NYCReview
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
Green Garden Village
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If you’re with a big group, you could come to Green Garden Village and have a feast made up entirely of suckling pig. It comes served whole, staring directly into your eyes with a side of buns and hoisin sauce. Each bite has crispy skin and tender meat, and will make you seriously consider the feasibility of an all-pork diet. But unfortunately, another meal here might involve soggy beef noodles or unpleasantly gamey duck. The food at this BYOB Cantonese restaurant in Chinatown is extremely hit or miss.
If you order nonchalantly off of Green Garden Village’s giant menu, your chances of striking nothing but gold are pretty low. So stick with the deluxe-leaning meats and seafood, like the crispy Peking duck (skip the roast duck), golden brown salt and pepper squid, snails in their shells, or the lobster fried rice with generous hunks of lobster. And, if you’re celebrating a birthday or team dinner, get that whole suckling pig (which requires calling ahead to order) and maybe an Alaskan King Crab prepared any way you’d like. Just know that at $38 per pound, the crab deserves its own tier of luxury dining. The average eight-pounder will cost an irresponsible portion of your rent.
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
Green Garden Village naturally warrants a comparison to Wu’s Wonton King (another BYOB Chinatown spot with big round tables, gleaming barbecued meats hanging in the windows, and live seafood in tanks). But unlike Wu’s, most people don’t come to Green Garden Village to have a wine-fueled party dinner. So consider Green Garden Village the next time you’re looking for a night out sponsored by your own alcohol, but know that it doesn’t feel rowdy like Wu’s.
Food Rundown
Whole Suckling Pig
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
Roast Pork
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
Peking Duck
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
Lobster Fried Rice
House Special Style Shrimp
Salt & Pepper Squid
photo credit: Noah Devereaux