Where to Eat in Chinatown NY: 10 best restaurants

Where to Eat in Chinatown NY: 10 best restaurants

More about: Where to Eat in Chinatown NY: 10 best restaurants

There's no place like Chinatown to enjoy eating in New York, especially if you like Asian food. There's a restaurant on every street where you can get a glimpse of oriental culture and savour the best of authentic Chinese cuisine.

Here's a list of the 10 best restaurants for you to consider after your tour of Chinatown so you can eat like an emperor and, best of all, at very cheap prices! Are you in?

1. Xi's an Famous Food's homemade noodles

Dishes at Xi'an Famous Foods| ©Robyn Lee
Dishes at Xi'an Famous Foods| ©Robyn Lee

If you're a fan of spicy food, one of the must-stops after your Chinatown tour is Xi'an Famous Foods. This is a restaurant dedicated to the traditional cuisine of Xi'an, an ancient city in central China that played a major role in the famous Silk Road.

With its dishes, Xi'an Famous Foods transports you to the Far East in a single bite. The menu offers a wide variety of options to choose from, but the lamb and cumin burger, the dumplings, the dumplings or the handmade noodles are spectacular. I recommend pairing it with a delicious chilled jasmine tea.

This place located at 45 Bayard Street is the perfect place for a quick stop for a cheap and tasty meal. The service is lightning fast, so if you're really hungry, you'll be served in no time.

Useful Info

  • Address: 45 Bayard St., New York, NY 10013.
  • Recommended dish: Lamb and cumin burger.
  • Ideal for: Friends and couples.

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2. Big Wing Wong's dim sum, the best in NYC

Big Wing Wong Restaurant| ©Bee50
Big Wing Wong Restaurant| ©Bee50

If you're looking for an old-school Cantonese restaurant, Big Wing Wong is the place for you. It's not your typical Chinese restaurant for tourists, it's a place where locals come to enjoy delicious food and a great choice after a tour of Chinatown.

Big Wing Wong 's menu is quite extensive and the portions are plentiful. You won't leave here hungry. The wontons, roast duck and fried rice are great, but the dim sum at this restaurant is one of the best in New York.

This is a very busy place in Chinatown, but the service is efficient and the prices are affordable. By the way, if you want to know more about how the pricing and tipping system works, this article has more details (as well as a long list of great places to eat in New York).

Useful information

  • Address: 67 Mott St, New York, NY 10013.
  • Recommended dish: Dim Sum.
  • Ideal for: Friends and family.

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3. Buddha Bodai's Vegetarian Dishes

Buddha Bodai Kosher Vegetarian| ©Kelly Bone
Buddha Bodai Kosher Vegetarian| ©Kelly Bone

If you're a vegetarian and you're touring Chinatown, I recommend you head to Buddha Bodai for lunch, as you'll find an extensive menu full of delicious dishes with all the essence of traditional Chinese cuisine. Even if you don't follow this diet, you'll love it because the food is so tasty.

Most dishes cost less than $15, so you can eat in the heart of the neighbourhood without spending too much money. I recommend trying the spring rolls, dumplings, dim sum or the various noodle recipes, and the vegetarian versions with chicken, lamb or duck are very good.

Buddha Bodai is a very popular place and you'll often find people queuing in the street to get in. Fortunately, the service is efficient and they're quick to get you a table. You'll find it at 5 Mott Street, near Columbus Park.

Useful Info

  • Address: 5 Mott St. New York NY, 10013.
  • Recommended dish: Dim Sum and lamb.
  • Ideal for: Friends and family.

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4. Ramen and bubble tea at Canal Street Market

Hot Ramen Dish| ©Joori Peem
Hot Ramen Dish| ©Joori Peem

Have you ever found that when travelling with friends you can't agree on where to eat? Food halls are a great solution to this problem, and fortunately there are plenty of restaurants in New York City where you can enjoy the food after your Chinatown tour.

Located at 265 Canal Street, Canal Street Market is a food hall specialising in Asian food, ideal if you're visiting the city as a family or with a large group of friends and everyone wants to order a different dish.

This place has several Japanese, Korean and Chinese style food stalls offering a variety of food for less than $15. You'll want to try a lot of things, so go with an empty stomach! Plus, at Canal Street Market you have the option of sampling the dishes on the spot if it's a rainy day or ordering a take away for a picnic in Columbus Park if it's a sunny day.

Useful information

  • Address: 265 Canal Street.
  • Recommended dish: Ramen and Boba Guys' bubble tea.
  • Ideal for: Friends and family.

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5. Taiwan Pork Chop House Hot Soup

Noodle Soup at Pork Chop House| ©Robyn Lee
Noodle Soup at Pork Chop House| ©Robyn Lee

For a taste of authentic Taiwanese food after your Chinatown tour, there's nothing better than Taiwan Pork Chop House. Located at 3 Doyers St., this restaurant is known for its friendly atmosphere and wide variety of flavours.

The menu at Pork Chop House is quite extensive and you can try a number of specialities. I recommend the chicken curry noodle soup, Shanghai-style fried rice and Taiwanese kimchee. And if you have room for dessert, try the Taiwanese ice cream!

Prices are affordable (many dishes are less than $10) and the staff are friendly and efficient. Definitely a good place to go for Taiwanese cuisine during a visit to Chinatown.

Useful Info

  • Address: 3 Doyers St.
  • Recommended dish: Chicken Curry Noodle Soup
  • Ideal for: Couple and friends

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6. Fried Dumpling dumplings, the cheapest in Chinatown

Fried Dumpling Dumplings in Chinatown| ©Tina Nguyen
Fried Dumpling Dumplings in Chinatown| ©Tina Nguyen

This small and simple restaurant is perfect if you want to take a break after your Chinatown tour to have a quick snack, without giving up on the specialities of Chinese cuisine. In fact, Fried Dumpling is famous for its delicious homemade dumplings at reduced prices (6 pieces for $2). Possibly the cheapest place you'll find in this area of the city.

As Fried Dumplings is quite small, I recommend you order some dumplings to take away and eat them in Columbus Park while you're sunbathing, but if you prefer to eat them there you can do so at the counter.

They prepare them in front of the public and although some of the staff don't speak English, if you point out the flavours you want they'll understand you and, what's more, they're quick to serve you.

Useful info

  • Address: 106 Mosco St.
  • Recommended dish: Pork dumplings.
  • Ideal for: Friends.

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7. Bo Ky's fusion cuisine

Duck Soup at Bo Ky| ©Robyn Lee
Duck Soup at Bo Ky| ©Robyn Lee

Bo Ky restaurant is synonymous with delicious soups, but it's also a good place to try different dishes from Teochew, Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine that will leave you smiling from ear to ear.

Everything is delicious! The gyozas, the spring rolls, the duck soup, the vegetables... and the best thing is that most of these dishes cost less than $10 each. What more could you ask for?

Bo Ky is another popular local eatery that you can incorporate into your Chinatown tour. It's common to share a table at lunchtime, so don't be surprised if a stranger sits next to you.

Useful information

  • Address: 80 Bayard St.
  • Recommended dish: Duck soup.
  • Ideal for: Family and friends.

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8. Spice Village spicy chicken

Chinatown Restaurant| ©Monica Matos
Chinatown Restaurant| ©Monica Matos

This Chinatown restaurant is another one of those places where you don't have to empty your wallet to eat like a king - on the contrary! At Spice Village you can enjoy eating tasty Chinese food to your heart's content without spending more than $10 per person.

A tip? Order several dishes to share if you're in a group. You can try a variety of recipes such as spicy chicken platter, spicy lamb Hu Mei, dumpling soup with pork or pancakes with beef.

The restaurant is small and cosy. Both in terms of flavours and location, Spice Village takes your senses back to Asia for a moment - a must!

Useful information

  • Address: 68B Forsyth St, New York, 10002.
  • Recommended dish: Spicy chicken.
  • Ideal for: Friends and family.

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9. The best Peking Duck at Peking Duck House

Peking Duck House in Chinatown| ©Perry Sun
Peking Duck House in Chinatown| ©Perry Sun

Lest anyone should be in any doubt, this restaurant's speciality is in its name: mouth-wateringly tasty, juicy and crispy Peking duck that will make your mouth water. However, there are also many other Chinese dishes on the menu, such as sweet and sour pork, three-delicious rice, prawns, dim sum and a long etcetera if you want to try a bit of everything.

The portions at Peking Duck House are plentiful and the price is a little higher compared to other restaurants in Chinatown, but it's worth it. The place is large, the staff is attentive and the atmosphere is family friendly.

All in all, you have to check it out before or after your Chinatown tour. When you're done, you'll leave happy and with your batteries recharged to continue your tour of New York.

Useful Info

  • Address: 28 Mott St. #A New York, NY 10013.
  • Recommended dish: Peking duck.
  • Ideal for: Friends, couples and family.

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10. Shanghai 21's tasty dumplings

Famous dumplings at Shanghai 21| ©Julianna.T
Famous dumplings at Shanghai 21| ©Julianna.T

Don't be surprised if you walk down Mott Street and find a long queue of people waiting to get into this restaurant, because Shanghai 21 is one of the best in Chinatown for both taste and presentation.

Don't be put off by the queue because the staff are quick to wait. The wait will be worth it when you have their famous dumplings in front of you - you'll forget all about it! The menu is quite extensive and they have a wide variety of dishes such as spicy chicken, fried noodles, Shanghai-style spring rolls or fried rice with beef, among many others.

The quality of the dishes is very good and the portions are plentiful, so during your visit to Chinatown I recommend you to include Shanghai 21 restaurant in your route through Chinatown, you won't regret it!

Useful Info

  • Address: 21 Mott St New York, NY 10013.
  • Recommended dish: Pork dumplings.
  • Ideal for: Family, friends and couples.

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Reviews from other travelers

4.9
· 700 Reviews
  • T
    T.
    5
    (0 Reviews)
    Our tour of Soho, Little Italy and Chinatown was one of the highlights of our visit to New York. It was very interesting to see neighbourhoods that you don't find so easily as a tourist when you go on your own.
  • E
    E.
    5
    (0 Reviews)
    This was a great walk through a fascinating part of Manhattan that we didn't know much about. This is the second walking tour we have done in New York and I highly recommend it as a way to discover all three areas. The walk was at a relaxed pace and there were opportunities to pause and ask questions.
  • M
    M.
    5
    (0 Reviews)
    The guide was very informative, very professional and made everyone feel comfortable, thank you for a great day.
  • G
    G.
    5
    (0 Reviews)
    We only spent 3 full days in New York, so we decided to take a guided tour of Soho, Little Italy and China Town. Our guide was very informative and told us everything from where to eat, buy bargains etc. as well as local history and stories about the past. From ghost times to organised crime.
  • M
    M.
    5
    (0 Reviews)
    We spent a beautiful day exploring New York City. We stopped in Little Italy and Chinatown to try some very tasty food, I really enjoyed the short and fun historical journey through time together with our group of 8 people (in a larger group for the tour).