Chinatown NYC: Authentic Experiences & Local Favorites (2025)
This research provides comprehensive, up-to-date information for 2025 about Chinatown NYC, focusing on authentic experiences and local favorites. It covers key attractions, a wide range of dining options from traditional to new establishments, unique shopping venues, and hidden gems. Recent developments, including new openings and closures, are also highlighted. Practical information regarding transportation is included to assist both tourists and locals in navigating the neighborhood.
Key Attractions
- – Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA): 215 Centre Street, exhibits on Chinese immigration history, artifacts, rotating exhibits.
- – Canal Street: Shopper’s paradise with narrow shops and stalls selling T-shirts, scarves, jewelry, knock-off luxury items.
- – Chinatown Information Kiosk: Bright red kiosk at Canal, Baxter, and Walker Streets, distributes maps, brochures, information.
- – Mulberry Street: Shops selling imported gifts (jade, pottery, tea ware, Buddhas, nicknacks).
- – Columbus Park: At Bayard Street, community hub, hosts Chinese opera, traditional music, sports, Tai Chi, Chinese Chess.
- – Mott Street: Site of first Chinese general store, restaurant, Chinese-owned building, home of Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Society.
- – Church of the Transfiguration: On Mott Street, one of the city’s oldest churches, serves immigrant communities.
- – Chatham Square: Large intersection at Bowery/Worth Street, once a marketplace and entertainment center. Features Kim Lau Arch (memorial to Chinese Americans in WWII).
- – Trans World Buddhist Association: Information center and place of worship near Chatham Square.
- – East Broadway: Main street of newer Chinatown extension, populated by Fujianese immigrants.
- – Doyers Street: Crooked lane, known as ‘Bloody Angle’ due to historical battles. Features 5-7 Doyers (former Chinese Theater), tunnel to Bowery, acupuncture, Chinese medicine, dentistry, herb shops, Tin Sun metaphysics.
- – Nom Wah Tea Parlor: 13 Doyers Street, oldest extant tea parlor/dim sum palace in Chinatown.
- – Pell Street: Historic Chinatown locale, profusion of Chinese-character signs, popular for postcards.
- – Edward Mooney House: 18 Bowery Building, oldest house in New York (built 1785).
- – Mahayana Buddhist Temple: Peaceful oasis near Manhattan Bridge entrance, enormous golden seated Buddha, active place of worship.
Dining Options
- From Take Walks:
- – Tasty Dumpling: 42 Mulberry Street (inexpensive snack).
- – Dim Sum Go Go: Near Chatham Square, known for excellent, inexpensive dim sum.
- – Joe’s Shanghai: On Pell Street, popular for soup dumplings.
- – Chinatown Ice Cream Factory: 65 Bayard Street, homemade ice cream in distinct flavors (green tea, almond cookie, lychee, black sesame, red bean, taro).
- From Eater NY:
- – Yi Ji Shi Mo: 88 Elizabeth Street, top purveyors of cheung fun (rice noodles with fillings). Cash only.
- – Harper’s Bread House: 271 Grand St, decades-old bakery, ultra-affordable Chinese pastries, hot dog scallion buns, onigiri rice balls, egg tarts.
- – Shu Jiao Fu Zhou: 295 Grand St, perfected peanut noodle ($3), pork and chive dumplings. Cash only.
- – Royal Seafood: 103 Mott Street, Cantonese banquet hall, dim sum carts, seafood, chicken, pork dishes.
- – Spicy Village: 68 Forsyth St B, known for big tray spicy chicken (da pan ji), pork pancake. BYOB.
- – Phoenix Palace: 85 Bowery, offers salt-and-pepper cuttlefish, baby bok choy salad, chilled tofu, lobster sticky rice, chili crab noodles.
- – Uncle Lou: 73 Mulberry St, Cantonese food with a twist, chef’s specials (lo wah kiu), steak with chives, vegetarian tofu skin wraps, homestyle chenpi duck.
- – Maxi’s Noodle 3: 68 Mott Street, third outpost, known for wontons.
- – Bo Ky: 80 Bayard Street, Teochew restaurant, pho with pork, deep-fried shrimp rolls, fish noodle soup, country style duck.
- – Joe’s Shanghai: 46 Bowery, popular for soup dumplings, braised gluten, eel with chives, fish fingers with seaweed.
- – Mei Lai Wah: Consistently long line for pork buns.
Shopping Venues
- From Take Walks:
- – Canal Street: Shops and stalls selling T-shirts, scarves, jewelry, and knock-off luxury handbags, perfumes, and watches.
- – Mulberry Street: Shops selling imported gifts of jade, pottery, tea ware, Buddhas, and miscellaneous nicknacks.
- – Fook on Sing (44 Mulberry): Sells cardboard symbolic gifts for the deceased.
- – Barbershops on Pell Street.
Local Favorites
- – Fook on Sing (44 Mulberry): Part of ‘Chinatown’s Funeral Row’, sells cardboard symbolic gifts for deceased (burned in traditional Chinese funeral practices).
- – Doyers Street tunnel: Fascinating remnant of old Chinatown, leading to the Bowery, used by Tongs to evade police.
- – Barbershops on Pell Street: Holdovers from the ‘Bachelor Society’ era.
Recent Developments
From Eater NY:
– New to this map: Phoenix Palace, Northern Dumplings, Maxi Noodle, Pho Ga Vang, Mei Lai Wah, Chang Lai Fishballs Noodles.
– Nixed for now: Potluck Club, Green Garden Village, West New Malaysia, Mei Lai Wah Noodle Garden, Shaxian Snacks, Double Crispy Bakery, Fried Dumpling, and Dim Sum Palace.
– Phoenix Palace opened in 2024.
– Maxi’s Noodle opened its third location in Chinatown.
Practical Information
Transportation: Take the N, Q, or R subway to Canal Street (at Broadway), or the 6 to Canal Street (at Lafayette Street).
