One sign says Gu Xiang, the other says Gu-Shine, but they are the same place.
故鄉 (gù xiāng, literally ‘hometown’) is a small hideout nestled amongst the many other eateries and stores on 39th Street near the Sheraton LaGuardia East Hotel. It’s easy to miss if you’re not looking for it, but apparently this is a pretty popular place as the main dining area was packed at dinnertime. I think the ‘hometown’ description is meant for the food, but the atmosphere is also homey and non-descript, which I found very comfortable:
The smaller dining area at Gu Xiang to the left of the entrance, where we ate.
Since it was just me and the missus that night, we ordered a bowl of beef noodles, stinky tofu, and Taiwanese sticky rice to share.
The beef chunks here are decent but smaller than at Happy Beef, with more pieces that have tendon, which some people prefer over the meaty kind. The broth is darker and a bit more savory.
The noodles were quite tasty, with a slightly different texture compared to Happy Beef.
The stinky tofu here is quite strong (that means it's good!) - but don't take it home like I tried to. It's a mistake and people on the 7 train will hate you.
Taiwanese sticky rice (油飯 - yóu fàn) consists of garlicky dark glutinous rice with shiitake mushrooms, small dried shrimp, and ground pork. It's a must-try if you visit.
Overall I enjoyed the experience here, but I’m going to have to visit again because we lacked the manpower to order up more dishes. Let me know if you want to join me for round 2!
Gu Xiang Restaurant
135-38/40 39th Avenue
Flushing, NY 11354
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