Chinatown wouldn’t be the same without its food. Food is one of Chinatown’s biggest attractions after all. There is a wide variety of Chinese dishes offered in Chinatown’s restaurants, ranging from expensive duck dishes to fast food dumplings. Here are five main dishes served throughout Chinatown:
Peking duck
Sliced Peking duck dish served at the Peking Duck House (Peking Duck House, www.facebook.com).
Peking duck is roast duck strips often served with shredded vegetables and coated with sweet sauce. One fairly famous restaurant where people come to eat Peking duck is the Peking Duck House (opened in 1978) located on 28 Mott Street (1).
Duck and pork on rice
Roast pork and duck on rice served at Big Wong King (Jessica D., www.yelp.com).
Another popular duck dish is duck and pork on rice, a common Cantonese food. Restaurants that serve this dish include East Corner Wonton on 70 East Broadway and Big Wong King on 67 Mott Street (1).
Wonton
Pork and spinach wonton soup (Hair, www.steamykitchen.com).
Wonton, often eaten in soup, is a specific type of small round dumpling often filled with pork, spices, onions, or vegetables. Many people enjoy Chinatown’s wonton in restaurants such as East Corner Wonton on 70 East Broadway and HK Wonton Garden on 79 Mulberry Street (1).
Dim sum
Dim sum served at Dim Sum Go Go at 5 East Broadway (Mcalpin, www.nydailynews.com).
My mother used to visit Chinatown every morning for this succulent serving. The name dim sum in Cantonese means “a little bit of heart” (2). The Cantonese food is actually small dumplings that are steamed or fried and contain different fillings, such as condensed milk for a sweet pastry taste or BBQ pork for a savory meat flavor (3). Royal Seafood on 103 Mott Street is one of many Chinatown restaurants that serve dim sum (1).
Jiaozi
Boiled pork and chinese vegetable dumplings served at Prosperity Dumpling (Rina C., www.yelp.com).
Whether boiled, steamed, or pan fried, Northern Chinese dumplings, jiaozi in Mandarin, are a delicious attraction in Chinatown. Unlike wonton, jiaozi is larger, has thicker dough covering, and is often served with soy sauce (4). They exist in a range of fillings from shrimp and chicken to mixed vegetables and tofu. Some restaurants that serve dumplings are Prosperity Dumpling on 46 Eldridge Street and Fried Dumpling on 99 Allen Street. Although Fried Dumpling may look like a real hole in the wall, it was the first to sell Northern-style dumplings. There, customers can order 20 fried dumplings and some pork buns for only $5 (1). It’s hard to beat a deal like that!
