Dish: General Tso’s Tofu Sub
Restaurant: No. 7 Sub, Ace Hotel, 1188 Broadway, New York City
Price Tag: $9

I’m a big fan of General Tso.

I like him at noon, at 2am, and every hour in between. I like him on chicken. I like him with rice. I like him (sheepishly) for breakfast.

And, as it turns out, I like him on a sandwich.

General Tso is on a roll at No. 7 Sub, an eccentric sandwich shop in the uber-hip Ace Hotel. The General fits in well, here. He’s panko-crusted and deep fried, draped with yellow squash, and brightened with shiso leaves and pickled ginger. He is spicy, creamy, crunchy, sweet. He knows he’s hip. He knows he’s cool.

The fact that this sandwich is made with tofu makes it that much more surprising, that much more different. This is a sub that is exciting: exciting to bite into, exciting to savor. By the time you finish, you will be thinking, ‘What did I just eat?’ (But, unlike after gulping down a General Tso in a questionable Chinese restaurant, this will be a happy question.)

Good thing, then, that The General is always on the menu at No. 7 Sub. The other sandwiches change daily, with other unexpected combinations: Zucchini Parm and Barbecue Potato Chips, Pulled Pork and Feta Cheese, Brie and Plantain Chips. These are worth trying, yes. They are just as surprising, just as novel.

But just as we all have flings with other dishes, we always end up back with General Tso. He is just that good.

Brette Warshaw is a junior at the University of Pennsylvania, where she is a student of European history, creative writing, and jazz studies. She will be eating her way through Rome during the fall semester, leaving a wake of empty plates, flabbergasted waiters, and ripped skinny jeans behind her. Read more…