Golden Mall has been at 41-28 Main Street in Flushing since 1990. In that time it became one of the most written-about food destinations in New York, the subject of near-universal food writer consensus that it was one of the city's most honest and serious eating experiences. It closed for renovation in 2018, reopened in 2023 after a $2 million redesign, and is currently operating with around 18 vendors on the ground floor and basement.
The address is easy to miss — a doorway off Main Street, stairs leading down to a basement level. The cooking is Chinese, but Chinese is not a single cuisine: Golden Mall's vendors represent a specific concentration of regional cooking from Sichuan, Shanghai, Xi'an, and other Chinese provinces, plus a range of specialties that most American cities don't have access to.
What to eat
The lamb skewers — cumin-spiced, grilled to order — are probably the most recommended single item. Expect to wait briefly; they're prepared to order and the queue forms fast.
Xi'an-style cold noodles with chili oil are another fixture: hand-pulled, thick, served cold with a sauce that takes some adjustment if you're not used to the Sichuan pepper numbing quality.
Soup dumplings (xiaolongbao) from the Shanghainese vendors are delicate and serious — the technique required to make them well is considerable, and the versions here are made by people who have been doing it for years.
How it works
Golden Mall is a food court, not a restaurant — you order at individual stalls and find a table in the common dining area. Most vendors accept cash and card. Prices are low: a full meal with multiple dishes typically runs $15–25 per person. There's no tipping obligation; counter service throughout.
Getting there
Golden Mall is on Main Street, Flushing — the 7 train's final stop. From the Mets-Willets Point station (the US Open stop), it's a 5-minute subway ride to the last stop, then a 3-minute walk. The total detour from the tournament gates is around 20 minutes each way, making it a practical pre-match lunch or post-match dinner option.
Why it's special
Golden Mall exists independently of the US Open and would be worth visiting without it. The tournament is what makes it relevant here — but the reason to go is not proximity, it's the food, and the food is genuinely among the best of its type available in New York.
