Queens keeps adding to its already stacked food scene this spring, and Astoria is at the center of the latest action. Here’s what’s new and what residents need to know about the dining changes hitting the borough right now.
Nice Day Chinese Opens on 30th Avenue in Astoria
One of Astoria’s most-watched restaurant transitions has landed: Nice Day Chinese has opened at 42-02 30th Avenue — the same address that previously housed Ma Lala Chinese, a neighborhood favorite that built a following for its Sichuan dishes. The brand, which already has a presence in Manhattan, made its Queens debut here in a soft opening that began in April 2026.
The transition isn’t just a straight substitution. Nice Day Chinese is keeping the original founder and chef from Ma Lala as part of the team, which means the Sichuan dishes that regulars loved are still on the menu. But the concept is expanding the offering with house-made dim sum, soup dumplings, made-to-order dishes using fresh ingredients daily, and milk tea. It’s an upgrade in both scope and polish while preserving what made the original space work for the neighborhood.
The 30th Avenue corridor is one of Astoria’s most active dining strips, running through a neighborhood that has long been one of the best places in New York City to eat affordably and well. The addition of a proper dim sum and Sichuan spot with quality sourcing is a meaningful upgrade for the area. Nice Day Chinese is available on DoorDash, Grubhub, and Seamless for delivery, and the physical address at 42-02 30th Ave makes it a natural stop for residents walking the avenue.
The nearest subway stops to 30th Avenue are the N/W trains at 30th Avenue station, which is right on the corridor and makes this one of the more transit-accessible new openings in the borough.
Queens Taste Festival Returns This Month
For anyone who wants to explore the borough’s dining scene more broadly, the annual Queens Taste food festival is returning this spring at Sound River Studios in Long Island City. The event brings together restaurants from across the borough in a gallery-style venue with outdoor patio space and views of the NYC skyline — it’s one of the better ways to efficiently sample what Queens has to offer if you’re not already familiar with the borough’s range. Keep an eye on the QNS website for ticketing details as the date approaches.
The Broader Picture: Why Queens Is Having a Moment
Queens has always been one of New York City’s most diverse and interesting places to eat — the borough contains more distinct culinary traditions per square mile than almost any place on earth — but spring 2026 is seeing that reputation accelerate. The combination of lower commercial rents compared to Manhattan and Brooklyn, strong neighborhood foot traffic from multi-generational immigrant communities, and a growing wave of food-focused visitors is making Queens increasingly attractive for chefs and restaurateurs who want to build something without paying Chelsea prices.
Astoria in particular has been on a consistent upswing. Beyond Nice Day Chinese, the neighborhood is seeing the kinds of quality-level upgrades — better sourcing, more refined concepts, expanded menus — that tend to signal a neighborhood food scene maturing rather than just growing. For residents, that means more options at accessible prices. For visitors, it means Astoria’s dining reputation, already strong, is only getting stronger.
For budget-conscious dining in the broader Queens area, our guide to Cheap Eats in Ridgewood, Queens is a good companion read — the borough’s value-dining story extends well beyond Astoria.
What You Need to Know
- Nice Day Chinese (42-02 30th Ave, Astoria) is now open — Sichuan dishes from the original Ma Lala chef, plus house-made dim sum, soup dumplings, and milk tea
- Nearest subway: N/W trains at 30th Avenue station
- Delivery available on DoorDash, Grubhub, and Seamless
- The 30th Avenue corridor continues to be one of the most active dining destinations in Astoria
- Queens Taste festival is returning to Sound River Studios in Long Island City this spring — check QNS for dates
- Queens remains one of NYC’s best boroughs for quality dining at accessible prices — and the spring 2026 opening wave is reinforcing that reputation
