[CLOSED] E-Pie

CHINA 🇨🇳

[UPDATE: CLOSED]

There is not much electronic about the small xian bing vendor in Flushing that has popped up, so I attribute the capital "E" in the English name of this place to boredom and/or fad. The three Chinese characters on the facade allude to prosperity and food and the only hint of "pie" is the round red disc surrounding the character for proper, but even this is a stretch.

The tiny sliver of storefront is half display case and half service window. Choose from one of the six "pies" on offer, four savory, two sweet, and hand over your cash. The case keeps them warm, but even more pleasurable is to wait a bit for a gooey fresh sample.

You will hear these interchangeably referred to as meat pies and pancakes, but either way, it is a quick snack for any time of day, not too messy if you eat it with care, and easy to transport. I was far too early for a recent afternoon Mets game, and stopped by Flushing to pick up a couple for lunch, but returned after downing two to grab three more for the stadium.

So far I have tried the juicy beef ($2), tender chicken ($1.75), and cumin lamb ($2.50), as the selected pork ($1.75) was unfortunately unavailable on my visit. I do not actually think one stands out from the rest, and your selection should simply be based on what meat you are in the mood for on a specific visit. Two is probably enough to fill a person.

Inside of each is a fairly greasy patty of meat and spices, with an ample amount of juiciness in any selection, not just the one that have "juicy" in the name. I did notice that the pies I ate later at the game had plenty of time for the bread to suck in most of the moisture and were not dripping like the first two.

The round discs are lightly grilled, creating a slight crispiness to an otherwise very doughy experience. For me, a case of these would be perfect for the end of any bar, as xian bing would definitely make an excellent drinking companion. In China, this is street food, and a typical stall will have plenty of freshly cooked bings ready to go.

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FLUSHING Queens

135-43 Roosevelt Avenue