If you do not like traveling or you haven’t been to Korea, Japan and China, well now is your chance!
Thanks to two brilliant men, Michael Lee and Sonny Chin, we now have a way to visit these exotic historic places right here in Flushing. They bought the former square block that was the home of Queens County Savings Bank on Main Street between 38th and 39th Avenues. It was torn down and in its place they built a beautiful glass-enclosed multi-use building of restaurants and shops with merchandise from all over Asia, and condo offices (that are sold out!)
They have named the site Queens Crossing, simply irresistible, and they are right! With a parking lot on 38th Avenue and the municipal lot across the street, it’s easily accessible by car, of course the No. 7 subway line - Main Street station - and innumerable buses plus, the Long Island Rail Road, so there’s no excuse not to visit.
Let me share my experience eating and shopping there.
I had dinner at AH RHEE SOO, which serves a Korean-Japanese cuisine, hosted by old friend Jennifer Chiu. She has created a stunning state-of-the-art environment offering Korean barbecue and the freshest sushi, sashimi and other Japanese dishes.
We were four people and so we ordered from each of the menus. Beware - the portions are enormous and easy to share, so we ended up with lots of leftovers!
The multi-page menu is in English and describes the dishes. We began with two soups - one a simple broth with a variety of mushrooms and tofu - and the other a clam soup with whole clams. Each could serve four people.
Then we sampled the sushi including my favorite, the spicy tuna and the sashimi (with no rice) salmon, and tuna. All were fresh, flavorful and rich tasting.
Our main courses included shrimp Tempura - crisp and not greasy. The vegetable Tempura included well-cooked eggplant, carrots plus green and red peppers.
Stu and I shared the Korean barbecue which included delicious grilled steak, pork, shrimp and chicken all cooked perfectly to our order. Vegetables and rice accompanied the seafood and meats. Part of the pleasure of eating Korean food is the half-dozen tasting dishes they offer as free appetizers. We enjoyed them with our drinks. There is a full bar offering everything from martinis to beers from around the world!
Mel Shulman had mixed seafood covered in a mound of Korean noodles. He’s a fussy eater and enjoyed the “exotic” dish!
For dessert, we went downstairs to experience The Rose House. Set up like an English teahouse, it is the first in the United States but it has 60 sites around the world.
I fell in love with the environment and furnishings and of course the tea service.
When you enter, you are surrounded by shelves filled with teas and tea sets for sale. Our tea service was on fine English porcelain Aynsley china.
The piece de resistance though are the deep pink velvet chairs with a rose petal back. There is a minimum of $125 to use the room, but when you go take a peak!
The tea menu offers English tea sandwiches and cakes presented on a three-tiered tray. The dainty tea sandwiches were on white bread with the crusts cut off with thin slices of ham and cucumbers.
The tea offerings are from around the world. I adored the presentation. Each tea is brought in a tea pot set on a warmer with matching tea cups! It really enhanced the flavor of each.
AH RHEE SOO
38-10 138th St. 2nd floor
Flushing, N.Y. 11358
Hours: 7 days a week, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Phone: 718-718-0308
Free 3 hour parking with dinner
THE ROSE HOUSE
38-10 Main Street 138th St. 1st floor
Flushing, N.Y. 11358
Phone: 718-359-ROSE
Hours: 7 days a week, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
