(This venue is closed.) My eyes are still open for particularly worthy bo zai fan.
That slowly steamed Southern Chinese claypot rice was a specialty of A-Wah, which closed in 2016; I still haven't found a fitting successor in New York. Though the wall menu at Luscious truthfully stated that "the wait for clay pot rice is 25 minutes," and though the outer layer of rice was crisped, but unevenly and to the point of charring in some place, the grains were perfumed hardly at all by the duck, pork, and sausage layered on top.
On the other hand, sampling the menu is an inexpensive proposition. All told, this repast — including fried fish skin, fried quail, a curry chicken scallion pancake, and a chicken wing stuffed to bursting with sticky rice — amounted to $24, including a generous tip.
Luscious Restaurant
1946 86th St. (Bay 22nd-Bay 23rd Sts.), Bensonhurst, Brooklyn
718-722-1388
