Nostrand Avenue’s Chop Stix Stir-Fry, Asian Noodle, Sushi, & Grill cafe and restaurant officially opens for dine in service today.
The restaurant still had building permits posted on their windows when we visited this past Sunday. Surprised to see people coming and going from the place and feeling the need for some Chinese food, I and a friend decided to stop by.
The new building’s design is fresh and modern, inside and out. There is a take-out waiting area, sushi bar, waterfall, pond, and and dine-in seating. The cashiers told us that there was no dine-in seating available, since the restaurant is not open, yet. For a restaurant that wasn’t open, there sure was a lot of hustle and bustle going on behind the counters. There were three people milling around at the sushi counter area, six cooks stir-frying in the open kitchen, and about seven others putting packages together and ringing up the orders.
Since there were a few customers enjoying their freshly prepared meal at the sushi counter, we decided to do the same and settled on Shrimp Fried Rice and Beef with Mushrooms. When we asked about cleaned shrimp before placing the order, the counter people said a few things: “What do you mean? The shells?”, “Oh, the intestines?” , “Well, these are baby shrimp. They are hard to clean.”, “We can’t guarantee that they are cleaned.”, “They are cleaned. We have people who do that in the basement.”
Despite the little confusion, we’re happy to say that the shrimp were of a decent size and cleaned well. The Fried Rice was soy-sauce brown, with more than six decent-sized shrimps, onions and bean sprouts. Having forgotten to ask if the Beef with Mushrooms dish is prepared with fresh or canned mushrooms, it was a pleasant surprise to find that fresh mushroom slices were used. The beef, tender and recognizable as beef, was in a tasty brown sauce with bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, and carrots.
Our package was prepared in a jiffy and given to us in a paper bag in a plastic bag with foam plates and one fork. Counter people quickly obliged our requests for more cutlery and condimients. The meal though small and simple, was tasty. It was probably not the meal to order to get a true feel for what the famed chef and owner, George Wong, has put on his menu.
Other customers seated at the sushi counter were raving about their Egg Foo Young and Fried Chicken Wings with Fried Rice, while the friendly staff made conversation. The counter person said that he is the owner’s son and that this Chop Stix Restaurant is an expanded version of the Peking Kitchen which was in the same Nostrand Avenue spot for 13 years. Chop Stix is also a younger twin of the Bay Ridge restaurant with a similar name and good reputation.
We have high hopes for Chop Stix, since the owner has received numerous culinary certificates and accolades, many of which grace the wall of the take-out area. A few of Chef Wong’s impressive wins: the Gold Medal of the Academie Culinaire de France – U.S. Group; a check for $500 by the Société CulinairePhilanthopique for Centerpiece In Cooking; and, 2006 Big Apple Chef Member of the Year Award.
Based on the etched glass wall in the foyer of the restaurant, Chef Wong appears to have a good relationship with those he has worked with in the community. Listing everyone from the architect to the sign maker, he uses the wall to “sincerely thank the following friends and companies for their inspirations and contributions to make this Cafe come true.”
Should Chef Wong want to add another name to his thank you list – “Sheepshead Bites, First Media Community Welcome / Clean Shrimp, Fresh Mushroom Review” — there is still a little room on the glass.
Below are photos of the restaurant, including some taken a month ago during the construction:
Chop Stix Restaurant
Stir-Fry, Asian Noodle, Sushi & Grill
3790 Nostrand Avenue (Between Avenue Y & Avenue Z)
(718) 891-0391 or (718) 891-0392
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one of the dude that is on the windows look so funny
I always loved that place when it was Peking Kitchen, but the quality of the food had been slipping before the renovation started. I hope the food is back with the new decor.
Haven’t gone there in a while since the prices went up and theres another Chinese takeout place closer to me. Looking forward to seeing the eat in place. I wonder if they have actual tables or just the booths like they used to have?
I wonder how the new sushi part of the buisness will impact the sushi place next door to it.
The facade of the new restaurant looks larger than the chinese restaurant that was there. They must have swallowed up the sushi place too.
They swallowed up the electronics store that was 2 storefronts. The new place is 3 units wide.
I visited the Chopsticks with a friend yesterday. Interesting decor. The food was good, the service was poor. The menu was varied but did not include any sushi bar items at the tables. One bathroom, constantly occupied. don’t trip over the entrance, which is not flat. Good view of the kitchen for those who are interested in watching the food being prepared. Stay away from the pond in the middle of the place, it is not filtered and the water will get quite dirty. The same for the water wall in the back of the place.
Where is this place exactly? What stores is it near? The last Chinese restaurant I remember on Nostrand between Y & Z was right next door to a little store that sold lotto, magazines and cigs and next to the parking garage across the street from Waldbaums. It’s been a while….
I went today for lunch with my sister ata non-peak time, we had a great experience. Great food, reasonable prices, nice service. No complaints whatsoever.
I keep meaning to go…
Very tasty, if a bit overpriced for take-out. Sushi is fairly good although the Chinese portion of the menu is where it’s really at.
Service has been good for me both delivery and eating in, however it should be noted I have not been in peak times.
All in all one of the best take-out joints in Brooklyn.
I’ve since eaten here too. My opinion is this. Their Chinese Food menu is above par for the other joints in the area. Their Sushi is way overpriced. I’ll never order sushi there. The prices are insulting.
The Chinese prices are a tad higher too, but there is a noticeable difference in quality.
The quality of the food, in fact the whole unique taste has changed and can only make me think that the chef is no longer cooking in this location.
I will try the restaurant in Bay Ridge and see if he or someone my tastebuds are familiar with is cooking there.
we have grown accustomed to his cooking from Peking Kitchen and so after 13 years no one can tell me its the same chef cooking my meal.
He cannot be two places at once.
I think I have to find a new takeout.
Same chef. His family owns and runs this location. Someone from his family is always there, either behind the register or telling people what to do. The taste has likely changed because all the cooking equipment is new and doesn’t have that “lived in” flavor.
[...] Chop Stix Open For Dine-In On Nostrand (August 18) – When Peking Kitchen expanded after 13 years of service on Nostrand Avenue, they were reborn as Chop Stix Stir-Fry, Asian Noodle, Sushi, & Grill. The enlarged, sit down eatery appears to be a success and is Sheepshead Bay’s first new sit-down Chinese eatery south of Avenue U in years. [...]
Alright, the place changed and the food sucks. No big deal, it happens. My complaint regards the pond they have filled with fish under the walkway. A woman in a suit sits us down, gets us a waiter and disappears; then I notice a little girl violently throwing little rocks at one of the fish. It was screwed up but she was just a little girl, and the woman in the suit who sat us down was walking over to her anyway. To my amazement, the woman takes some rocks from the girl and starts throwing rocks with her. I was sitting beside the pond and had a good view, I'm not exaggerating when I say that these rocks were aimed for the fish and with some good strength.
One family (also with a little girl) is done eating, gets up to leave, and walks past the pond. The woman in the suit was thanking everyone for dining, and then hands the new little girl some rocks to throw at the fish. The family stands around, the mom takes a picture, etc. At one point, the first little girl walked around the pond and tried to lift one of the large flat stones that make up the walls, thankfully these are obviously cemented together.
This went on for a good while, and while I didn't see any of the fish get injured – they were definitely freaking out. The rocks would penetrate the water and immediately swerve, but they still had people throwing things at them in their enclosed environment. The woman in the suit was older and clearly works there, I don't know what she was thinking.
Also, I find this relevant: I'm a 23 year old male who owns a cat and has very little interest in fish. Nearly every one of my meals contain meat, I'm not bothered by the killing of animals if it's necessary for human consumption, and I've openly laughed at the prospects of vegetarians.
When I went to the circus in Coney Island, my friend asked one of the protesters what she was there for. She began explaining to him her views on the circus being abusive towards their animals, I pulled my friend away and told him “we're hear to see clowns, not talk to them.”
Think what you will of those things, but consider them and then consider the fact that what went on in Chopstix bothered me. I haven't mustered the passion to report them but I certainly lost interest in giving them another dime.
You were Arthur B before, yet somehow I knew it was you
This place ShopStix is awesome, Chinese food is the best I have eaten in a long time. Agree with you on sushi.
[...] also just got word that Chop Stix Stir-Fry, Asian Noodle, Sushi, & Grill … err… Chop Stix (3790 Nostrand Avenue), formerly known as Peking Kitchen, got its hands [...]