Yao’s Diner- Hot, Spicy, & Delicious!

Hot HOT HOTT!

The food at Yao’s Diner is Hot, Spicy, Delicious, & a very different type of Chinese food than the typical LI norm. The style of cooking is Szechuan, and many of the dishes are so spicy, I suggest placing a roll of toilet paper in the freezer! The look of the place is about as basic as it gets. Our waitress, Sherri, did her very best to guide us with the ordering.

For starters, we tried the Szechuan Pork Dumplings and the Multi-Flavor Spare Ribs. The dumplings were subtly delicious with a very tasty light sauce. The ribs were nothing like the usual fare. With no heavy sauce to mask the true flavor, these ribs were salted and flavored to perfection.

Main dishes included Sliced Basa Fish w/Silken Tofu Pot, Chicken in Spicy Hot Pot w/ Mixed Vegs, and Shredded Pork w/ Baby Bamboo Shoots. The vegetable dish was Dry Sauteed String Beans. Allow me to start with the string beans. This may be the best veggie dish I ever ordered anywhere, Chinese or other-wise.  The basa fish was just too weird for me, but the chicken pot was fabulous! There were more flavors in that pot than cars on the LIE. Absolutely delicious, but ultimately too spicy for this quinquagenarian +. Shredded pork was spot-on, especially when it soaked up the sauces from the other dishes. Yao’s does not serve alcohol, so we brought our own beer & wine. In conclusion, a fun night with good friends, and a very delicious meal. If you are looking for something out of the ordinary, Yaos’s Diner is the place!

Mee Tsu Yan