openly exotic — and lacking in most of the Taiwanese dishes featured at the Dumpling House. I suspect Macao might be the reference point for Great Taste, as several things were described as being Portuguese.
That said, for a party that wants to mix real southern Chinese food with Chinese-American favorites, you could hardly do better anywhere in Chinatown. Service was quite quick on an early weekend night, with the concomitant random arrival of dishes as they must have come from the kitchen. Certainly the freshness of each dish as it arrived was exemplary.
Robert Nadeau can be reached at robtnadeau@aol.com.
