PLEASE NOTE UNCLE ZHOU IS NOW CLOSED

There are many traditional foods eaten at Chinese New Year—whole fish, long noodles,and oranges to name a few—but Wednesday is all about sandwiches at C+M. So I present two of my favorite Chinese sandwiches that are light on the wallet and big on flavor.

Can’t go wrong with duck for a buck.

First up Downtown Flushing’s cheapest and tastiest snack, the $1 Peking duck sandwich from the streetside window at Corner 28.  Let the purists argue over whether it’s Cantonese roast duck or genuine Peking duck. There’s no question that it’s cheapest and tastiest sandwich in this Chinatown. A few slices of roast duck slicked with hoisin and dressed with scallion are enfolded in a pillowy mantou. This two-bite sandwich is a great way to start or end a Flushing food crawl.

The pancake with beef at Uncle Zhou’s is more sandwich than pancake.

Our second sandwich goes by the name of pancake with beef ($3) at Uncle Zhou’s in Queens’, second smaller Chinatown in Elmhurst. They can call it a pancake, but it’s really a sandwich. A tasty beef and lettuce sandwich with a bit of hoisin on a flat bread.

I count myself lucky to live in a borough with two Chinatowns where two tasty and cheap Chinese sandwiches are readily available.