The New Mission Chinese Food Makes Adam Platt a Believer

Adam Platt has changed his tune since reviewing the original Mission Chinese Food nearly three years ago. Back then, the New York critic complained that Danny Bowien's "one-note" food sent him "into a peppery, protein-induced death spiral," and had no patience for the long waits. This time around, he finds the menu, under chef de cuisine Angela Dimayuga, much more diverse and likeable:

Sichuan-peppercorn freaks can now complement the Bowien classics (thrice-cooked bacon, the lustrous heritage-pork mapo tofu) with delicate "lettuce cups" filled with beef tartare, trays of sea urchin and market sashimi...The chewy char siu pork cheeks are cured in healthful beet juice, and the crisped, tender house Hainanese-style fried chicken is air-dried with koji (fermented rice) and served with a lemony sauce to cut the richness.

A few of the more extravagant dishes – like the beggar's duck baked in clay – don't taste as good as they look, but overall it's safe to say that Platt is won over. He gives the restaurant three stars.