Cantoon Garden (aka late Pearl River)

Trying to get to Chinatown has proved to be a challenge this summer, but finally got there week before Thanksgiving! Don't expect dining in Chinatown to be a Michelin experience, at least atmosphere-wise. There is no glitz or glamour about Cantoon, no music, no decor to speak of, annoying plastic tableclothes and a chef who smokes while cooking. If the aforementioned doesn't deter you, then dine here.

You begin with a nice pot of green tea. Seems nice. All the seafood is alive in the aquariums which somewhat substitute as decor in the front of the restaurant. As appetizer, the clams in black bean sauce were sub-par. The clams themselves were nice sizes, but forgotten in the thin, tasteless black bean sauce.

The beautiful dungeness crab was on a bed of thick, rice noodles suggested by our waiter. Again, the crab lost in the mixture of garlic and scallions. It was way too much work cracking a crab where the payoff was virtually nothing; though it was quite a presentation.
Before
After
The seabass was the savior of this meal. We chose the fish to be steamed and served with ginger, scallions and soy sauce. The fish was light, fluffy with a meaty texture. I couldn't help but notice everyone (we were the only non-Asians) taking a spoonful of their order and serving atop their small bowl of rice. The rice absorbs the soy/scallion/ginger and leaves the fish as the succulent finish.

My belief in these cultural establishments is to let your waiter do the ordering. There were so many sensational-looking dishes! They just weren't on our table and we weren't daring enough to try something bizarre or awkward to our palate. If you try these, you can get a real sense of the cultures' culinary delights.

22 Elizabeth Street b/t Bayard and Canal
http://www.menupages.com/restaurants/pearl-river/menu