Junzi Kitchen: A taste of Northern China in Morningside Heights

MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS, Manhattan (WABC) -- Junzi Kitchen is a spot where you choose a base of noodles or bing and build from there. Bings are like super thin pancakes.

Chef Lucas Sin calls on flavors from northern China. One of the main components of the bing are matchstick potatoes, which are boiled and blanched before they're doused with vinegar and wok fried. A little salt completes the flavor that's loaded onto your bing along with other goodies.

He used to do lots of pop up cooking at Yale University while majoring in cognitive behavior. At Yale, Chef Sin met the group of students who went on to create Junzi Kitchen. Its first location is near the Yale campus, and then they came looking to New York City and settled on Morningside Heights

At night, the vibe changes and so does the food - egg, bacon, and scallion pancakes or fried chicken - with juice boxes spiked with alcohol.

Junzi means a person with integrity. The hope is that people come together as a community over this food.

Junzi Kitchen is located at 2896 Broadway (at 113th Street) in Morningside Heights.

NORTHERN CHINESE MATCHSTICK POTATOES

1lb Yukon gold potatoes

1 bay leaf

2 cloves garlic

1 slice ginger

2 scallion stem, cut into 2" pieces

1/2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns

2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground white pepper

2 Tbsp Chinese rice vinegar

1. Peel and thinly julienne potatoes. Wash vigorously in cold water until water runs clear.

2. In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Have a large ice bath ready.

3. In small batches, blanch potatoes in boiling water for 45 seconds, then shock in ice bath.

4. Drain potatoes in a sieve. The potatoes should still be crisp.

5. Heat oil over medium heat in a wok. Add bay leaf, garlic, ginger, scallions and Sichuan peppercorns. Heat until aromatic, about 2 minutes. Remove spices and reserve oil.

6. At high heat, to the reserved oil, add potatoes, salt, white pepper, and rice vinegar. Stir-fry until just warm, about 2 minutes.

7. Serve immediately, in a chun bing, over noodles, or on its own as a side dish.