Yummy House lives up to its delicious name

By J. Davis

At nearby Yummy House you can choose dishes from colorful photos of special dishes or from lengthy lists of assorted Asian dishes. Note: This small restaurant is tasty, bare-bones dining/ lunching/take-out. It caters to local residents and is popular with the interns and personnel of the nearby NYHQ.

All dishes are prepared to order using fresh ingredients and the waitresses are eager to please even though English is their second language. Prices are reasonable and the portions are large. The use of place mats on the sticky tables would be a welcome addition.

As is their custom, we were offered a pot of hot Jasmine tea upon being seated. Next we were served a dish of salted, roasted peanuts. Soups and appetizers are available but we went directly to the main dishes listed separately – one side of the menu bears the Chinese dishes while the other contains food specials from other Asian cuisines, including Thai. For our lunch we chose Thai.

Our first choice from the colorful photo menu was a well-prepared Chicken Sautee with Spicy & Sauce (I quote from the menu.) The order that arrived was actually enough for two. The chicken was presented in a high pile of crispy strips in a light (you can indicate how spicy you want it) chili/soy sauce presented on a large green leaf. It was accompanied by a bowl of white sticky rice. No orchid adorned the chicken as in the photo but, rather, the pile was topped with chopped green cilantro leaves.

It is a good isea to note that the items printed in red on the menu are the ones that are really spicy unless you request they be prepared otherwise.

Our second order was a Burmese Salad. It was created with the crispiest of fresh raw vegetables (carrots, celery, peppers, onions and more) and dressed with a lightly spiced sauce. Cilantro is used in many Thai dishes. The cuisine strives for a balance of salty, sweet and sour with frequent use of chili, coconut milk and curry.

On another occasion at this same restaurant we enjoyed a house specialty Steamed Whole Fish (striped bass) served in its own steamer with the fish in a lemon/chili sauce. It also is accompanied with a large bowl of sticky rice (easy to eat with chop sticks).

The menu lists Phur Lu Da as Burmese Ice Cream Plate. In fact, it turned out to be served in a large plastic domed cup with an extra large straw for sucking up the interesting combination of tapioca beads and colorful varied flavored gelatins under what could be considered a strawberry ice cream soda. Bubble black tea was our other dessert.

If you crave some of the more familiar Cantonese favorites, they are available on the other side of the menu. Here you will find Wonton Soup, Egg Roll, Chow Mein, Lo Mein and more. The house specialties for Asian food and Thai food are listed separately.

The Bottom Line

Traditional Chinese take-out with a Pan-Asian twist. Photos don't match the dishes, but they're tasty nonetheless.

Yummy House

144-20 45th Ave., Flushing

718-961-3094

718-359-2588

Cuisine: Chinese and Thai with Burmese specialties

Hours: 7 days. Mon.-Sat. 10:30am- 10:30pm. Sunday 11am- 10pm.

Service Offered: Take-out or eat-in plus free delivery with minimum $10 order.

Handicap Accessiblility: Yes

Credit Cards: MasterCard/Visa

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