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At first glance, Ten Pell seems little more than a Plan B for when the Joe’s Shanghai crowd spills out over Pell Street. But this unassuming, long-lived Chinatown spot should be a destination of its own. The first sign? The clientele is almost exclusively Chinese. Then, there’s an encyclopedic menu, with Hunan, Sichuan, and Shanghai styles represented, and plenty of variety, given the more than 200 items on offer. Pork, for example, is cooked some two dozen ways. Crispy whole fish and tender Peking duck are signature dishes, popular with groups sitting around lazy Susans. The kitchen is as adept at Chinese-American dishes like crispy orange beef as it is with more authentic plates, like bean curd leaf with snow vegetable and beans, a mix of thin tofu slices with spinach and savory edamame. The décor is about as creative as the restaurant’s name: tables topped in red cloth wrap, mirrored columns, acoustic tile ceilings, and cafeteria-bright lighting. Worn plates and battered metal teapots attest to the restaurant’s long history; its prices reflect a former era as well. With generous portions and fresh and flavorful food, however, Ten Pell is a welcome bargain at twice the price. — Ethan Wolff

Weekdays, the lunch special (11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.) combines entrée and soup for the price of a slice and a soda.

Note
Credit-card orders require a $20 minimum.

Seaweed with garlic sauce, $3.50; bean curd leaf with snow vegetables, $6.25; beef with orange flavor, $9.50; Peking duck, $24