New World Mall
Located 136-20 Roosevelt Ave., 718-353-0551, Flushing, Queens
New World Mall is well known to Flushing’s Chinese population. It’s time for the rest of the City to discover its underground wonders. Below the mall’s giant Asian supermarket is a food court whose perimeter is lined with stalls dishing out hand-pulled noodles, Japanese sweets, Vietnamese bánh mì, Korean barbecue, Szechuan hot pots and sundry specialties from Southeast Asia. The choices are overwhelming, even when it comes to beverages: Tea Twitter or Kung Fu Tea? A milk shake made with avocado or durian? There’s plentiful seating in the center at cafeteria tables, mostly populated by young Asians stopping in after school. Menus at each stall are translated into English. A meal won’t cost any more than a visit to McDonald’s—and it’s sure to be a whole lot more interesting.
