Han Dynasty — Restaurant in New York

Came here with 12 people and got the opportunity to try their tasting menu. Never knew a chinese restaurant would have a tasting menu but boy was the food good. Overall, I would recommend this place and come back here again. Now for their faults and accomplishments.

For hot appetizers, we had the wontons and dumplings in chili oil, taiwanese sausage, and dry pepper chicken wings. The wonton and dumpling skins were thin and cooked properly. I did however have a friend who had undercooked wonton skin. Despite hearing that, I can't fault them for it because I didn't taste it. I thought the meat proportion to skin were just about right. he chili oil really elevated the dish and it wasn't spicy at all, despite the menu saying (6) and (4).

I do have to say that the dry pepper chicken wings were awesome but you can't eat this dish everyday. The wings were extremely fatty and the skin heavily fried. The wings were so fatty that I thought there was curry on the meat, under the skin because under the lighting we were in, the meat looked a little yellow. Oh yes, this dish was salty. ALL their fried stuff are really oily and salty.

For cold appetizers, we had the spicy crispy cucumber and I think beef & tripe in chili oil, and beef tendons in chili oil. As for the cucumber, we make a version of this at home and we add garlic to it. Of course I'm biased but I think the one we make is better. Their is a little too sweet for me. It is very flavorful and quite authentic in my opinion. The beef& tripe and beef tedons were delicious as well. A little on the fatty side but that's just how it is. There is also a nice sear on the meat.

We also had the dan dan noodles. These were really good. Big enough portion and enough meat in it. The chili was spicy enough and it was a little sweet. The noodles here is definitely better than Spice & Tasty in Flushing. The sauce isn't that authentic as they changed it a little but it is very flavorful and delicious to eat.

As for entrees, I'm not sure exactly what we had because I was across the table and could not hear their mumble when they brought the dish over. Typical chinese restaurant where they just mumble the dishes name, drop the food off, and leave. I'm sure had the dry pepper style, hot sauce style, dry fry style, double cooked style, and black bean style. All these dishes had beef, or pork. I don't remember eating any chicken except for the fried wings. In general, all the dishes were flavorful and tasty. However, you can tell that they use a lot of meat tenderizer, salt, and oil.

We also had some vegetables, eggplant with garlic sauce and bak choy with mushrooms. Some people at the table didn't like the eggplant but I thought it was excellent. Some were more al dente and some were softer. They had the nice purple coloring to it still, so it wasn't overcooked. However, I did think that the dish could have used more spice.

The taiwanese sausage wasn't bad at all. Can't really go wrong with these since I assume that they were store bought. They were relatively thinly sliced and it did have enough fat in it. It wasn't dry at all. I suggest they modify the dish and incorporate some spices on it to really elevate the dish as opposed to serving something i can easily do at home.

I would highly recommend this place and would come here again. Despite my disgust in using too much oil and salt, I think this is what Szechuan is. As of now, this is my favorite place for this type of food. It is on the expensive side. If they made it $2-$3 cheaper it would be a...

(10) out of 10!

Han Dynasty is conveniently located near Union Square and to be honest, I didn't expect much of it, but now it's one of my favorite spots in this area! Han Dynasty offers delicious plates ranging from not spicy to (10) spicy so there's a little bit of everything for everyone. Their menu is pretty comprehensive and authentic. You'll see on the menu a hint of condescending attitude towards "Baby Adults," equated to "Kids," who order Spring Rolls and Fried Dumplings, which are a safer choice for those wary of the Szechuan cuisine.

Appetizers:

Spicy Crispy Cucumbers: YES! Pretty authentic and perfectly pickled and yes, spicy!

Pork Belly w/ Sweet Garlic Chili Oil Sauce: This is a great cold appetizer for those looking for some protein to start their meal. The pork belly is thinly sliced and drizzled in delicious sweet garlic chili oil. It's not so spicy as it is pungent and sweet.

Dan Dan Noodles: This has gotten a lot of hype, but I feel like they're mediocre in comparison to some Dan Dan noodles that I've had in California. Nonetheless, this is the best I've had in the city so far. I've yet to find a close competitor to Han Dynasty's version that's just the right amount of chewiness and flavor.

Entrees:

Hot Sauce Style: Traditionally, Chinese people choose to eat beef and fish in this style. The dish consists of the proteins simmered in an Authentic Szechuan chili oil hot sauce. The proteins are extremely tender and piping hot! The sauce is God's answer to things that go perfectly with rice.

Double Cooked Style: In Chinese, this literally means "return to the pot." I take that as double the flavor and Han Dynasty doesn't disappoint. The flavors are pungent and this dish goes really well with rice. Don't think twice and just order the Pork Belly version.

Immediately after I leave Han Dynasty, I feel Szechuan cuisine withdrawal. As a quick fix, I always ask to take the remaining hot sauce in my Hot Sauce Style Beef to-go as well as the leftover leeks in the Double Cooked Pork Belly. Add in the contents in a saucepan with some proteins and vegetables, pour your masterpiece over a bowl of white rice, and you'll be reliving Han Dynasty for...

Han Dynasty has arrived in NYC. This is part of a chain of restaurants that were hugely popular in Philly and Jersey. Fans of this restaurant know it as "Handy Nasty". The food served here is mild to super spicy. The hottest dishes are quite hot and numbing due to the Sichuan peppercorn that is used in the chili oil. There are many good starters, the standout one is the Dan Dan noodles. On this dish, you get noodles with the ground pork on top that has chili oil to be tossed around. When you eat it, you'll notice that it's savory and spicy, with just tad of sweetness. One of the hottest dishes on the menu is the Beef and Tripe in Chili Oil and it comes with a bowl of white rice that's much needed to cool off when eating this dish. If you want something milder, try the Spicy Crispy Cucumber which is cold crispy sliced cucumbers in chili oil. For the main course, the one to get is the Double Cooked Pork Belly because it tasted like bacon and had loads of leeks, hot peppers, black beans, and chili oil. Another great main course is the Mapo Tofu with minced pork, not as spicy but still has a kick. To accompany the meal, there is beer and wine available. The waiters will make recommendation based on the food that you order which is a plus. Service is good. Reservations are available and recommended. The wait for walk-ins on a weeknight can be up...