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THE BEST: Chinese in Chinatown, any style

Busboy

By Busboy
in New York: Dining

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Busboy

Busboy

Posted
Posted

The Busboy family is planning to hit the Big Apple early next month. Sadly, a series of bizarre recent fiscal setbacks may force us to cancel our reservations at Per Se, but a good Chinatown outing will likely take away much of the sting. I searched the site but was unable to find a thread on this -- though it seems inevitable that one exists -- so I'm asking the people who know New York the best to help us plan our voyage south of Canal.

We like all styles of Chinese, though there seems to be a dearth of decent Sichuan and Hunan in DC these days, so suggestions along those lines will receive extra consideration.

I know that there is excellent Chinese outside of Chinatown, but that neighborhood is a "must" for the kids so we'll likely get our chinese fix there.

Finally, a restaurant that has a liquor license is always appreciated.

Thanks.

I'm on the pavement

Thinking about the government.

Pan

Pan

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I think you should go above Canal to Congee Village. It's got a full bar and the food is excellent (whether it's the "best in Chinatown" is really hard to say, and I haven't eaten at every restaurant in Chinatown).

Michael aka "Pan"

 

Busboy

Busboy

Posted
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Posted
I think you should go above Canal to Congee Village. It's got a full bar and the food is excellent (whether it's the "best in Chinatown" is really hard to say, and I haven't eaten at every restaurant in Chinatown).

Yeah -- I probably should have said "favorite" instead of "best." But, either way, thanks for the response (thanks, georgesimian, too).

If I was only having one Chinese meal in Manhattan, I'm not sure I'd go to a congee place, but, given the location and my wife's recent congee addiction, this seem like a pretty sure bet for a drop-by. Thanks.

I'm on the pavement

Thinking about the government.

Suzanne F

Suzanne F

Posted
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We had an excellent meal at Tai Hong Lau, which has a liquor license. And while I did not make it to the eG dinner at Congee Village (long, long ago), the reports were of terrific food, not just congee.

Not sure if they have a license, but

- Dim Sum GoGo is very, very good -- especially the roast chicken with garlic.

- Oriental Garden (on Elizabeth) is great -- some of us had a fabulous meal there a few weeks ago. Mostly swimming-fresh seafood.

Be aware that many places in Ctown do not take credit cards. Also be aware that at a place like NY Noodletown, as mentioned below by PoorLawyer, the prices are so low that it will barely make a dent in your wallet :biggrin: (beer there is $3, but many of the noodle soups and rice dishes are under $4) It is possible to spend less than $10 for 2 people and come away stuffed.

(edited after returning to thread)

Edited by Suzanne F (log)
Dryden

Dryden

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If you're looking for great food (and great congee as well, incidentally) you might want to try Big Wong King on Mott south of Canal. Their congee is first rate, and their steamed chicken and chow fun are out of this world.

One note on the chow fun - eat it in groups. It's delicious, but there is so much oil used in cooking it, you can literally feel your arteries harden as you eat it. I usually try to mix it up with some congee to mitigate this effect, your mileage may vary.

I want pancakes! God, do you people understand every language except English? Yo quiero pancakes! Donnez moi pancakes! Click click bloody click pancakes!

Pan

Pan

Posted
Posted (edited)
If I was only having one Chinese meal in Manhattan, I'm not sure I'd go to a congee place, but, given the location and my wife's recent congee addiction, this seem like a pretty sure bet for a drop-by. Thanks.

You're welcome, but Congee Village is way more than just a congee place. Read all about it in the Congee Village thread. :smile:

Edited by Pan (log)

Michael aka "Pan"

 

irongut

irongut

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I second Congee Village. Yummy Noodle in C town is good too. Try their claypot rice dishes. Dim Sum at Oriental Seafood Palace on Mott St. is excellent , it's across from Harmony Palace.

  • 11 months later...
emmapeel

emmapeel

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I've been searching for this thread and finally found it. I'm sure there are more recommendations. I intend to try Congee Village first, but does anyone have other suggestions?

Emma Peel

SobaAddict70

SobaAddict70

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Oriental Garden (on Elizabeth), Dim Sum Go-Go, Wo Hop and Dumpling House are all good suggestions.

Wo Hop is truly a dive but their renditions of Chinese bbq are divine.

Soba

Pan

Pan

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Emma, I second PoorLawyer's recommendation of Greater NY Noodle Town (corner of Bayard and Bowery). Look at the linked thread for some recommendations of what to get there. You also might want to check out Fuleen, a seafood specialist, and my favorite Shanghainese restaurant in New York is Yeah Shanghai Deluxe. I haven't been to Yummy Noodles in the Chinatown Arcade -- recommended by Irongut -- for some time; maybe it's time to go back. They have a really interesting, non-pandering menu, and as of the times I went there, it was really their casseroles that were their foremost specialties and most popular items, generally.

Michael aka "Pan"

 

coughy

coughy

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I would stay AS FAR AWAY AS POSSIBLE from Fuleen. We were treated as poorly as one can possibly be treated in a restaurant. Plus when I went downstairs to the bathroom I got a look into the kitchen and what I saw disgusted me.

Pan

Pan

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I would stay AS FAR AWAY AS POSSIBLE from Fuleen.  We were treated as poorly as one can possibly be treated in a restaurant.  Plus when I went downstairs to the bathroom I got a look into the kitchen and what I saw disgusted me.

Wow. Could you please elaborate on what you saw in the kitchen? And how did they mistreat you?

Michael aka "Pan"

 

emmapeel

emmapeel

Posted
Posted (edited)
They have a really interesting, non-pandering menu, and as of the times I went there, it was really their casseroles that were their foremost specialties and most popular items, generally.

Wow, Pan, what a menu, I can't wait to try it and the photos looked great too. Thanks for the research. This Chinese outing will be my first attempt at Congee.

...Plus when I went downstairs to the bathroom I got a look into the kitchen and what I saw disgusted me.

Coughy, don't look in any Chinese kitchens edit (or a lot of NY kitchens)...just don't look. :sad: (I know what you mean.)

Another edit: If they continue to pass inspection, it's probably fine, and as long as I don't see rats having a party, it just doesn't bother me.

Edited by emmapeel (log)

Emma Peel

afn33282

afn33282

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Posted

For the love of all things edible, stay away from the Sweet-N-Tart Cafe, on Mott. Another Frommer's (I know, should've gone Lonely Planet) disaster.

Frau Farbissma: "It's a television commercial! With this cartoon leprechaun! And all of these children are trying to chase him...Hey leprechaun! Leprechaun! We want to get your lucky charms! Haha! Oh, and there's all these little tiny bits of marshmallow just stuck right in the cereal so that when the kids eat them, they think, 'Oh this is candy! I'm having fun!'"
Pan

Pan

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Posted
For the love of all things edible, stay away from the Sweet-N-Tart Cafe, on Mott.  Another Frommer's (I know, should've gone Lonely Planet) disaster.

I disagree. What did you order?

Michael aka "Pan"

 

Pan

Pan

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Posted

Here's the Sweet-n-Tart thread, where among other things, you can read about a banquet I had to celebrate my 40th birthday in February.

Michael aka "Pan"

 

coughy

coughy

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Posted

Our experience at Fuleen was that we made reservations for 24 people and when we arrived we were the only ones in the restaurant. We had two big tables in the back and the person who seated us was very nice. We looked over the menu and ordered soup for both tables, dumplings to share as well as main dishes to share. We probably ordered 9 main dishes for each table. The dumplings came up pretty fast, then the soup, but it took almost 2 hours to be served our main dishes. We were in a bind because there were so many of us and on Mother's Day where else could we go. The manager would not come anywhere near us and when he saw anyone from our table get up to inquire about our food he would run away. The worst part was that the entire restaurant filled up and we were the only table of non-Asians in the place. Everyone got served well before us and a few tables even turned over. We were outraged and WILL NEVER GO BACK!!! It is too bad for them because we go to Chinatown a lot and we would have brought them business.

The kitchen was filthy - there was garbage all over and one man walked out of the bathroom without washing his hands and walked right back into the kitchen.

Pan

Pan

Posted
Posted

That's a really horrible story about Fuleen.

Michael aka "Pan"

 

emmapeel

emmapeel

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Posted
...The kitchen was filthy - there was garbage all over and one man walked out of the bathroom without washing his hands and walked right back into the kitchen.

That is very serious...as is the rest of the story.

Emma Peel

CiriloE

CiriloE

Posted
Posted
Here's the Sweet-n-Tart thread, where among other things, you can read about a banquet I had to celebrate my 40th birthday in February.

I like Sweet and Tart myself but a friend hosted a banquet for 24 at Peking Duck House last Saturday and it was an excellent treat. Will definitely try eating there again. Any other feedback on Peking Duck House?

Cirilo

"There is something uncanny in the noiseless rush of the cyclist, as he comes into view, passes by, and disappears."

Popular Science, 1891

Pan

Pan

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Posted

Have you tried the soup dumplings at Yeah and Joe's, by way of comparison? Overall, I think Yeah's are the best of that lot, though I had better at the banquet last year at China 46 in New Jersey.

Michael aka "Pan"

 

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