China 46: Ridgefield, NJ (Closed)

Update (09/10/2007):  China 46 has closed for good.

China 46 opened in 2001. we discovered it the day after Christmas of that year.  Since then, I've probably eaten about 150 meals there.  Let's just say I like China 46.

From my first meal there on 12/26/2001 in the afternoon, all alone in the dining room, to my most recent meal there tonight, China 46 stuns, amazes, and provides what is definitely the most satisfying food that I've ever had.  And it does it over and over and over.  I can't say that about any other restaurant.  And with their specialty of Shanghai style cooking, it's really one-of-a-kind (essentially) in NJ, and quite frankly it's better than any of the Shanghai places in NYC.

Tonight's spur-of-the-moment meal was so perfect, so wonderful, that we were left wondering why we don't have meals here every other night.  I honestly think we wouldn't tire of it.

We were in the mood for something spicy, and asked the owner (and host) Cecil what he'd recommend.  We specified that we preferred pork. Cecil went to the kitchen and came back offering the pepper and salt pork chops, which are on the menu.  We've had the pepper and salt shrimp many times, and always enjoy it.  The pork chop with this treatment was new to us (or perhaps we've had it but forgot as it had been so long?).  The pepper and salt dishes (both the shrimp and pork chops) are served with shredded peppers that are somewhat hot, sliced raw garlic, and cilantro.  The protein is usually lightly coated with a salty mixture and quickly deep fried.  It's always a crowd pleaser, and the thinly sliced pork chops sure pleased this crowd of two tonight.

We started with lamb dumplings, which are on the specials menu (located at the front door on a big board).  The ground lamb has bits of crunchy vegetables, and the dumplings are served with a vinegar/soy dipping sauce.  For a tiny little bit of lamb, this is some of the lambiest lamb dumplings I've ever had.  The staff also brought out some hot chili paste, made with sichuan peppercorns (more on them later).  This stuff is *hot*.

Fresh bamboo and shitake was our vegetable dish tonight.  If you've never had fresh bamboo you should.  the texture of this dish is reason alone to order it:  crunchy and fresh.

Cecil was kind enough to bring out a small portion of another dish for us to try.  He explained that it consisted of cured chinese long beans (chinese long beans are string beans that are about 2 or 3 feet long, often found in thai cooking), minced pork, some thai chilis, and maybe a bit of herb or scallion.  This mixture is stuffed into little buns.  Even though the ingredients list seems straight-forward, this dish blew me away.  Clearly it's more than the sum of its parts.

Those four dishes created one of the best meals I've ever had at China 46.  Simply incredible.  Oh, and at 34 dollars, I mean really.  You have to be kidding me.  (note that the sample of the pork/long bean was on the house).

China 46 is BYO and open every day of the year.  They have an incredible sunday "brunch", which, at about 12 dollars, is the biggest steal anywhere.  anywhere.

I'd say stick to sweet wines or beer with your meals at China 46.   I usually bring Riesling.  The heat and flavors in the spicy dishes will take most wines (steely wines especially) and shred them up into a big pile of tinny scrap metal.  Not a good pairing.  I'm definitely of the thought that you need a somewhat sweet wine with spicy dishes.  And it's not just the spice that's wreaking havoc with the wine and your tastebuds:  it's the sichuan peppercorns.  For those who never had these little dried flowers, I'll say that they not only provide heat, but also a numbing affect to the lips and tongue.  A delicious and unique flavor/sensation, and quite deadly for most wines.

In a pinch, there's a liquor store right on Grand Ave directly north of Route 46.

China 46 - 88 route 46 west (right west of Grand Ave) - Ridgefield, NJ - 201.313.0088

china 46 website

Comments

[dbrociner]

It would be a long drive for me but you certainly make it sound worth the trip. Nice write up. I think beer might be the way to go instead of wine. Don't know if you're much of a beer guy. I don't know much about Chinese beer but I do think that a "dry" Japanese beer like Ashai would work well with the food you described. I also think it would pair well with a Weiss beer, Paulaner is the standard imo. You don't need the lemon you so often see served with this to enjoy the beer but you do need the right glass as they leave the yeast in the bottle. I'm not a big fan of most Chinese restaurants and I've ranted about this before but this place sounds like it breaks the mold. Thanks again Tommy.

[Rosie]

Another Chinese restaurant that I feel is as good as China 46 is Hunan Cottage, Rt 46, Fairfield.

[tommyeats]

dbrociner, you should definitely take the trip. i was going to make a list of recommended dishes, but quite frankly i've never had a bad dish at China 46. i realize that sounds like hyperbole, but it's true. when in doubt, i'd suggest asking for Cecil's recommendations. he's always there and extremely helpful.

your beer recs are right in line with what i would suggest. but i'd still choose riesling over beer. :)

like rosie i was also going to suggest Hunan Cottage. while the food is very good at Hunan Cottage, and they're making some real authentic dishes, i've found the staff to be less than accommodating to non-chinese customers. downright intolerant at times. i'm willing to chalk this up to cultural differences, but if i'm going for real chinese food, i'll not consider them again, especially since China 46 is closer for me.

If you do go to Hunan Cottage, be sure to ask for the "chinese menu," which has all of the good stuff on it (written in english). the regular menu that they'll give to you is filled with standard americanized chinese crap.

[Rail Paul]

I eat monthly at Hunan 46 and occasionally at China 46, and agree with what's been said here. FWIW, Hunan 46 is somewhat suspcious of non-Chinese ordering from the Chinese menu until they know you.

Cecil is quite friendly, and more than willing to suggest items or combinations of ingredients.

[tommyeats]

i'm suspicious of a restaurant that's suspicious of its customers. shame on them.

[Pete]

I am also a huge fan of C46. The other night they brought out some new leafy green vegetable dish they are serving now, which I can't remember the name of (anyone know?. Tommy, do they have a name yet for that pork/long bean dish?. Other dishes we love there are the xiao long bao and the shanghai noodles. The staff could not be more friendly. And speaking of those peppercorns, I couldn't feel my tongue the other night after 2 bites of the spicy capsicum cellophane noodles!

[Rail Paul]

...i'm suspicious of a restaurant that's suspicious of its customers. shame on them....

Maybe that's a little harsh?

When we did the eG dinner at Mie Thai in Woodbridge, everyone ordered hot or medium hot. The chef came out to see what was actually eaten before he cooked the next course. The server told me people order stuff, and then refuse it because it's too hot.

Maybe that's racist, but I'm sure they don't like to see good food thrown away.

[tommyeats]

no, i don't think that's harsh. the treatment i've received at Hunan Cottage, however, *was* harsh. what can i tell you. i speak from experience and i call it like i see it.

that said, i still talk up the place and send people there. people whose opinions i trust, including yours, speak highly of the place. i just won't go out of my way to return, and i can attribute that directly to their attitude towards non-chinese customers. i'll also add that on occasion it hasn't been that bad.

your anecdote about the chef at mei thai checking on wasted food doesn't seem racist at all to me. it seems smart.

[tommyeats]

pete,

no name was given for the pork/long bean dish. it may have been made special for another group. it's not on the menu, or on the specials list. i suppose it wouldn't hurt to ask Cecil about it, but don't get your hopes up that you'll actually be able to get it spur of the moment.

[Rail Paul]

...people whose opinions I trust, including yours...

That's the mark of a very classy guy, Tom. You respect other opinions while updating and defining your own.

Says a lot for you and your site.

[dbrociner]

Quote: "I eat monthly at Hunan 46 and occasionally at China 46, and agree with what's been said here. FWIW, Hunan 46 is somewhat suspcious of non-Chinese ordering from the Chinese menu until they know you."

This is the kind of thing that makes me steer clear of most Chinese places. I don't want to be treated like a second class citzen when I'm spending my first class money. Cecil sounds like a smart businessman as well as a tolerant person.

[tommyeats]

i hear ya dbrociner.

the thing that amazes me is this: one of the easiest ways for a restaurant to win over a customer is to make that customer feel comfortable in an environment where they might be uncomfortable or unsure. maybe the customer is clearly not from the neighborhood, or they are clearly unsure of the menu and food, or they're just uncomfortable because they're uncomfortable in general. if you welcome someone as if you're welcoming them to your home and you make them feel special, i can assure you that they will forgive lapses in service or less-than-stellar food (please see Danny Meyer's Gramercy Tavern in NYC as an example). so when i see restaurants not going the extra tiny little inch to make people feel comfortable, i have to wonder when they're going to retire and move to a tropical island, because they obviously have enough money.

[Jaime]

I remember China 46 being there before 2001. I remember going in there starting back in 1996. Is it the same owner? Is that why you mention 2001, different owner?

[tommyeats]

Jaime, China 46 opened in late 2001. While there was a chinese restaurant there before that at some point, I don't think it was called China 46, but I could be wrong. Either way, this is no doubt an entirely different restaurant than the one you ate in back in 1996. Give it another shot, if you're still in the area.

[Sweetn6E]

Like Jaime, I remember China 46 being there quite a while ago. Loved it for it's authentic cuisine (first time I ever had duck feet... also the last, although no fault of theirs - just not my to my taste). Jellyfish, frog, etc. were on the menu as well... definitely not your typical chow mein emporium. Need to get back there again soon.

[tommyeats]

get back there soon. it's a different place than it was pre-2001. or at the very least, different owners.

[eyedoc]

FYI, before 2001, it was called Phoenix Garden and it was the best Chinese at the time. Maybe tied with China 17, may it rest in peace. Phoenix Garden had the same owners as the the chinatown restaurant located in the arcade on Elizabeth St. Also an observation. When China 17 was alive, they gave a great freebie of boiled peanuts with 5 spice flavor to all asian patrons while non asians got the usual fried wonton and duck sauce. I noticed that at China 46, the same is done with a cabbage dish (kimchee?). I hate duck sauce.

[tommyeats]

thanks for filling in the blanks, eyedoc.

yes, China 46 gives the kelp to people it assumes will like it, and doesn't give it to people it assumes won't like it. this generalization is usually based on looks. in my case, they bring the seaweed, but only because they know i like it. they'll give it to anyone who asks.

i'm no big fan of duck sauce either, but their hot mustard is quite good, and i often ask for it if i order dumplings of any sort.

[Gina P.]

I went to China 46 on Friday evening 2/9/07. I had never been there and really wanted to check it out because of all the recommendations and positive things I have heard (including the blog entries on tommyeats). Unfortunately, I was very disappointed. The place is not pretty, and don’t get me wrong – that would be ok if the service and the food were good. Sorry to say neither was even fair. The place was freezing cold, so much so that our food got cold right away and we ate with our jackets draped over our shoulders. The service really fell short - the place was empty with the exception of 3 other tables, yet they rushed us. Getting someone to bring us some cutlery and soy sauce was chore of repetition. They brought our 1st course and literally 2 minutes later brought the main course. I can’t remember the name of the dish I ordered, but it was a chicken dish that appears on the “Chef Specialty” portion of the menu and the majority of it consisted of chunks of onion. I sadly left most of it on my plate instead of inside my stomach. Honestly, I won't be going back. This place just doesn't have enough going for it for a second chance.

[tommyeats]

sorry you had luch a lousy time, Gina.

the HVAC system is pretty pathetic. it's forced-air, and either on, or off. when it's on you get blasted with hot air. when it cycles off you get cold. i always ask to be seated away from the windows as they are not well insulated.

you might also consider Petite Soochow in Cliffside park. Although, like many chinese-owned and run authentic restaurants, it is not pretty nor is the service or timing always what one might expect.