Adventures in Chinatown.

I love going to Chinatown in Manhattan. There’s something magical that happens there. It might be strolling the narrow streets and alley ways finding new shops and restaurants to explore, or maybe the smells of a dozen different dishes hitting your senses all at once or the bright neon signs that beg for your attention. Whatever it is I hope that it never loses its flair, and I hope that one day, if you haven’t already, you’ll venture into NYC and give it a try.

I embarked on this current adventure with two of my oldest buddies, James and Tony, both great chefs in their own right. We realized on this trip that we have been doing our Chinatown excursions for twenty five years! By now we pretty much have it down and it usually goes like this. We each choose a place to eat and we go to all three restaurants sharing plates so we get an array of culinary delights. Over the years because of things like 911 and the SARS scare some of our favorites have disappeared like Sun Lok Kee, who in our opinion had the best roast duck in the city. Every meal our waiter would make the same joke, that after eating all that food we should go on the peanut diet. He would bring out a plate with a few shelled peanuts and say, “Now try and eat these with chopsticks!”

The first stop was the Nom Wah Tea House at 13 Doyers Street. Manhattans oldest dim sum restaurant, serving dim sum and dumplings since 1920. According to their website not much has changed since 1920 and I’d have to concur. Though some might not like that “older feel” I’m going to call it charm. They also carry a nice selection of tea so I’m already happy. Knowing that we’re in for a night of eating we decide to go easy and Dim Sum is perfect for that. We ordered the turnip cakes, stuffed eggplant and sticky rice with Chinese sausage.

This was my first time trying turnip cakes and I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious they were. They have an amazing texture that is both chewy and dense at the same time. The turnip flavor wasn’t pronounced and worked well with the different sauces that were available at the table. I’m sorry I didn’t get any pictures of the Dim Sum but honestly I was so immersed in the food I forgot. The stuffed eggplant can best be described as looking like a hotdog on a bun, with the bun being a baby Chinese eggplant split down the middle with sticky rice and diced vegetables shaped like a hotdog placed in between the sliced eggplant. Not only did these taste amazing they were also very fun to eat. After those two dishes the sticky rice with sausage was just that, sticky rice with sausage, and while the taste was there it was nothing to rave about.

We left Nom Wah and walked down Doyers street past the countless barber shops and Chinese herbal apothecaries. Our second destination was at 21 Mott street, the home of Hop Kee. Just a heads up, this restaurant is downstairs and I don’t think its wheelchair accessible. Inside is brightly lit with lower ceilings due to basically being a basement restaurant, but don’t let that discourage you from going as this was one of the places frequented by the late Anthony Bourdain.

No time was wasted looking at the menu we just ordered our favorites, Salt and Pepper Squid, Roast Duck and sautéed watercress.

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If you like squid I’d urge you to try it Salt and Pepper style. The outer crust has a perfect blend of salt and crunch that pairs well with the hot peppers and scallions. I haven’t been able to find this dish outside of Chinatown, if you know of any place, please share it in the comments below. The duck is a marvel of preparation and patience. I’m sure there’s a YouTube video of how its made, from soaking in a honey, anise broth to pumping air between the skin and the fat. The end product, if prepared right, will be something you’ll come back for again and again. The greens are ordered because ours mothers raised us right or maybe they help balance out the two dishes. Either way I’ve been eating this combo for at least 25 years with no plans on changing it. I’m sure I’ll be trying another restaurant in the near future but, Hop Kee certainly won’t disappoint you.

The final leg of our adventure may not be considered cuisine to some, but to me if it’s made by artisans and done with pride, it counts. That’s exactly why I chose The Chinatown Ice Cream Factory to top the evening off. Located at 65 Bayard Street and serving New York since 1978, they have become somewhat of a landmark in Chinatown. Sure they have all those crazy flavors like Vanilla, Chocolate and Strawberry. But, I’m looking for something a little more normal like Almond cookie made from the famous Fung Wong bakery cookies, or, maybe some Lychee, Red Bean,Black Sesame, Ginger and the ever popular Green Tea ice cream. They have too many flavors to list here but in my opinion the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory should be on everyone’s list when visiting Chinatown.

If you have a favorite spot in Chinatown please share it with the readers in the comment section below. Tell us what you like about the place and what your favorite dish is to eat there. Until next time, Boone Appétit!