Ran Nam Toahu Yung Her (also Taohu Yung Hoe or He) serves mostly Northern Chinese cuisine, stuff to survive blistering cold winters: whole animals bubbling in giant pots, cured meats and plenty of dough (fried or steamed) for extra padding. Even the portions seem to be designed with the crossing of freezing, wind-swept plains in mind; we suggest bringing at least four people if you want to sample more than a couple dishes. The atmosphere is just as exotic: PRC decoration (fluorescent light, plenty of plastic, walls in serious need of a paint job), Chinese food stuffs stacked up behind the cashier and an open kitchen that allows for plenty of drama. While the owner barks orders, in Chinese and through a microphone, to chefs close enough for her to touch, fights break out between adolescent kitchen hands and hardened waitresses in a mix of Asian dialects that hardly ever include Thai. Whatever language you speak, you’ll probably end up ordering by pointing your finger at the trilingual (Thai, Chinese, English) laminated pictured menu—or the food itself. The meal starts with the presentation of a large tray packed with small plates: deliciously creamy tofu and preserved eggs, addictive slices of dried beef, crunchy seaweed and many more. Ready to order? The stews are pure meaty bliss. The chunks of beef or lamb are buttery soft without having lost their consistency, their juices preserved in the thick, herby broths in which they cooked. The amount of meat in one pot is huge, whether you get the mutton “fire pot”, which comes on its own gas burner, or the soups (beef, mutton). Xiao long bao (“mini steamed soup bread,”) may be a Shanghainese specialty but these are some of the best in town (yes, better than Crystal Jade): served piping hot, dough not too thick, incredibly flavorsome broth trapped in the dumpling. Another must-try is the “fried cake roll beef”, a disc of fried, unleavened bread rolled around cured beef and raw veggies. It’s both an exciting and comforting balance of textures and flavors: meaty and soft but also fresh and crunchy. In short, we’ve yet to be disappointed by the food here, as for the ambience, you’ve been warned. No corkage charge.
