Red Sorghum has recently opened in Long Island City, and is yet another spicy Chinese restaurant. It seems that there are quite a few around Long Island City. This location replaced the closed Penny Bridge. Because this was really close to our place and we were meeting friends, we decided on this restaurant to try different dishes. They proud themselves in baijiu, which is China’s liquor to Korean soju. There are several cocktails made with them if you’re interested.
This excerpt is from their site:
The name Red Sorghum symbolizes our commitment to celebrating China’s diverse spirits, evident in our dedication to Baijiu Infused Cocktails. As you step into our vibrant space, vintage lanterns, captivating artworks, and a sorghum stalk display create an immersive experience, resonating with China’s cultural richness. Founded by Vincent and Mandy, Red Sorghum is a fusion of hospitality, design, and Chinese-American heritage. Situated in Long Island City, it serves as a cultural crossroads, introducing baijiu cocktails and a unique banquet concept. Red Sorghum invites all to partake in a celebration that transcends dining—it’s a journey through tradition, innovation, and the vibrant spirit of Chinese gastronomy.
Ambiance & Service
The interior was pretty nice. You can see a lot of red Chinese accents all over the restaurant. It was strange in that the restaurant gives a lot of older Chinese vibes, but it’s quite modern and hip.
The service was pretty speedy, and some of the servers do like it if you speak Mandarin to them.
Food
The Sorghum Sling ($17 - top) came with hawthorne berry, pineapple, cherry herring, roku gin, ming river baijiu, mint, and soda. This was definitely sweeter than what I’d prefer, but my partner enjoyed it.
The Poet’s Pleasure ($18 - bottom) came with Jura’s single malt, monkey shoulder blended scotch, Antica formula sweet vermouth, benediction, and Turkish tobacco bitters. This reminded me of a smokey, smooth, old fashioned cocktail.
The Changsha Spiced Chicken ($24) came with lightly fried diced chicken, pineapple chunks, dried red peppers, and sesame seeds. The chicken was delicious, and it was seasoned well. The whole plate surprisingly was not that spicy, as long as you don’t eat the peppers.
The Mapo Tofu ($18) came with silk tofu meets bean paste and minced pork. The tofu was a bit too soft for me, but the flavors of this was pretty good. The only caveat to this dish was that it was overly salty due to the bean paste. The fried rice was not enough to combat against the saltiness of this.
The Mongolian Lamb ($26) came with five spiced-marinated lamb with cumin and caramelized onions. Surprisingly, the lamb did not have a lot of gamey flavors. The cumin was definitely very potent.
The Canton Shrimp Fried Rice ($20) came with shrimp, egg, bean sprouts, scallion, and shallots. The fried rice was quite good, though expensive for what they give you. You get just 4 pieces of shrimp.
The Crab Meat Pork Soup Dumpling ($16) came with 6 pieces and stuffed with savory pork and sweet crab. This was probably one of our favorites for tonight. The dough was pretty thick, so if you like chewy textures, this would would be a great match. The flavors of the pork and crab were pretty good. I wouldn’t say it’s the best, but at least you can’t wrong here.
Final Verdict
Red Sorghum is a decent Hunan cuisine restaurant in Long Island City. The dishes are acceptable, but with the surplus of spicy Chinese restaurants, you have many restaurant choices to pick from in the area.
Yelp Jabs
I would have thought this place would be more authentic to the spice level rating and the quality of the food they delivered solely due to the intense competition.
This Elitist could have easily solved their issue by asking for more spice. We sat next to a pair of older Chinese folks who also had a similar complaint (in Mandarin) to the waitress. The waitress mentioned that the restaurant tones the spice down, so that they can temper the heat to “wai guo ren” (loosely translated to foreigner). They then brought additional spicy peppers to the folks, so that they can increase the spice. Remember when it comes to spicy, you can always add, but you cannot subtract. If this Elitist wants these restaurants to survive in an expensive real estate market, they should consider that.
Food was okay. Didn’t feel authentic. The soup dumplings were good, but everything else, I won’t order again. It just lacked that “yummy” flavor
Authenticity is a bit of an oxymoron when it comes to modern Chinese food. Without a doubt, most restaurants in NYC will add some spin to their foods because of the need to cater it to a broader audience. For this Yelper, they probably should consider going to a very traditional Chinese restaurant if they desire authenticity.
Revisions
- Apr 13, 2024 - Initial revision.