Welcome to the ultimate guide to eating out at the best cheap restaurants in Chinatown in New York City. This list is split into the following sections: dumplings, restaurants, quick eats, bakeries, and small bites and snacks. If you’re looking for what to do in Chinatown NYC, take a food tour through these places. They’re all within walking distance of each other, so you’ll be able to get an optimal food-to-walking-distance ratio and bang for your buck.
This list comes from personal research and dumpling due diligence, recommendations from friends and friends of friends, Reddit, YouTube videos, and online reviews. Each item includes a short description and/or the go-to dishes at each restaurant. Each restaurant is linked to its Google Maps location and directions.
Dumplings
- Shu Jiao Fu Zhou fried/boiled pork and chive dumplings
- Vanessa’s Dumpling House fried/boiled dumplings, sesame pancake, Peking duck sandwich. Dumplings are on thicker/doughier side
- 456 New Shanghai: xiao long bao (soup dumplings), fried tiny buns with pork
- Jing Fong (Cart dim sum) Spare ribs, durian pastry
- Red Bowl Food Corp grocery store with frozen dim sum
- C & L Dumpling House fried/boiled dumplings. Dumplings are on the thicker/doughier side
- Supreme Restaurant xiao long bao (soup dumplings)
- King Dumplings fried/boiled dumplings
- Joe’s Shanghai: xiao long bao (soup dumplings)
- Deluxe Green Bo: xiao long bao, shredded pork cabbage rice cake, grilled buns
- House of Joy (Cart dim sum)
- Fu Zhou Wei Zheng Wei Jia Xiang Feng Wei: steamed buns, steamed dumplings
Restaurants
- Green Garden Village (Cantonese) roast duck and roast pork
- Wonton Noodle Garden: wonton soup, beef tendon stew
- Nyonya (Malaysian) curry chicken, satay
- Hou Yi Hot Pot (hot pot): all-you-can-eat hot pot and unlimited ice cream
- Uncle Lou (Cantonese): crispy garlic chicken
- Super Taste: stew pork burger, beef noodle soup, pork belly bao
- Bo Ky: chicken broth pho, half duck
- Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodles: house special #2 noodle soup, beef stew and tendon noodle soup
- Noodle Village: chicken congee, wonton soup
- Nha Trang One (Vietnamese) pho dac biet
- Joju (Vietnamese) rice bowls and banh mi. Vegetarian friendly
- Bánh Mì Saigon (Vietnamese) banh mi
- Nam Son (Vietnamese) pho (wide variety of noodles)
- Pho Grand (Vietnamese) pho
Quick Eats
Chinatown in NYC has
- Wah Fung Fast Food: roast pork and duck over rice
- May Wah Fast Food: chicken leg over rice
- New Kim Tuong: soy sauce pork or chicken
- M&W Bakery: Japanese sponge cake, coffee
- Great N.Y. Noodletown: meat and rice entree, shrimp wonton soup
- 7 Elephants (Thai): $12 rice box entree
Bakeries
- Tai Pan Bakery: pork and scallion roll, hot dog, beef tart
- Golden Steamer ($1 fluffy buns) pumpkin, char siu, and custard and salted yolk buns
- Harpers Bread House Portuguese egg tart, onigiri
- Kamboat Bakery & Cafe: Portuguese egg tart, steam rice bento box
- Spongies Cafe: sponge cakes
- Kam Hing Coffee Shop: butterscotch and green tea sponge cake
- New Cameron Bakery: black sesame roll, strawberry cake,
- Anpanman Bakery Cafe: tea, Lo Mai Gai (sticky rice with chicken, sausage, egg)
Small Bites and Snacks
Chinatown has a diverse selection of quick bites. Here is a list of the best street food in Chinatown.
- Mei Lai Wah: baked roast pork bun, pineapple roast pork bun
- Cheong Fun Cart (Rice rolls)
- Zongzi Lady (Zongzi) corner of Grand St & Chrystie St – some of the best zongzi in the city
- Yi Ji Shi Mo (Rice rolls) roast pork or beef and shrimp
- Mee Sum Cafe (Zongzi)
- Sun Hing Lung: rice rolls, curry fish balls
Dumplings, so cheap and fine
Steaming hot, savory delight
Budget feasts, so divine!
My haiku skills may be subpar, but this list is most definitely not.