Ping’s Dried Beef
“I found myself along Mulberry St. randomly late one Tuesday afternoon and decided to try my luck at getting some Hot Head from Ping/Jung – whichever one it is.”
“Finally I found a beef jerky place in New York that reminds me of home in Taiwan.”
“The jerky comes in 5 flavors:
– Sweet Beef
– Spicy Beef
– Sweet Pork
– Spicy Pork
– Beef Bits
They don't let you sample, and the the price is $5.50 per 0.25 pounds (4 ounces).”
Ping’s Dried Beef
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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For around $30/lb a beef jerky, it's not worth it in my opinion. I had 2 varieties and both weren't that great. The sweetness was there for asian type jerky but it was also pretty oily. The spicy one was slightly peppery. For the price, I think I'll stick to jack link's while I'm in the northeastern states. I'm a huge fan of viet beef jerky where it's sweet, not oily, and is coated with sesame seeds (and sometimes some chili flakes) but these were pretty far from it.
Ping's/Jung's Dried Beef is like that elusive crush that you've had forever, but she doesn't seem to care about your existence. If they have regular business hours, you wouldn't know it. Don't rely on the one on the door that says they'll be back at a certain time since they don't hold to it. Don't expect someone to pick up the phone, either. I learned from my dad that he was able to get them to open the door by knocking (since the owners live there), but they told him that they were going to be closed for the day (before noon) since product was sold out.
On my latest trip to NYC, they were finally open on the 3rd attempt in the late morning (even though no one had picked up our call a few minutes before). We walked into the "shop" to find an older lady eating lunch with a younger man in the back. Only the tall glass jars holding different types of pork and beef jerky gave any indication that we didn't walk into someone's house. The beef jerky is thinly sliced and stands out from the competition due to uncompromised beef flavor. You could taste that this product was fresh. I thought the texture was more tough than what I remembered, but the taste was very good – well balanced sweet and savory flavor. If you're already in the area, definitely give it a try, but I would recommend Ling Kee as an backup alternative.
Probably the most torn I've been trying to write a Yelp review.
Disclaimer: this was the jerky place my family has always been going to, so my history with Ping's/Jung's goes back probably twenty years or more. The jerky for this extended period of time is just as I remember from back then, and has never changed. Likewise, the appearance of buying jerky out of someone's living room has also never changed. "Ambiance" is clearly not their priority and I've accepted that that's just how they roll.
Now, I'm not sure this was always the case, but it's impossible to be sure you can get to this place and get your supply. It's not just because they'll run out of stuff. It's because they don't answer their phone (in some trips past, it was possible to phone in and reserve your order before they got cleaned out for the day), and they have no hours posted, nor seem to follow any real schedule at all, really. So, we burned a trip over there on a Monday to find out that they aren't open at all on Mondays, then we stopped in on a Tuesday at 10/10:30ish and found them closed, only to stop by at 11:30 to find them suddenly open for business.
Exasperating. And also costly, as someone else pointed out: the classic sweet beef jerky is $30/lb, which is a bit more expensive compared to Malaysian Beef Jerky and Ling Kee, not sure about New Beef King. But hey, I believe this is a piece of history right here, and honestly I feel that at any time I could come back to NYC and find this place closed up for good – we've tried the other places and they aren't like Ping's at all.
That said, if you're lucky to find them open and still stocked, give it a try. You don't have to go in for a pound, but do make sure you've got some cash ready.
It's a small husband/wife establishment right next to Columbus Park. The shop closes at 7pm, but come earlier though because they usually sell out on some of their main jerkies in the late afternoon. Also, there are signs that said, "Moos and Oinky," to differentiate from beef and pork. I find that little detail very cute. There are only two type of flavors, "Sweet and Spicy." My personal favorite is their Spicy Oinkers! It's dried pork jerkies coated with a thin layer of honey and a dash of spiciness. I'm almost regretting that I ordered a pound of the regular sweet oinkers and only 1/4 pound of the spicy ones. Will definitely come back to get more of the spicy ones.
I grew up eating beef jerky from here and my mom only prefers to get jerky from here. Yes, the jerky is delicious, but I can't justify the price. It is now $30 a pound and you really don't get that much in the bag. Probably last time I will be here unless they decide to decrease the price to one that is affordable. Thanks, but no thanks.
I'd give 3.5 stars, because I've had better beef jerky. Although I like the juiciness of their jerky here, I can taste a grease oil flavor which I don't like. Also it's a bit too chewy to separate and pieces always get stuck in teeth. The good kind of jerky won't do that. It is still best in the area for home made though, if you are a fan of beef jerky is still worth a try.
Beef jerky! One of my favorite things to snack on during a lengthy day. The jerky here is homemade I believe. I had gotten a pound of the spicy jerky for about $25. It was so excited to eat them cause I love spicy jerky!
I took a bite and wondered when the spicy-ness is going to kick in…….and there was barely any spice….it was a bit disappointing but the jerky was good.
Love Ping's! Been coming here since I was really young. My whole family stops by every time they're in Chinatown. It's a small husband/wife establishment right next to Columbus Park. They close at 7pm, but come earlier though because they usually sell out on some of their main jerkies in the late afternoon. When you go in, you have to meet John. If you have a minute or two to talk to him, he's actually really funny and such a sweetheart. My personal favorite is their Spicy Oinkers! It's dried pork jerkies coated with a thin layer of honey and a dash of spiciness. I normally don't like spicy, but this flavor was very manageable. I'm almost regretting that I ordered a pound of the regular sweet oinkers and only 1/4 pound of the spicy ones. Will definitely come back to get more of the spicy ones. And…c'mon…how cute are the signs "Moos and Oinky".