Year of the Takeout: Day 16

Lobster Chow Fun and Hot and Sour Soup from China Star (145 First Avenue, 212-777-3888)

There were many off-putting things about China Star — the 1970s porn-star nomenclature, the B safety grade tacked in the window, and the fact that all the diners present Tuesday afternoon appeared to be eating Puerto Rican plates rather than Chinese food.

Expectation-wise, the bar had fallen on the low side — especially when it came to ordering something as boastful as a full-on lobster dish.

Perplexingly, the $5.50 lobster chow fun — think lo mein vibe but with wide, flat rice noodles, and you get the right idea — contained lots of real chunks of the shellfish delicacy. The sweet, plentiful meat was simply redolent with moisture. Meanwhile, the starchy principal — with just the right level of sesame-oil-based grease and garlicky soy sauce — achieved a rare, filling stickiness.

Had other vegetables other than green onions and mushrooms — as well as the odd pea pod and carrot — been present (and had there been slightly more nuance to the seasoning), this pick could easily compete with some of the dishes at Williamsburg stalwart M Noodle Shop (549 Metropolitan Avenue, 718-384-8008).

What really astounds — Star’s hot and sour soup.

Typically, this stew totally tanks in most restaurants — especially takeout establishments — which rely on canned ingredients and don’t care much for quality or creativity in the kitchen. Replete with sharply spicy chilies; powerful, oniony heat; firm tofu rectangles; black and white mushrooms; and bamboo shoot shards, the $2.15 pint here just amazed.