Hunan Slurp

There are a lot of new Chinese noodle spots opening in the East Village, and so far, Hunan Slurp is our favorite. Its narrow, wood-lined space looks like a subway tunnel redesigned by a Cirque du Soleil set director, with multi-colored orbs and unusual light fixtures hanging from the ceiling, and there’s a fairly large kitchen visible through big windows in the dining room. We like all the food coming out of that kitchen, including the rice noodles, which come in bowls of broth topped with things like thin-sliced beef or oyster mushrooms - but our favorite dish is the stir-fried chicken. It’s sweet and spicy, and served with some intensely flavored mushrooms. You could come solo and eat at one of the communal tables, but we recommend bringing a date or small group and sharing a bunch of different things.