Mission Chinese, with Gordon and Bionic Bites

We made plans for a lunch at Mission Chinese a month ago, despite it's utter inconvenience for our midtown working friends. But everyone's talking about it and we had to try. As M. and I walked eastward, pants slowly seeping through with horizontal rain, I wondered if the weather would have any effect at all on the infamous line. The answer is no. We still waited 30 minutes for a table, but once you get past the takeout storefront and are led to the back, the experience is transporting. I get the cult of Mission Chinese now. As for food, we had the classics - mapo tofu, kung pao pastrami and my favorite, smashed cucumbers. It was pretty good, super enjoyable even, but we're not into that kind of lunchtime hassle.
Mission Chinese, 154 Orchard St, NY, NY 10002 (btwn Rivington and Stanton)