A Day in Chinatown with Traveling Gourmet & Food Entrepreneur Christine Yi (@cy_eats)
Welcome to a new mini series “A Day in Chinatown with…” where our favorite New Yorkers, part-time New Yorkers and/or New York fanatics share with us their favorite Chinatown spots. There is so much to explore and love about Chinatown; every corner of the neighborhood has its gems.
Our next guest is Christine Yi, a born and bred New Yorker, has been food-obsessed from a very young age. Everything in Korean families centers around food, so her love for food and cooking was inevitable. After working in China from 2006 to 2012, Christine discovered many regional and nuanced flavors of Chinese cooking. She left her job in finance and became a full-time blogger in 2015, living her goal of eating well and sharing the joy with others.
Lunch To Go
Shu Jiao Fuzhou Cuisine (118 Eldridge Street) - The first time I went to Shu Jiao was 20+ years ago, and I still love their pork and chive dumplings. This place is serious cheap eats too. Must gets: dumplings, wheat noodles with peanut butter sauce and a bag of 50 frozen dumplings to go! I also like their Fuzhou fish ball soup to wash it all down.
Yi Ji Shi Mo (88 Elizabeth Street) - My friend turned me onto this place, and I stop in way too often these days! My go-to is a large shrimp, scallion, and cilantro rice roll. This is one of those places you want to bring your own chili oil, because their only spicy condiment is Sriracha, which, for me, is too sweet/strong for their delicate rice rolls!
Wah Fung (79 Chrystie Street) - I know everyone knows and loves Wah Fung and their char siu (roast pork), but I’m a huge fan of their roast pig. Crispy skin, fatty flavorful meat – OH YES! It’s their underground hero! But remember to drink lots of water when eating; they use a lot of salt to make it taste that YUM!
Dim Sum
Noodle Village (13 Mott Street) - I’ve declared Noodle Village as my favorite xiao long bao (soup dumplings), and I stand by it. Their wrappers are delicate and thin, yet they don’t break. Their soup is flavorful, and the filling tastes good. I love the crab and pork, but their pork xiao long bao are also awesome.
Golden Unicorn (18 East Broadway) - Of all the dim sum in Manhattan’s Chinatown, Golden Unicorn has to be the most consistent. I prefer to go earlier than the usual noon crowd, and for that, you’ll be rewarded with freshly made, steamingly hot dim sum. The staff is super kind to pretend to understand my poorly spoken, rudimentary Mandarin.
Lucky King Bakery (280 Grand Street) - I’m still exploring dim sum bakeries (take-away dim sum), and so far, Lucky King is the best. I stop in whenever I’m nearby in the mornings to get their siu mai and steamed bean curd skin rolls. Perfect for satisfying that dim sum craving without committing to an entire meal.
Lunch and Dinner
Hwa Yuan (42 East Broadway) - I love that there’s an elegant restaurant in Chinatown with a full bar that serves delicious authentic Chinese food. It’s also the perfect place to send friends who are unfamiliar with Chinatown but want to taste the amazing flavors. My favorites are the Peking duck, dry sauteed crispy beef, moo shu pork and their famous sesame noodles!
Wu’s Wonton King (165 East Broadway) - Wu’s gives you good feels the moment you walk in. The owner Derek Wu is incredibly welcoming and makes you feel right at home. And it’s BYOB. Gather a group of friends, bring some delicious champagnes and wines (champagne pairs really well with Cantonese food), and share a bunch of dishes. My favorites are King Crab (reserved in advance), steamed and also in fried rice, their famous wonton soup, salt fried pork chop, stir fried conch with crispy tofu, dried squid stir fry.
Traditional Groceries
Hong Kong Supermarket (157 Hester Street) - When you see the Chinese grannies shopping there, you know it’s a good sign! This is where I do most of my grocery shopping. They have most of the Asian groceries I need: veggies and fruit, meats (including the bones), dumpling wrappers, Fuzhou fish balls, and an entire floor of noodles downstairs!!
Tan Tin Hung (121 Bowery Street) - I pop into this tiny shop when I need specifically Vietnamese or Southeast Asian groceries like ram rau (laksa leaves), and since it’s smaller, it’s easier to find here.
