Eco-friendly Brooklyn Chinese Food

No MSG used to be the rallying cry for ‘better’ Chinese restaurants. Now Chinese restaurants in NYC often have creative cocktails and organic ingredients.

Michael & Ping’s, in the burgeoning Gowanus sectin of Brooklyn, touts its eco-friendly aspect, serving take-out in recycled cardboard boxes and not throwing in all the unnecessary trash you often get; no useless wooden chopsticks or packets of cloying duck sauce.

And while the liquor license is just beer & wine, the beautiful wood floors and exposed brick walls offer a sense of style not often seen at this price point.

Michael & Ping’s, certified green, also composts its waste, and uses fresh, local produce. The chicken, for those not vegetarian, is hormone-free.
And the food tastes fresh. Everything is made to order, and the food seems lighter than traditional takeout.

Steamed dumplings, with tofu and vegetables, could have used a more flavorful sauce, but the cold ‘main mein noodles, loaded with baby bok choy and broccoli, was spicy and succulent.

Although the regular menu does not have a long list of vegetarian options, they are happy to swap out the meat for tofu. If you eat seafood, the shrimp with broccoli featured perfectly stir-fried shrimp in a delicate brown sauce. And the brown rice with it is organic.