Golden Mall food court brings cold Sichuan to Flushing (1990-2005)
Flushing's Golden Mall opened in 1990. By 2005 its basement food court had become a destination for regional Chinese food, including a stall selling cold Sichuan dishes with pickled vegetables and entrails.
Food critics including Jonathan Gold and Anthony Bourdain visited; the stall helped introduce cold Sichuan cooking to New York.
The food court helped establish regional Chinese cuisine's foothold in the city; its Shaanxi stall evolved into Xi'an Famous Foods.
Shows how a single Sichuan operation can bring a regional style to New York diners, the same dynamic a new restaurant at 750 8th Avenue represents.
