Chinese Firecracker Bang for the Buck

never mind the indifferent to unfriendly waitstaff, the run-down décor and refrigerated soda cans on display. never mind that they charged me 40 cents to take home the crispy noodles that arrived the moment i sat down-those eggy noodles that send you right back to the 1960s as soon as you dip them in duck sauce. the lunch deal here is just too good to pass up.

for $6, you get a choice of soda or appetizers-ranging from won ton soup to a plump egg roll-and a huge portion of comforting, old-fashioned chinese fare. chow fun noodles, those flabby, gooey, chewy noodles, are slathered in brown sauce, freshened with bell peppers and heaped with five big slabs of tasty roast pork. there was enough to fill me up and take home to the perpetually hungry kids. general tso's tofu is sweet and spicy, crunchy and squishy, but beware the accompanying raw broccoli.

hunan balcony is also selling $1/piece sushi through january.* think fresh, long slabs of yellowfin tuna, barbecued eel and silken raw salmon. i left fully sated and wondering why one of the last of the old upper west side chinese restaurants, which commands a large swath of real estate, seems to have no profit motive.

*you must order sushi along with other items. there's a $7 minimum for just sushi. -- hunan balcony 2596 broadway (at w. 98th street) 212-865-0400

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