The 8 Most Delicious Dishes in Chinatown, New York City
Chinatown has been a foodie dream for decades! This is easily one of the hardest lists we’ve had to put together…it is so tough to narrow it down to just 8 delicious dishes! But with everything from tasty dumplings to yummy noodles, here are our picks for the 8 most delicious dishes in Chinatown, New York City.
Shrimp & Snow Pea Leaf Dumplings
Dim sum is always a lot of fun with friends and family and it’s very popular in Chinatown. One of the favorite things to get for dim sum is the shrimp and snow pea leaf dumplings from Nom Wah Tea Parlor (13 Doyers St). Their shrimp is so tender and the dumpling as a whole is just popping with flavor!
Peking Duck
A top notch Peking duck has a super crispy skin, juicy meat and just the right amount of fat for flavor. Put it on a bun or wrap with some scallions, cucumbers and hoisin sauce and it is heaven in every bite! It is Peking Duck House’s (28 Mott St #A) specialty. We also love how they cut, prepare and serve the duck by your table.
Snails in Black Bean Sauce
P.C.: yelp, Michelle L.
Snails in black bean sauce is a Cantonese delicacy! These snails can be packed with a ton of flavor if prepared with some garlic and black bean sauce. Ping’s Seafood (22 Mott St) is our go to spot for snails and seafood. An honorable mention goes to a stir fried lobster with scallions and ginger. In fact, we often get these dishes together!
Shanghai-Style Soup Dumplings
The best Shanghai-style soup dumplings aka xiao long bao have a nice chewy but thin outside and a really flavorful broth inside. We also love these dumplings with some crab meat to add a bit of seafood flavor to it. Our favorite restaurant for Shanghai-style soup dumplings is Shanghai 21 (21 Mott St).
Wonton Noodle Soup
P.C.: yelp, Larion S.
Wonton noodle soup is the ultimate comfort food and it is especially great in the cooler months. H K Wonton Garden (79 Mulberry St) is a no frills restaurant that has an amazing wonton noodle soup. Their wontons are nice and meaty, the noodles are always cooked right and the broth is just perfect.
Pulled Noodles/ Knife Cut Noodles
Similarly we love a good bowl of pulled noodles. Pulled noodles are chewier than other noodles. In fact, we love knife cut noodles which are often even chewier than pulled noodles. We go to 88 Lan Zhou Handmade Noodles (40 Bowery) almost every week to get their seafood knife cut noodles for lunch.
Shrimp with Walnuts and Mayo Sauce
Shrimp with walnuts and mayo sauce is one of our go-tos for any Chinese dinner. We especially love this dish at 95 HomeDish (95 Chrystie St). Their version of this classic has a bit more of a lemon flavor which is balanced perfectly with the slightly sweet mayo sauce. The shrimp here always has a nice crispy coating and cooked perfectly. Plus they have the best candied walnuts we’ve ever had. They are super fresh and super addictive.
Egg Tarts
Finally egg tarts are easily our favorite snack and dessert in Chinatown. The ideal egg tart has a flaky crust and a sweet and buttery egg custard filling. If we had to choose, Lung Moon Bakery (83 Mulberry St) has the best egg tarts in Chinatown. Try it and some of the best dishes Chinatown has to offer on our Chinatown and Little Food Fest or Taste of Mulberry Street tour!