Liang's Space Taken?

A reader says this morning that the Liang's space on Restaurant Row (70th Road) has been rented. No word yet on by who. If this is in fact the case, that means it took about 6 months from the time the restaurant closed until the space was rented out again. Not sure where that fits in terms of average renting out of retail space, but just thought I'd throw out this little factoid. Of course, this is if what the reader says is true. I just passed by the space the other day and it still had the "For Lease" sign in the window.

Why is this a big deal? Because it's virtually a given that the space will be another restaurant, and despite all the great places opening in the last few months here in FoHi, we sure could still use some good new restaurants. For example, there's still a huge need for a really good all-around diner/cafe type place in the central Forest Hills area. That, and a new indie coffee shop somewhere in the middle of the neighborhood, and my dreams will be fulfilled :)

Rumors and Happenings

Just a few tidbits people have either commented about, or I've seen. Various rumors and possibilities and stuff still to be sorted out:

1) Very surprised to hear that Moca Asian Bistro on Restaurant Row was shut down by the health department recently. I have been leaning towards Jade recently for my Asian fusion fare, but this was always a close second. I especially liked their boneless bbq spare ribs. They even made it onto my Recommended Restaurants list. Hopefully, they'll reopen.

2) And while I'm on Restaurant Row, hard to believe that someone hasn't snatched up the former Liang's space there. I mean if you are anyone who wants to own a restaurant, it's one of the best locations in Forest Hills, possibly all of Queens. Thousands of people come to that street every weekend to eat from all over the Borough, Long Island, and the rest of the City. Hard to see how a good restaurant wouldn't thrive big-time in that location.

3) A couple of things from comments here: a) Apple store is the rumor that refuses to die. The latest had it going into the Men's Warehouse location on Austin, and b) Lucille Roberts will be closing. Can't vouch for either of those, just telling you what others have commented about here in the past couple of months. By the way, how much longer do you think Barnes & Noble has? I used to love browsing in there, but have to admit I haven't done so in months since I've gotten my Kindle. I now browse electronically, virtually, whatever.

4) Crimes in The Gardens. A friend sent me some photos this morning of a beautiful new car stripped apparently overnight of all its tires. I'm not posting the pics because I don't want to invade the victim's privacy. But what chutzpah these thieves have, so brazen. The car in the photo is clumsily lifted up off the street by pieces of wood, quite precariously by the way.

Edge of the City Review: Liang's

I paid a visit to Liang's tonight for some Chinese takeout and to try to solve one of the biggest mysteries in Forest Hills in recent weeks: is Liang's really just the former Peking Duck Palace disguised by a new name? Or is this really, truly a genuine new restaurant?

Well, while having not actually asked the proprietors, I can only report what I see with my own two eyes, and, of course, taste. And my suspicion after actually eating the food and comparing it to Peking Duck's is that Liang's food is just too damn good to still be Peking Duck!

Yes, I am happy to report that a decent Chinese restaurant appears to have finally set up shop in the heart of Forest Hills! Imagine that?

For about $27 (yes, quite a lot for Chinese food, but I wanted to sample a wide range of offerings), I took home the hot and sour soup; an egg roll; BBQ spare ribs and Moo Shu Chicken. Oh, and a can of Pepsi.

Here's my review of each:

I started with the Hot & Sour Soup: This was ok, not great. It was very peppery but lacked the sour part to any noticeable degree. Even so, it was still a pretty good soup and I would order it again. (I ordered the meat version, by the way. They offer it without meat as well.) Grade: B

Egg Roll: This I enjoyed a lot more than the soup. It had a perfect crunch and starts off hitting your tongue with just a hint of cinnamon flavor, followed quickly by all the nice veggie and pork flavorings of a good egg roll. And it wasn't overly greasy, either. Grade: A

BBQ Spare Ribs: Now this was the biggest surprise for me. These were delectable. I even breathed an involuntary "Yum!" as I ate the first one. The most noticeable feature was how tender they were. Quite different than an everyday spare rib. And the tangy flavors were spot on. Grade: A+ for some of the best spare ribs I have ever had. (And I cannot believe I just wrote that about a Chinese restaurant in Forest Hills!)

Moo Shu Chicken: This was a pretty good version of the popular Moo Shu Chicken dish, which is served with pancakes and hoisin sauce. I found it to be lighter on the eggs than other Moo Shus I've eaten and more heavy on the veggies, which is a very nice change in these health-conscious days. And it wasn't overly greasy either. I also liked the smoky flavor that came through. My only complaint was the chicken itself seemed a bit light on flavor. But overall, not bad. Grade: A

Overall grade for the new Liang's: A

Liang's is located at 107-12 70th Road (Restaurant Row) in Forest Hills. Here is their menu: