Tian Yi on Greenmount Avenue Delivers Food and Some Satisfaction
American Chinese food on Christmas Eve
In honor of my yes-you-guessed-it Jewish heritage (and in honor of this hilarious song by fellow Owings Mills High School graduate Brandon Walker, profiled in this article by our friend Marc at Reisterstown Patch), I departed from my pre-approved list of reviews and decided on Chinese takeout for today's write-up.
It being the holidays and all, I opted for the low-impact option and ordered online. From click to doorbell, the delivery clocked in at exactly 23 minutes. For a sizeable order, that was impressive. My usual Chinese delivery go-to – Paul Chen's in Charles Village – can take upward of an hour. (It was so fast that I immediately forgave the driver for coming to my door in a Yankees hat.)
My poison for the evening was the shrimp yat gat mein, an egg noodle meant to be thicker than lo mein. The noodles were extra thick and doughy, resulting in the entire dish teetering on the edge of the proper noodle-to-other-ingredients ratio. The shrimp were a decent size – not "wow, look at these shrimp!" big, but big enough to escape my criticism. (For me, low-grade shrimp is a deal breaker.) And, although typically served as a soup, Tian Yi's yat gat mein was not even a little soupy. Still, a worthy dish.
I also had the pleasure of trying the Singapore chow mai fun (super-thin rice noodles). The spices were more Indian than Chinese – there was a kick of curry that made the dish spicier than the usual salty American Chinese fair. This is one of Tian Yi's mixed meat dishes, and while the pieces of egg stood out – they were soaked in sauce and melted in my mouth – the rest of the meat was overcooked and dry. Maybe next time I'll try the veggie or seafood version. I give this one an "eh."
Other samplings included the spring roll (awesome), egg drop soup (so-so) and moo shu vegetables (no thanks).
Bottom line: Tian Yi is worth a try. If you're like me and usually devoted to a single Chinese delivery place, put Tian Yi in the rotation at least once. I will definitely give this place another try.
Tian Yi
3320 Greenmount Avenue
410-467-3213
| Neighborhood: | In the top left quadrant of the Greenmount Avenue & 33rd Street intersection (that's Oakenshawe, folks!) |
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Food Type: |
American Chinese; you can also get Japanese and, of course, Lake Trout with all the necessary trappings. |
| Damage: | Typical - $6 to $11.95, unless you want the 100-piece chicken wing platter. But be careful - $25 minimum for delivery. |
| Gripe: | The moo shoo vegetables were mostly cabbage and just dripping in sauce. Hence my earlier "no thanks." |
| Hat tip: | The spring roll was superb. It's such a simple thing, but it was cooked to perfection and might be one of the better spring rolls I've had to date. |
| Go if: | Theoretically, you might go if you're shopping on Greenmount Avenue or on your way to return some books to the library. Anyone have a Tian Yi dine-in experience to share? Post it in the comments section. |
| Don't go if: | Like me, you prefer your Chinese food to come to you. |
Sam
10:50 pm on Monday, December 27, 2010
When I went to eat in a few years ago, a hooker tried to pick me up. I was on a date at the time.
Olga Maltseva
9:26 am on Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Sam - In that case, I'll stick to my recommendation: delivery is definitely the safest option at Tian Yi!
Tear
5:45 am on Saturday, April 13, 2013
Yat Gat Mein is my favorite dish! Especially with a little broccoli added. I believe it's a Baltimore thing, since none of my friends (especially from NY) have never heard of it. Yum. :)