A Day in Chinatown with Restaurateur and Entrepreneur Eric Sze (@esze.e)
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 Eric Sze, a Taiwanese-born American restaurateur, entrepreneur and the chef and owner of Taiwanese restaurant 886. Having opened 886 in 2018, Eric has received accolades both in and out of the restaurant world. Named Forbes 30 under 30 2020, he was recognized for his work during the pandemic feeding frontline workers.
Most recently, Eric led the charge for “Enough is Enough,” a grassroots initiative by NYC Asian American business owners who came together to take action against the nationwide surge in anti-Asian hate crimes. Enough is Enough’s efforts drove $50,000+ in donations to community organizations, including Welcome to Chinatown, where we are able to address the community’s food insecurity needs through Enough is Enough’s generous $16,000 donation to our Sik Faan Fund.
Home and Kitchen
Aqua Best (276 Grand St) - My absolute favorite seafood purveyor. I'm a bit biased because I get seafood from them for my restaurant, but their quality really is the best. Steven, Freeman, and Jimmy are truly genuine individuals who love what they do. Plus, it's a great place to peek at how they butcher all sorts of fish.
Deluxe Meat Market (122 Mott St, 59 Bayard St) - This market has been my haven since my college years back in 2012. I used to skip accounting class just to shop at Deluxe for special cuts of meat for private dinners I'd throw in my tiny apartment. It may be a bit intimidating to navigate at first, but once you master the craft of meat selecting, it's heaven on earth.
Da Hing Plant Shop (289 Grand St) – This place is every plant nerd's heaven. Everything is affordably priced with extraordinary quality. They also offer free delivery for orders over $40.
Chinatown Bakeries
Kam Hing Coffee Shop (118 Baxter St) - They have the most phenomenal sponge cakes and on-point milk teas. This shop has been family run since forever ago. I also really love their selection of hot foods, which includes tripe stew and rice noodles.
Kam Boat Bakery (111 Bowery St) - Everyone has their "best egg tart in NYC" place. This one is mine. I stumbled upon their Portuguese style egg tarts one day and have never looked back. Perfect combination of flakiness and creaminess. I also love how they are a Chinatown elderly hangout spot. Pre-COVID, I would see rows of elders hanging out in Kam Boat with their daily newspapers, just chatting. A community center that also has incredible egg tarts? Sold.
Top Noodle Spots
XO Restaurant (148 Hester St) - I’ve been coming here since college. Their XO rice noodles are great. They also have some very good wonton noodle soup. They put jicama in their wontons, which gives it a unique crunch.
Kong Kee Food Corp (212 Grand St) - Phenomenal fresh rice noodles and tofu products. Also do not sleep on the turnip cakes. They make them fresh daily and have the best texture. There is also a fresh breakfast bar if you go early enough. Kong Kee's youtiao with their fresh made soy milk = heaven.
Wing Heung Noodle Corp (144 Baxter St) - I use their freshly made noodles for our beef noodle soup at 886. They don't like too much press, but I love them too much to not include them here. I’ve been buying from them since 2016.
Best Lunch Spots
Ping's (22 Mott St)- I've been going to Pings for 2 or so years. Their stir-fry selection of Cantonese dishes is stellar, as is their weekend dim sum lunches. You don't see as many tourists here because they’re on a secluded section of Mott Street. It's for the real real. Get the jicama and silverfish stir fry.
Taiwan Bear House (11 Pell St) – This place has the best Taiwanese popcorn chicken in New York. Seriously unrivaled. Their bento boxes are also deliciously prepared at extraordinarily competitive prices. It's a home-sick go-to for me.
