Han Dynasty.

Han Dynasty

Han Dynasty prints a spice level out of ten against most of what it cooks. The garlic sauce style is a three. The dry pot style is a ten.1

Why go

The group's claim for this room is that its New York rooms started here, in 2013.1 Katherine Lewin, writing for The Infatuation about the Upper West Side branch, calls this door the popular downtown original.2 CheLi on St Marks Place, in the same neighborhood, cooks Jiangnan: the sugar-and-soy seafood cooking of the region around Shanghai. This kitchen counts chilies.3

Order this / avoid

• Order: the dan dan noodle, flour noodle in house-made chili oil with sweet soy, sesame paste, scallions and minced pork, which the kitchen rates six.1
• Order: the dry pepper chicken wings at eight, five dry-rubbed wings stir-fried with dry chili, long hot peppers and Sichuan peppercorn.1
• Order: the spicy crispy cucumber at seven to open, cold, tossed in a sweet garlic chili sauce.1
• Avoid: opening on the beef and tripe in chili oil, which the kitchen rates ten out of ten.1

What locals & experts say

• Katherine Lewin, The Infatuation (27 October 2016): Han Dynasty specializes in Sichuan food, the dan dan noodles are famous for good reason. She ate at 215 West 85th Street, which is a different kitchen.2
• The limit: I have not found a bylined New York review of this door.

Good to know

• Which door: this page is 98 Third Avenue. The group also runs the Upper West Side, a Brooklyn room in DeKalb Market, and two in Philadelphia.1
• Booking: they take reservations, and the room does takeout and delivery late.1

Verdict

could-visit — Order by the number the kitchen prints. A three eats nothing like an eight, and both are on the same menu. A table gets more of that range than one person does.