This is a hole in the wall place that has dou fu nao and Jian bing guo zi which reminds me of my hometown in Henan province. You will have to speak mandarin or use google translate to order in Chinese

I found myself in Flushing craving scallion pancake breakfast. Having no idea where to go, I yelped and found Sheng Jin. Good thing yelp had a pic of the storefront and "stall", because I would have never have found this place. Being that I don't speak a lick of Mandarin or read Chinese, I got really lucky that they just brought out a fresh batch of scallion and egg pancakes. I pointed and handed over a $10 bill and was handed back $8.50. What a bargain for such a uniquely tasty experience! The scallion pancake was steamy and fresh with a good amount of chew and flakiness - just perfect! I couldn't help but smile, as I sat on a folding chair, at a folding table with strangers knowing that this was my first time here. I got back in line to try this "donkey roll" that everyone on yelp seems to like and I wasn't disappointed. It was a unique combination of flavors - slightly sweet red bean paste, rolled/wrapped with thin mochi paper, dusted with a toasty powder. I've never had this dessert before, but I would do it again. I really enjoyed the chewy texture and the "not so" (if you're Chinese, you'll understand) sweetness. Overall, it was a great "no frills" tasty experience. Take it to-go, if you're not into the fast (really) casual communal dining. I'll come back for a quick breakfast the next time I'm in Flushing.

I've been exploring Flushing specifically searching for a northern Chinese dessert called rolling donkey, which is a soft mochi-like rice cake roll with a red bean paste filling. The name comes from the soybean flour that is dusted atop the dessert, which resembles a donkey rolling in the sand. I had a particularly delicious version at Juqi, and wanted to look for a street food friendly option. My friend recommended Sheng Jin, which was incredibly tricky to find. All I can say is look for the yellow awning and walk all the way inside the cramped little mall to the back where you will find Sheng Jin. Their rolling donkeys are all packaged neatly at the counter and they are comically huge. They sell for $8 for 4, and will comfortably feed 2-3 per slice. Great bang for your buck, but I thought the hefty size of each slice, coupled with the chunky red bean paste made for an incredibly rustic version of a rolling donkey. Overall, not my favorite version, but if you like large portions and texture, this would be a great choice! I'll also add that there are a lot of other snacks available at the stall, though I did not get a chance to try anything else. There is limited seating available inside but everything is quite cramped.

My favorite Tianjin food in the city! My dad is from here and it tastes exactly like it does in China. I always get the doufunao, guobacai, and jianbing guozi, which I crave every two weeks since I grew up coming here. However, it is a very small stall at the back of a narrow alley and I would be prepared to speak Chinese and bring cash. Everything is super cheap and affordable in addition to being incredibly delicious!

Good food, but the sitting is challenging. If you are foodies this is what we eat in China

Got the rolling donkey since they are known for this. I really loved it with more red bean and less mochi! It cost $2 for each, worth it!! Will come again to try the other food and get one whole box of the rolling donkey

Located on a busy street, this hole in the wall shop have a lot to offer. I tried their salty soy pudding which is a bit Smokey, and of course salty instead of my usual sweet tofu pudding. It's good on a warm day. Also, love their donkey roll. It is so soft with red bean paste and not very sweet. The texture is the best! There are many other snacks and buns and fried goodies. Everything is super affordable too.

Yumm pork buns. I had to get someone to help me order but it worked out . Just heated it up and as delicious as I thought as it would be.

It's all the way in the back of the "store". The workers are very patient and understanding with people who doesn't speak mandarin. I ordered and was charged for two fried doughs. When I got home, I noticed they gave me four. Not sure if it's because I visited at the end of the day or that I also ordered a large container of soy bean milk (traditionally paired together). A pleasant surprise that has me liking this place even more.