New York City’s Chinatown is one the best in the world. It’s the largest Chinatown in the Western Hemisphere and one of the most historical in the United States.
The best way to experience Chinatown is to eat your way through it. The food is as authentic as you can get in Manhattan. Not only is the food delicious, it’s cheap, too. Some of the best deals in the city are found here like 10 dumplings for $5 and a $3 plate of noodles.
In this guide, we’ll go on a walking Chinatown tour for the best bites in the area. We’ll hop from spot to spot, mostly eating on the sidewalk. (You’re lucky if you can snag a table in these tiny hole-in-the-wall restaurants.)
This plan is a great plan for a group. The more people you’re with, the more food you can try without getting too full. Following this guide, we spent about $50 (or about $12 per person) for a group of four. Remember to bring cash because most places are cash only and if they do accept credit cards there’s a minimum.
Shu Jiao Fu Zhou
The first stop is Shu Jiao Fu Zhou for their famous $3 wheat noodles with peanut butter sauce. The noodles come on a big plate that’s plenty to share.
At Shu Jiao Fu Zhou, you order at the counter and wait until your number is called to pick up a tray with your food. The seating feels like a cafeteria. If you see a table open up, grab it while someone in your group stays in line to order.
Super Taste
The best dumping deal in the city is at Super Taste. Walk over to Eldridge Street and order the “101” which is 10 pork and chive dumplings for $5. It’s a tiny spot so you’ll want to grab your box of dumplings and eat them outside. Make sure to add both sauces to your dumplings before digging in.
Super Taste accepts credit cards but there’s a $12 minimum, so you’re better off paying cash.
Double Crispy Bakery
Now it’s time for something sweet at Double Crispy Bakery. This bakery is known for its egg tarts, a popular Chinese treat. An egg tart is similar to a Portuguese pastel de nata.
In addition to fresh egg tarts, Double Crispy Bakery sells pre-packaged moon cakes and red bean buns. You can’t go wrong with anything with red bean paste. It’s delicious.
Mei Lai Wah
Mei Lai Wah is the Mecca of Chinese buns. It’s a small bakery where you order at a window counter.
The must-get bun is the pineapple pork bun. The sweetness of the pineapple gives a barbecue-like taste to the pork that’s to die for.
You should also get an order of the egg yolk buns that come in a set of three. The egg yolk on the inside is sweetened and slightly runny. Another yummy bun to order is the cocktail bun which is coconut flavored. In total we spent $11 for 5 buns.
There are two lines at Mei Lai Wah, the cash line and the kiosk line. In the kiosk line, you can order on a machine and pay with a credit card but this line is usually longer. You can expect to wait a bit in both lines but the buns are worth it.
Tonii’s Fresh Rice Noodles
For the final stop on our food tour, stop at Tonii’s Fresh Rice Noodles for…you guessed it…fresh rice noodles. Rice noodles are also known as rice rolls because the flat noodles are folded into rolls.
We ordered the shrimp rice noodles for $6 but they have a bunch of flavors and toppings to choose from. There’s no seating inside Tonii’s, but they have tables set out in the street.
Bonus Stop: Wah Fung No. 1
If you’re looking for a heartier meal than dumplings and sweet treats, look no further than Wah Fung No. 1. Wah Fung serves a full meal of roast pork and duck with rice and bok choy for only $8.
The roast pork is the juiciest cut of meat so I recommend ordering it instead of the duck. Wah Fung is truly a hole in the wall but you can enjoy your meal at the park across the street. Like most places in Chinatown, Wah Fung is cash only.
The secret about this amazing deal has gotten out so the line can be over an hour long. If the line wraps around the corner of Chrystie St. onto Hester St., you’re better off skipping it because it’s not worth the hour-long wait. If you are determined to wait it out, you can pick up bubble tea on the corner at One Cup Tea to enjoy while you stand in line.
Sit Down Restaurants
This guide focused on a food crawl from grab-and-go places. But, if you’re looking for a traditional place to eat a sit-down lunch or dinner in Chinatown, go to Joe’s Shanghai. Joe’s is an institution that serves some of the best soup dumplings in the city.
Another place to check out is Nom Wah Tea Parlor. It’s one of the longest-standing Chinese restaurants in the city. It’s great for affordable dim sum.
For a spot with a modern twist, go to Kings Co. Imperial. It’s not technically in Chinatown but only a few blocks away in the Lower East Side.
Looking for more local New York guides? Let me know what you want to see next in the comments.
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