[REVIEW] HUNAN DYNASTY, LEVITTOWN -CHINESE NEIGHBORHOOD EATS

Our latest “crazy” adventure  has taken us to Hunan Dynasty, located at 2993 Hempstead Turnpike in Levittown. Hunan Dynasty is the epitome of “neighborhood” Chinese. Although located in one of the ugliest boulevards in all of LI, once inside, the place was cozy & familiar. The wait staff greeted us warmly. The restaurant was not crowded when we got there, but was pretty full by the time we left (especially for a Wednesday night). The patrons were all classic mid-island folk, with not an Asian in sight (except for the people that worked there).  The evening began with the usual Chinese beers, Mai Tai’s, and fried noodles. As normally the case, we started with Chinese Spare Ribs. The Ribs were prepared just the way I like them. More brown in color than red, they were tasty and not overly sweet. The Mees got awfully quiet as we devoured two large orders. For the main event, we left the ordering up to Wei, our waitress. Her recommendations included:

Hunan Jumbo Shrimp was cooked with red peppers and mushrooms in a delicate brown sauce, Although fairly typical in flavor, this shrimp dish was very good, and I would recommend it!

Sauteed String Beans with Eggplant & Broccoli was a real winner. Besides being a beautiful dish visually, the veggies were sauteed to perfection in a light soy sauce.

Ginger & Scallion Lobster was another great dish. I am a big fan of the ginger & scallion flavor combination. The best way to eat this dish is to drop the silverware, and suck on the lobster shells, Fantastic!!!!!

Young Chow Fried Rice was prepared with pork, peas, and egg. Typical dish in a Long Island Chinese restaurant that was very tasty. A good fried rice dish always brings the whole meal together.

House Steak came out bubbling in a “fajita” style pan with onions and peppers in a brown sauce. The steak was prepared with too much pepper, and the brown sauce tasted more Salisbury, than Szechuan.

Chicken in Garlic Sauce was a real dud. Even the peppers and pepper flakes could not fire up this dish, Boring!!!

I think that Hunan Dynasty is probably at the mid-high end of Long Island Chinese. It certainly cannot be compared to most Flushing places. This Quest has found that LI Chinese can run the gamut from inedible to unauthentically good. I believe that Hunan Dynasty leans toward the latter. I would recommend it if you are in the area, but I would not make a special trip to eat there.

All for Now,

Mee Tsu Yan