The 12 Most Iconic Chinese Restaurants in Chinatown, Manhattan - A Food Map of the Most Authentic Chinese Food in the Heart of NYC (Updated 2022)

Why Do We Compile This List of Chinese Restaurants?

There are a million reviews and ratings on the Internet for the best Chinese restaurants in Chinatown. Why do we bother to make another one?

First, we believe this list is more authentic because it’s suggested and compiled by real, passionate, and local foodies, not food review editors.

Second, this list of restaurants is recommended by real people. A student of ours, Stephanie, suggested we should come up with a list of the best restaurants in Chinatown, Manhattan. And we listened and did some research.

Here’s a list of Chinese restaurants that she thinks are the most worth visiting in Chinatown, NYC. Let’s find out if you agree with us or Stephaine.

1. Kong Sihk Tong (Hong Kong Style Diner)

Address: 65 Bayard St, New York, NY 10013

You don’t want to miss this Hong Kong-style diner spot in Chinatown! Their staff was pleasant and attentive but not overwhelming, and the whole dining experience was pleasant.

The front seats are a little cramped, but there are extra seats in the back. Despite the fact that they're quite busy and you'll almost certainly have to place your name in a queue and then wait for them to call your name, the wait wasn't too long.

The appetizers arrived quickly as well, but the entrees took a little longer, which could be due to the fact that we selected a baked dish.

Overall, the pricing is reasonable, the food is great, the service is excellent, and you'll leave with a warm, satisfied stomach.

2. Nom Wah Tea Parlor

Address: 13 Doyers St, New York, NY 10013

The initial Nom Wah store wasn't always about dim sum. In 1920, the original restaurant at 13-15 Doyers St. started as a tea parlor and bakery. Located in the "Bloody Angle," as it was dubbed, The name comes from the street's “acute corner,” which was exploited by rival gangs.

Nom Wah Tea Parlor was first and foremost a bakery in the second half of the twentieth century. Serving dim food was a distant second. The mooncakes were the most popular item, with lines stretching out the door.

Even if you have a reservation and the weather is below freezing, the restaurant will not seat you until the entire group arrives because of its popularity. Once inside, the service is lightning fast, and the food arrives in less than 5 minutes. You can place your order by scribbling on a sheet.

Some of the dim sum items on the menu include roast pork buns, siu-mai, dumplings, soup dumplings, chicken feet, spare ribs, the original OG egg roll, a rice roll with fried dough, and the original OG egg roll. You can't go wrong with any of these choices. You can place multiple orders by just requesting a different menu. If you're seated at a small table, make sure you eat fast to make room for the other dishes.

The interior is like a movie scene. The non-booth seats appear tight. They also set up some modest tables outside for dining, but don't expect any elaborate structures or large heat lamps.

It's simple to order here. There's a QR code menu as well as a paper checklist with menu items written in English, so you can cross off exactly what you want. The dim sum selections appear to be quite conventional, and the menu also offers a few meal alternatives. The meal is generally nice and served hot and fresh. The turnip cake and any kind of shrimp wrapped in anything are usually my favorites.

3. Chinatown Ice Cream Factory

Address: 65 Bayard St, New York, NY 10013

What makes this ice cream so unique, you might wonder?

Almond cookies—that flavor is a true blessing from above. It's absolutely unique to the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, and we've never seen it anywhere else in all our travels.

There are a lot of interesting tastes to choose from, and they specialize in Asian cuisines. The only drawback we can think of is that the ice cream is somewhat expensive. We’re not sure how much it used to be, but it appears that they've boosted their costs in recent years.

This is a cash-only establishment.

4. Mei Li Wah (Bakery)

Address: 64 Bayard St, New York, NY 10013

First impressions: same as any other Chinatown bakery, small, crowded, and oozing with the aroma of freshly made goodies. The bakery appears to have a tiny seating area, but it is taped off and no one appears to have been there in a long time, most likely owing to the epidemic.

For good reason, this establishment is known for its roasted barbecue buns. They're the ideal combination of sweet and salty, and the bun is always soft! On weekends, there's always a really large line—a decent mix of locals and tourists.

Finally, we enjoy stopping over for a few buns when running errands in Chinatown. It's filling, satisfying, and quick to prepare. If you want to place a large order and ensure that it arrives on time, you can place a pre-order. I would give it a ten out of ten!

Cash only. Well, not a surprise in Chinatown.

5. Wu's Wonton King

Address: 165 E Broadway, New York, NY 10002

There are plenty of vegetarian dishes. And if there's anything you want that they don't have on the menu, just ask. The greatest thing about Chinese restaurants is that they can customize. As long as they have the ingredients and it doesn't take a day to prepare, they'll typically accommodate.

Take a bite out of the best-tasting wontons in town! Customers rave about the wontons. You simply have to give them a shot! Peking duck is on special for a limited time. Large quantities and reasonable prices!

6. Joe's Shanghai

Address: 46 Bowery, New York, NY 10013

It all began in Flushing in 1994, and they opened a Chinatown location on Pell Street the following year. Despite the fact that Shanghainese restaurants had existed in Chinatown since at least the 1940s, these two establishments popularized the cuisine to the point where restaurants with comparable menus popped up all around town.

And what was the secret of Joe's Shanghai's success? It is often associated with bringing xiao long bao, also known as soup dumplings, steamed buns, or little juicy buns, to New Yorkers. These culinary marvels, which originated in the early 19th century in Jiangsu province northwest of Shanghai, but maybe earlier in Henan, and were often pork-filled pouches with a pucker on top and scorching broth within, needed some dexterity and made eating seem like a gratifying game.

Joe's menu, like that of most early Shanghai restaurants, offers a variety of Sichuan, Cantonese, and Chinese-American foods. Some items, such as the chicken pan-fried crispy noodles, feel like a combination of Cantonese and Chinese-American food.

A ring of crunchy noodles sat like a bird's nest beneath a fowl stir fry speckled with button mushrooms, a dish that would be avoided at restaurants like Cheli, which are more concerned with defining a regional cuisine than pleasing every prospective customer with familiar dishes.

The crispy noodles, which have been rendered almost to mush under the seafood, are the greatest element of the dish.

While Joe's Shanghai isn't the best restaurant in Chinatown (according to many Chinese people), it is by far the most popular, and while the Shanghainese food there has an old-fashioned feel to it, it is frequently excellent.

And we suggest going around 9 p.m., when the place is still bustling in a relatively peaceful Chinatown.

7. Mott Street Eatery (Food Hall)

Address: 98 Mott St, New York, NY 10013

If you ever come by here on a Sunday afternoon, you will find this establishment totally packed, (expected). It took around 10–15 minutes for two people to be served. When your table is ready, they assign you a number and call it. All of the servers were attentive and maneuvered efficiently through the crowded space. They provide a standard sheet on which you may mark anything you desire.

Chinatown’s first food hall, Mott Street Eatery, has been reopening at 98 Mott since November 2021. 

8. Jing Fong

Address: 380 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10013

The legendary dim sum restaurant has reopened in Chinatown in a new, much smaller location.

The new restaurant isn't small, with around 100 seats, but it's a far cry from its former 800-seat home on Elizabeth Street. What was once a multi-sensory, possibly hour-long dining experience—arriving early or otherwise waiting in Disney-sized lines; riding an escalator upstairs; keeping one eye on the room's roaming dim sum carts—is now mostly about the food.

Jing Fong is open from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

9. Wah Fung (Takeout Only, No Delivery)

Address: 79 Chrystie St, New York, NY 10002

This location is extremely popular for lunch on weekdays! However, the staff is well-organized and does not appear to be frustrated by a large number of customers, which is very nice. Service time: Considering how busy the store is, it is fairly quick.

The creamy and delicious Mac and cheese here is definitely worth the carbs. But look at the container today: there was so much space at the top. In my opinion, they could have filled it more. In addition, the mushrooms are only half-cooked. They need to cook the mushrooms longer; otherwise, the flavor is off.

10. Wo Hope

Address: 15 Mott St, New York, NY 10013

This location is legendary! On Christmas Day, nothing else is open, and some good Chinese food is all that is needed to mend a broken heart, so it's one of those restaurants where they'd film a good scene from Sex and the City.

The food is hot and fresh, and it's LEGIT Chinese food. The quantity and prices are virtually unrivaled. Going down those stairs gets you in the mood for what's to come. It is, without a doubt, the best Chinese food you will ever have.

The food is delicious, and the service is excellent, especially considering how busy it is. But believe us when we say that once you get inside and see and smell what's going on around you, you'll smile.

11. Xi'an Famous Foods (Chinatown, East Chelsea & Everywhere Else in NYC)

Address: 96 8th Ave, New York, NY 10011

If you’ve been living in NYC, you must have heard of Xi'an Famous Foods. It’s very rare to find a place loved by both Americans and Chinese. Their food is quick, cheap, and spicy. Perfect for New Yorkers.

You can find a lot of styles here, with noodles being their main staple food. The food is fresh, hot, and spicy, and the ordering process is quick. The noodles are cut to order, and there are four different levels of spice.

Hand-ripped spicy cumin lamb noodles The noodles are extremely thick! They were made by hand! The noodles were wide and slightly doughy in texture. They were chewy and squishy. The spicy cumin sauce also included chili oil, which added to the dry noodle experience. The lamb was succulent and plentiful.

12. Han Dynasty (Lower East Side, Upper West Side)

Address: 90 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10003

This solid Chinese spot in St. Mark's came in handy because we had a party of four and were having trouble finding a dinner spot - called here and the table was ready in 20 minutes!

For the food, you can select entree dishes categorized by cooking style (for example, dry hot pot, garlic), and then select the meat (fish, beef, etc).

Good Chinese restaurant that is slightly more Americanized but can be enjoyed by all!