This noodle stand in a hole-in-the-wall food court is an absolute gem. Discovering a place that offers the authentic cuisine of the Miao highlights the true diversity of Queens. While Gui Zhou Miao Jia's food is bona fide delicious, its menu offers limited scope of the most representative dishes.
For those unfamiliar, the Miao people are one of the 55 official minority groups in China and reside in the southern region, mainly in Guizhou, but also scattered across Yunnan, Sichuan, Guangxi, Hunan, Hubei, and Hainan provinces. A diverse linguistic and cultural group, the Miao are related to the Hmong, a subgroup that migrated from southern China and now primarily lives in Southeast Asia.
The Miao cuisine in Guizhou is distinguished by strong sour and spicy flavors. Pickling and fermentation are common, as is the addition of spices such as hot pepper, sesame, and coriander. Sour soup is a popular base for fish, meat, and vegetables. Although rice dominates in Guizhou, at Gui Zhou Miao Jia the focus is noodles. But oh, boy! The noodles here are cooked to perfection. Also, mutton is featured more prominently on the menu, though in Guizhou fish, especially fish in sour broth, is prevalent.
My bowl of beef noodle soup ($7.50) was excellent. Made quickly and fresh to order, the large bowl came hot and heaping with a generous amount of rice noodles, chunks of salty flavorful beef, and of course pickled vegetables. The intense, deep flavors anchored in a rich broth added dimension. Although beef noodle soup is ubiquitous, this one was truly unforgettable. read more