You can often tell how good (or bad) a New York neighborhood is by the way the local Chinese take-out looks. In the worst neighborhoods, thick sheets of plexiglass or even metal grates separate take-out workers and customers. It’s unwelcoming to say the least, but considering the violence and racial taunts many of these workers endure on a daily basis, I can’t exactly blame them. Still, I’m happy to say that Hai Sun stands out among the others in my (rapidly) gentrifying neighborhood for its classic open-counter design. This is especially brave considering that even our local Popeye’s Chicken workers hide behind bank-style bulletproof glass – even though that’s where our local cops often eat.
As for the food, well, it’s actually not bad for what it is, though my favorite place these days is Peppa’s Jerk Chicken down the street. (No plexiglass or grates there either.)