As many Chinese takeout joints “pu pu” staying open during the coronavirus crisis, there is a place in the Bronx keeping the wok fires burning.
China Wang, on West 225th Street in Spuyten Duyvil, is doing a brisk take-out/delivery business, attracting customers craving the security of comfort food, with an egg roll on the side.
The restaurant is able to stay open — unlike many others of its kind — because the family business is still getting regular food supplies, has a small staff — and a ravenous fan base, manager Long Chen said.
“A lot of customers have my cellphone number and they ask, “Are you guys open?”
CC Henriquez, 49, trekked all the way from the Upper West Side to satisfy her craving for her “favorite, chicken and broccoli.”
New Jersey resident Mike Rivera, 50, a cable TV engineer on his lunch break, ordered shrimp and broccoli, shrimp fried rice and General Tso’s chicken.
China Wang regular Zachary Miller, 50, said the eatery is just like home — with a lot more options.
“This is all homemade, and if you want something substituted, they’ll do it. They’ve always been part of the community. They’re willing to help us. We want to help them,” he said.
China Wang has only a few staffers and their temperatures are taken daily, to check for fever. Workers wear masks and there is a protective plexiglass at the counter.
“People are terrified (of the virus) and don’t want to go to work. A lot of stores around here are closed. Even grocery stores,” Chen said.
The bleak situation is not unique to Chinese restaurants, but the sheer number of takeout joints being taken out by the virus is concerning.
On a recent Monday, China Wang was the only takeout spot among 50 Gothamist called to pick up the phone.
Prior to the outbreak, some 270 restaurants operated in Manhattan’s Chinatown. That number has dwindled to just 40, according to Wellington Chen, executive director of the Chinatown Partnership Local Development Corporation.
China Wang is “a beacon in our darkness. Everybody wants to be home, and safe,” he said.
