When Chinese Calls, Call Albert

By Andrea & Sara/ foodie@longislandernews.com

Chinese restaurants may get the cold shoulder from some during the hot summer months. But not from we Foodies. We sometimes get a hankering for the robust and often hot flavors found most prominently in this Asian cuisine no matter how high the thermometer goes, and a recent trip to Albert’s Mandarin Gourmet in Huntington Village was just the ticket.

Our server, an attentive man named Jiang, started us off with the heaping serving of fried noodles that initiate nearly every Chinese food experience. The noodles, dipped in a cool bath of duck sauce and just the right bit of spicy mustard, were crispy and luxurious without being slick with grease. They were accompanied by a piping hot teapot of fragrant traditional tea and before we had sipped our first cup, Jiang delivered a pair of Mai Tais ($6.50), complete with umbrellas. It was the first example of how the meal would creatively infuse what most of us have come to know as “Chinese Food” with slight touches of excitement and a little bit of chill to offset the heat of the food.

A few minutes later we sampled the first of what would be a long line of appetizers. The menu’s list of starters is so extensive that Albert Leung, the restaurant’s proprietor and namesake, asked that we be brought quite a few so that we could sample some of his customers’ favorites. We were first brought a dish of Chicken Soong with Lettuce for Two ($6.95). The iceberg lettuce was picture perfect—not a brown spot or a tear to be found—and the accompanying mixture of chicken, vegetables, and tangy brown sauce had just the right, slightly spiced flavor so as to meld deliciously with the bland crunch of the lettuce. It was one of our favorite parts of the meal.

Next came a dish of the Tropical Shrimp ($5.50). We each got a large shrimp encased in a batter fried up and doused in a sweet, milky sauce and placed atop a bed of shredded lettuce. The luxurious, peach-colored sauce tasted citrusy and hints of coconut explained the appetizer’s name.

Once Jiang saw that we cleared our plates—and we did so expertly—he brought us each a baby lamb chop ($7.95). Cooked rare, it seeped with a buttery taste that also carried hints of the strength of the Chinese fare we were accustomed to. It came off of the bone effortlessly and clichéd as it may be, literally seemed to melt in our mouths. After the previous and unconventional samplings, the lamb chop represented a more familiar Chinese taste that we received happily.

Next, Albert himself chose a few entrees for us to enjoy. We were brought a dish of Chicken Manchurian ($15.95), Mandarin Pork ($15.95), Imperial Crown ($29.95), and a plate of Fried Rice accented with whole shrimp, roast pork, and chicken ($8.95).

We tasted the pork first. It reminded us of sweet and sour pork famous of Chinese take-out. It was one of Sara’s favorites but I found the “unique aromatic sauce” to be slightly sticky and preferred the velvety taste of the Imperial Crown—cubes of filet mignon cooked medium rare with cuts of crunchy asparagus bathed in a flavorful brown sauce.

The Chicken Manchurian was decorated with scallions and served in a heavy, slightly creamy—though translucent—sauce. We each preferred other tastes to that of this dish, but agreed that it provided and interesting, and mild alternatives for those of us who are not great fans of the sometimes aggressive tastes of eastern cooking.

The overwhelming favorite was the fried rice for its propensity to appeal to every preference. Luxurious in its minimalist preparation, it hardly resembles the deep brown color of take out Chinese fried rice. Nor did it include the heavy, oily texture often avoided by the health conscious. Slightly fried, the peas were robust and sweet; small, fluffy morsels of egg were present throughout; the pieces of meat were cooked to perfection and represented to us the perfect Chinese side dish.

After the last piece of shrimp from the fried rice was consumed, and the final bite of asparagus swallowed, Jiang brought us each a damp towel to wash our hands with before we proceeded to the Mandarin Delight dessert ($9.50), a half pineapple and honeydew sliced on each side of the plate with the rinds still intact. Possibly a bit early in the season for these fruits, a few pieces were what we’d call crunchy. But three scoops of rich ice cream completed the plate. The vanilla, chocolate, and pistachio ice cream cooled us down and pleased our tummies; the pistachio was the star for the crunchy nuts and uncommon sweetness.

Albert is a mainstay of every guest’s dining experience. His slight frame decisively makes his way between the tables spread across two rooms, offering and receiving suggestions and a pleasant smile providing a personal touch to each guest’s meal. Throughout our meal, we overheard him laughing and conversing with diners.

Albert’s is located on New York Avenue in Huntington, just north of Main Street and provides a welcome reprieve to the ubiquitous Chinese take-out that sometimes misrepresents traditional Chinese food.

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