Food reviews - Shanghai, Uncategorized NYC DELI 25 January 2009


NYC Deli
103 Fu Jian Road
Shanghai, China
??—

Let me just say straight out – I found THE BEST PHILLY CHEESE STEAK SANDWICH IN THE WORLD. I don’t often eat it, because it’s so often done a bit wrong – the steak’s often a bit stringy or you take a bite and a whole bunch of beef comes out with your mouthful ‘cos it’s too tough or strung together. Yuck! I’d heard good things about NYC Deli, and realised it was just round the corner from where I’m at, so headed down there to check it out.

I nearly walked straight past the little cafe. It’s TINY. Basically only enough space to step inside to make your order. There’s a tiny counter space for 2-3 people to sit at, so it’s obvious that this is a take-away or delivery joint only. The Philly cheese steak sandwich sounded too good to miss, and I was right – it came on a deliciously crisp yet soft and fresh French baguette, and a very generous portion of beef. A tumble of soft onions were mixed in and loads of melted Swiss cheese. A very simple sandwich, but it absolutely blew me away – a pretty big deal considering I normally steer clear of sandwiches!

The beef and onions were served piping hot, and the flavour was rich and intense. The Swiss cheese added the perfect amount of moistness and texture to it and each bite was pure tastebud heaven. The texture of the beef was fantastic – soft and tender and perfectly seasoned. I also loved how the French baguette was crisp on the outside, but very soft and ‘collapsible’ once you took a bite, can’t stand baguettes that are so so crusty and hard they cut into the roof of your mouth when you take a bite!

The sizeable sandwich is served with a pot of coleslaw – which was cold and delicious, but could have used a little bit more mayonnaise in it. It’s also served with a pickle – perhaps it’s an American thing to do so but it definitely didn’t appeal to me so I left it alone πŸ˜‰

Absolutely outstanding for 38? (US$5.50) – not the cheapest compared to the other ultra-cheap delish foods I’ve found in the area.. but still a bargain compared to Aussie standards. Plus, it gives us a good dose of Western food whenever the craving strikes. Will most definitely be back, and cannot wait until they reopen after Chinese New Year!


Teeny tiny NYC Deli

Absolutely amazing Philly cheese steak sandwich, with coleslaw and pickle

Also got some chocolate & nut cookies for dessert.. these were just so-so,
could’ve been more fudgey and chocolatey


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Hey Bev, loving the posts, keep ’em coming!

I really had no idea Shanghai is so…modern now. Last time I was there was over 10 years ago, and back then it wasn’t so…modern πŸ˜›

Its great to see they have so many different types of cuisine too, not just Chinese. Shame about the prices though.

It was almost 42C in Sydney the other day, you’re not missing much..hahah!

Ahh yeah I’ve heard it’s majorly changed compared to 5 yrs ago, let alone 10! It’s gotten a lot more westernised now, lots of western restaurants and commercial stuff.

Awww i want the heat. it is SO COLD here.. brrrr!

pickles and cole slaw come with sandwiches alot in the US — but pickles come with cold deli sandwiches. With hot ones? Gee, that seems odd to me too. Maybe cause its called a deli?

I’ve never been to Phillie to have a ‘real’ cheese steak… maybe they come with pickles? But than again, I think real ones come with cheese whiz actually … a sort of processed cheese — in a jar. Also maybe American cheese (which is similar to cheese whiz but in slices) or maybe provolone….

they look the same tho — delish!!

Enjoying the china posts … yummy food.

Yeah this was a cold long pickle served on the side, on the plate. tres strange to me! that sandwich was so so so good though.. omg

Hey Bev, loving the posts, keep ’em coming!

I really had no idea Shanghai is so…modern now. Last time I was there was over 10 years ago, and back then it wasn’t so…modern πŸ˜›

Its great to see they have so many different types of cuisine too, not just Chinese. Shame about the prices though.

It was almost 42C in Sydney the other day, you’re not missing much..hahah!

Ahh yeah I’ve heard it’s majorly changed compared to 5 yrs ago, let alone 10! It’s gotten a lot more westernised now, lots of western restaurants and commercial stuff.

Awww i want the heat. it is SO COLD here.. brrrr!

pickles and cole slaw come with sandwiches alot in the US — but pickles come with cold deli sandwiches. With hot ones? Gee, that seems odd to me too. Maybe cause its called a deli?

I’ve never been to Phillie to have a ‘real’ cheese steak… maybe they come with pickles? But than again, I think real ones come with cheese whiz actually … a sort of processed cheese — in a jar. Also maybe American cheese (which is similar to cheese whiz but in slices) or maybe provolone….

they look the same tho — delish!!

Enjoying the china posts … yummy food.

Yeah this was a cold long pickle served on the side, on the plate. tres strange to me! that sandwich was so so so good though.. omg

Sounds a lot better than how it looks. Because it looks like someone just threw up in a baguette! πŸ™‚ That being said, the only Philly cheesesteak I’ve ever had was at Hooters. It looked great and tasted crap….

Yeah it didn’t look particularly enticing.. then again, shredded meat and some onions never are πŸ˜‰

The other philly cheese steaks I’ve had were all either mediocre or crap.. so impressed the best one I’ve had is in SHA, and right next to me. SCORE!

Philadelphia, PA is my stomping grounds!

Normally, I wouldn’t even bother trying a Philly cheesesteak anywhere but where it was born. Not even NYC, which is rumored to have a few cheesesteak stands operated by chefs from South Philly. But, that looks very tasty. And most of the meat is in the bun, lmao!

I was most impressed!!! I’ve never had the original in Philadelphia but all the others I’ve tried and never quite as perfect….

Sounds a lot better than how it looks. Because it looks like someone just threw up in a baguette! πŸ™‚ That being said, the only Philly cheesesteak I’ve ever had was at Hooters. It looked great and tasted crap….

Yeah it didn’t look particularly enticing.. then again, shredded meat and some onions never are πŸ˜‰

The other philly cheese steaks I’ve had were all either mediocre or crap.. so impressed the best one I’ve had is in SHA, and right next to me. SCORE!

Philadelphia, PA is my stomping grounds!

Normally, I wouldn’t even bother trying a Philly cheesesteak anywhere but where it was born. Not even NYC, which is rumored to have a few cheesesteak stands operated by chefs from South Philly. But, that looks very tasty. And most of the meat is in the bun, lmao!

I was most impressed!!! I’ve never had the original in Philadelphia but all the others I’ve tried and never quite as perfect….