Chengdu 1
89 Pompton Ave (Pilgrim Shopping Plaza)
Cedar Grove NJ, 973-239-7726
Chinese New Year is one of my favorite Jewish holidays. Let’s face it, any occasion that calls for lots of food and drink is a good one, no matter what culture you belong to.
Traditionally, we’ve gone to China 46 to celebrate the New Year. But as that restaurant closed back in September of 2007, we had to find ourselves a new venue. Fortunately, as it turns out, one of our new favorites, Chengdu 1, had prepared a special menu for the occasion.
Here’s a partial list of special New Year’s dishes.
Chengdu 1’s dining room, decked out in Chinese New Year decorations.
Spicy Shrimp and Chicken with Chile Peppers. The peppers are of the preserved vinegared type and really add serious punch to this dish — kind of like a Kung Pao Chicken but without the peanuts and more vinegar bite.
Shredded Pork with Sliced King Oyster Mushrooms
Green Jade Delight, one of our favorite vegetable dishes.
Off The Broiler 
The dishes you chose look great. I hope you will get to read Jennifer 8. Lee’s book, “The Fortune Cookie Chronicles”.
I’m looking forward to trying Chengdu 1 next year. This year we filled the China 46 void with a 12 course banquet for 10 at Lotus Cafe in Hackensack.
1. Five cold appetizer platter (with jelly fish, wasabi accented arctic clam, some kind of spicy shrimp, beef tendon with chili sauce, and tofu skin vegetable rolls)
2. Winter Melon Soup and Seafood/Tofu Soup
3. Peking Duck
4. Whole fresh sea bass with ginger and garlic
5. Twin lobsters sauteed in garlic and ginger
6. Chinese broccoli with black mushrooms
7. Three cup shrimp (a spicy hot pot dish)
8. Sizzling fillet mignon with asparagus
9. Pork loin in sweet rice wine (good, but no substitute for Ruby Pork at China 46)
10. Chicken with lotus root and Chinese squash (this is where the pain began to set in)
11. Young Chow Fried Rice
12. XO Seafood Noodles
Food and service were both amazing and the price ($300 before gratuity) was quite reasonable.