New York City (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [183]
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Chinatown | Financial District | TriBeCa | SoHo | NoLita | Little Italy | East Village | Lower East Side | Chelsea | Greenwich Village | Meatpacking District | West Village | Flatiron District | Gramercy Park | Murray Hill | Union Square | Midtown East | Midtown West | Upper East Side | Upper West Side | Harlem
CHINATOWN
Chinatown beckons adventurous diners with restaurants representing numerous regional cuisines of China, including Cantonese-, Szechuan-, Hunan-, Fujian-, Shanghai-, and Hong Kong–style cooking. Malaysian and Vietnamese restaurants also have taken root here, and the neighborhood continues to grow rapidly, encroaching into what was Little Italy.
Great New York Noodletown.
¢ | CHINESE | Although the soups and noodles are unbeatable at this no-frills restaurant, what you should order are the window decorations—the hanging lacquered ducks and roasted pork, which are listed on a simple board hung on the wall and superb served with pungent garlic-and-ginger sauce on the side. Seasonal specialties like duck with flowering chives and salt-baked soft-shell crabs are excellent. So is the congee, or rice porridge, available with any number of garnishes. Solo diners may end up at a communal table. | 28 Bowery, at Bayard St., Chinatown | 10013-5100 | 212/349–0923 | No credit cards | Subway: 6, J, M, Z to Canal St.; B, D to Grand St.
Jing Fong.
$ | CHINESE | Come to this dim sum palace for a jolting taste of Hong Kong. On weekend mornings people pour into the escalator to Jing Fong’s carnivalesque third-floor dining room. Servers push carts of steamed dumplings, barbecue pork buns, and shrimp balls. For adventurous eaters, there’s chicken feet, tripe, and snails. Arrive early for the best selection, and save room for mango pudding. | 20 Elizabeth St., 2nd fl., between Bayard and Canal Sts., Chinatown | 10013-4802 | 212/964–5256 | AE, MC, V | Subway: 6, J, M, N, Q, R, Z to Canal St.
Joe’s Shanghai.
$ | CHINESE | Joe opened his first Shanghai restaurant in Queens in 1995, but buoyed by the accolades accorded his steamed soup dumplings—filled with a rich, fragrant broth and ground pork or pork-crabmeat mixture—he saw fit to open in Manhattan’s Chinatown. There’s always a wait, but the line moves fast. Try the crisp turnip shortcakes to start, homemade Shanghai noodles, and rich pork meatballs braised in brown sauce. Other, more familiar Chinese dishes are also excellent. Another Joe’s Shanghai is at 24 W. 56th Street, between 5th and 6th avenues (credit cards are accepted at this Midtown location). | 9 Pell St., between the Bowery and Mott St., Chinatown | 10013-5134 | 212/233–8888 | www.joeshanghairestaurants.com | No credit cards | Subway: 6, J, M, N, Q, R, Z to Canal St.
Fodor’s Choice | Nha Trang.
¢ | VIETNAMESE | You can get a great meal for less than $10 at this low-atmosphere Vietnamese restaurant in Chinatown, a favorite with employees and jury-duty candidates from nearby courthouses. Start with crispy spring rolls, sweet-and-sour seafood soup, or shrimp grilled on sugarcane. For a follow-up, don’t miss the thin pork chops, which are marinated in a sweet vinegary sauce and grilled until charred. Another favorite is deep-fried squid on shredded lettuce with a tangy dipping sauce. If the line is long, which it usually is, even with a second location around the corner at 148 Centre Street, you may be asked to sit at a table with strangers. | 87 Baxter St., between Bayard and Canal Sts., Chinatown | 10013-4463 | 212/233–5948 | No credit cards | Subway: 6, J, M, N, Q, R, Z to Canal St.
Peking