Where to Eat in Chinatown

9 Pell Street. That’s the address you need to know first.

Joe’s Shanghai has been serving soup dumplings in this city since 1995, and there is a reason the line still wraps around the corner on weekends. The xiao long bao here ($8-12 for an order) are the real deal. Thin skin, scalding hot broth inside, and enough pork flavor to make you forget every frozen dumpling you’ve ever microwaved.

You will share a table with strangers. This is not a suggestion, it’s the layout. Order the crab and pork soup dumplings if you’re feeling fancy. I always do.

Nom Wah has been on Doyers Street since 1920. Let that sink in for a second. This place has been serving dim sum for over a hundred years.

The plates run $4-6 each, which means you can order an embarrassing amount of food and still walk out spending less than a single entree in Midtown. The shrimp rice rolls are my go-to. The original egg rolls are crispy and perfect and nothing like whatever your college cafeteria was serving.

Make no mistake. Nom Wah gets tourists now. But the food hasn’t changed, and that’s what matters.

Xi’an Famous Foods started as a basement stall in Flushing before it became a citywide chain. The hand-pulled noodles are thick, chewy, and come buried under a pile of spicy cumin lamb that will make your nose run in the best possible way.

Expect to spend $10-14 per dish. The liang pi cold skin noodles are underrated and perfect in summer. I order them every single time between May and September.

If you’re visiting NYC on a budget, Xi’an is one of the best deals in the entire city. A full meal with a drink for under $16 in Manhattan is basically a miracle.

I need to talk about Wah Fung. It’s on Chrystie Street, it looks like nothing from the outside, and the roast pork over rice costs $4.

Four dollars. In New York City. For a plate of roast pork that is better than it has any right to be.

The char siu is lacquered and slightly sweet with crispy edges. They pile it over white rice with some greens on the side, and every time I eat it I genuinely cannot believe what I just paid. The line moves fast. Get there before 2pm or they might run out.

If Joe’s Shanghai has a line out the door (it often does), walk over to 456 Shanghai Cuisine instead. Their soup dumplings are excellent and the crowd is about half the size.

I actually prefer eating here on weekday lunches when I want soup dumplings without the whole production. The menu goes deep into Shanghainese cooking. Try the lion’s head meatballs if you’ve never had them. They’re pork meatballs braised in a light broth and they are absurdly comforting.

Ping’s is where you go when you want a proper Cantonese seafood dinner. The fish tanks near the entrance are not decoration. You pick your fish, they cook it, and it arrives at your table so fresh it’s almost startling.

This is a splurge by Chinatown standards. You might spend $25-40 per person depending on what you order. But the steamed whole fish with ginger and scallion is one of the best dishes I’ve eaten in this city, period. Bring a group and order family style.

This bakery is my weakness. The pineapple buns at Mei Lai Wah cost $1-2 each, and I have never once walked by without stopping in. The tops are crackly and sweet and the inside is soft and warm, especially if you get there early.

Their egg tarts are equally dangerous. Flaky pastry, smooth custard, gone in three bites. I usually buy four and pretend two are for later. They are never for later.

Noodletown is open late, it’s cash only, and it has some of the best roast duck in the neighborhood hanging in the window. This is where you go at 11pm when everywhere else is closing and you need salt baked squid immediately.

Their salt baked anything is worth ordering. Soft shell crab, pork chops, shrimp. The noodle soups are giant and cheap. I have stumbled in here more times than I can count after a night out, and it has saved me every single time.

Bo Ky is on Bayard Street, it’s Vietnamese-Chinese, and their noodle soups cost $6-8. Bring cash because they do not take cards.

The duck noodle soup is what I order every time. The broth is clear and deeply flavored and the portions are enormous. This is a no-frills, sit-down, eat-your-soup kind of place. No cocktail menu. No Instagram wall. Just really, really good noodles for almost no money.

Kopitiam is technically on the edge of Chinatown, but I’m including it because the nasi lemak alone is worth the walk. It’s a Malaysian coffee shop with a small menu and everything on it is good.

The kaya toast with soft boiled eggs is the breakfast I wish I could eat every morning. Their iced white coffee is strong and sweet and perfect for fueling an afternoon of eating through the rest of this list. If you want something a little different from the usual Chinatown rotation, start here.