World renowned restaurants litter the city blocks of New York with Michelin star restaurants seemingly located on every other street corner. This inkling isn’t unfounded, however. A record 76 restaurants were awarded a Michelin star in New York City last month. Each neighborhood alone boats more world class restaurants than do many global cities. However, the depth of New York city’s culinary scene is what separates from other culinary hotbeds. Thousands of fantastic restaurants, spanning any type of cuisine you can imagine, exist within the five boroughs. Given the copious number of restaurants, it may seem like a daunting, if not impossible task, to scour through countless Yelp reviews and New York Times articles to discover a restaurant you want to visit. That said, here are a few of the best eating establishments of Lower Manhattan’s Chinatown.
For those who want dim sum
Opened nearly a century ago, Nom Wah Tea Parlor has witnessed a lot of change throughout out its existence. However, its commitment to producing delicious dim sum dishes consistently over the years has made this a Chinatown institution. Wilson Tang, who worked as a banker for ING Direct, inherited the restaurant from his uncle and longtime manager Wally Tang several years ago. The former banker immediately made some changes for the better such as not cooking each dish en masse as do many other dim sum houses. The resulting freshness of each dish as well as its old-school ambiance is what separates the Nom Wah Tea Parlor from the other dim sum houses in Chinatown. The roasted pork bun, stuffed eggplant, and fried egg roll are all fantastic. But, be sure to try anything that catches your eye on the carts as they pass by. For the uninitiated, visit this guide to learn some fundamental dim sum knowledge.
For those looking to enjoy noodles
New York Noodle Town located on Bowery is a staple of the city’s noodle scene. You can request any type of preparation for the noodle, whether that’s pan fried for a crunchier taste or cooked with broth for a softer texture. You can pair your noodles with an array of meats including duck, chicken, ribs, suckling pig, or roasted pork. Be sure to arrive on the earlier side of the night as they are often out of supplies by 8 pm.
For the Peking Duck lovers
The Peking Duck House, as the name would suggest, has perfected this dish like few others in the western hemisphere. Check out this photo sequence of Chef Wu preparing his signature dish. Eating here is quite the dining experience as waiters parade the duck around before slicing the succulent bird right at your table.