Kosher Chinese is packing them in New Haven
July 14, 2005 by Howard Blas
NEW HAVEN — Jews just love Chinese food! With the opening of Kosher Express, Connecticut residents are enjoying a new kosher Chinese restaurant.
A glatt kosher restaurant under rabbinical supervision of the OK (Organized Kashrus Laboratories), Kosher Express opened on May 25 in the Amity Plaza Shopping Center at the New Haven/Woodbridge line, just off Route 15 (the Wilbur Cross Parkway).
Shing Cheng, owner of Kosher Express, is no stranger to Chinese restaurants.
“My father owns a kosher Chinese restaurant in Fairlawn, New Jersey,” Cheng notes. “All together, my family has four kosher Chinese
restaurants-three in New Jersey and one in Brooklyn.”
“We were looking for a new location and our mashgiach (kosher supervisor) in New Jersey gave us the number of Rabbi David Avigdor (of New Haven), who was very helpful in finding a location.”
On several recent visits, business seemed to be booming.
“I love it!” said Evan Ravski, a student at the Jewish Theological Seminary/Davidson School of Education. “It says a lot about our community that the first Chinese restaurant in the state opened in the Amity/Westville area.”
Sydney Perry, Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven executive director, added, “A vibrant Jewish community requires schools, a mikveh, synagogues and agencies which serve the elderly and the needy, a shochet and a mohel. And a kosher Chinese restaurant. With the advent of Kosher Express, which joins the kosher restaurants providing vegetarian delights, New Haven is clearly thriving. Every fortune cookie should say l’chaim.”
Diners at Kosher Express will find plenty of parking in the Amity Shopping Center, which also is home to Stop & Shop (where all breads and pastries are under kosher supervision).
The spacious restaurant offers plenty of seating at
differently-configured tables. In addition to the five
four-person tables, there was a party of 17 sitting at a long table. On another visit, students from the New Haven Yeshiva were enjoying
pre-night shiur class at two tables of eight.
The extensive menu includes 17 appetizers and nine soups. In addition to the more traditional chow meins, lo meins, egg foo yongs and veal, beef and chicken items, diners can enjoy nine vegetable items, and 12 “healthy items” (low calorie, no salt, no oil). Special combination platters (15 choices) come with an egg roll and fried rice. Chef specialties (24 to choose from) are served Szechuan, Hunan and Cantonese style. Lunch specials are available between 11:30am and 3:30pm Catering is also available.
While the food is good, several diners remarked that wait service is in need of improvement as the service is too slow. But the lure of kosher Chinese keeps bringing them back.
Kosher Express is located in the Amity Plaza Shopping Center, 132 Amity Road. Tel: 203-387-7889.
Hours are Sun-Thurs, 11am-9pm; Friday, 11am-one hour before candlelighting; Sat. night, one and a half hours after sunset.