China Blue- Tribecca, NY

China Blue is a tucked away restaurant in Tribeca, with a practically hidden entrance, complete with a secretive vibe. Upon entering the restaurant, you’re greeted to an expansive space, filled lightly with community tables, a bar, and smaller sections of seating areas in the back. Many customers are there for a drink, others are discussing business, but we’re here to eat. We sat down at a wobbly table on a platform overlooking the restaurant. We started with the Shredded Beef and the String Beans. The beef was tender and flavorful, mixed with spicy slivered green peppers. The string beans, in a bowl filled with minced pork, were the tastiest course of the night- expertly salted, a slight char, and a mouth-watering schezuan seasoning. Next, we had the “Shanghai Noodles”, toited as a classic chinese dish. Upon arrival, the noodles were crunchy, stuck together sitting beneath a pool of chicken and shrimp stew. Over time, however, the noodles became soaked in the sauce, offering a unique but delicious mix of crunchiness and classic soft-noodles. After, we ordered the make-your-own-pork-buns and the sea bass. The pork was fantastic, with just small amounts of fat but also a perfect crispiness. However, the buns were slightly soggy and fell apart to easily, and there weren’t any vegetables to fill the buns with to complement the pork. Disappointing. Finally, the bass. My parents loved it, and thought it had a light, complex flavor- however, I found the heavy vinegar to be overwhelming, and despite the tenderness of the fish, I had to stop halfway through eating it. Overall, I give China Blue 3 pineapples. Based on previous reviews, China Blue was made out to be one of the premier, authentic-Chinese dining experiences in NYC. Rather, while they have their fair share of tasty dishes, there’s not much of a difference in quality or authenticity between China Blue and other restaurants in the city.