CHINATOWN/ LITTLE ITALY (Houston to Brooklyn Bridge; E of Layfayette)
Nha Trang: Vietnamese. 87 Baxter @ Bayard-Canal; 21/7/$16; 233-5948; Korean; Mountains of food; Crowded; Dirt cheap. BBQ beef; Pho Noodle soups; Huge menu to select from; Truly authentic & packed with locals.
Il Cortile: Italian. 125 Mulberry @ Canal-Hester; 23/20/$48; 226-6060; Innovative Italian; Garden room; True Italian feel. Sizable portions served by a friendly, experienced waitstaff. Garden room stands out.
Il Fornaio: Italian. 132A Mulberry @ Grand; 22/15/$34; 226-8306; Fun, friendly environment. Gem of a find on tourist-central Mulberry where red-sauce classics dazzle. Large menu & fair pricing seal the deal.
Pellegrino’s: Italian. 138 Mulberry @ Grand-Hester; 24/18/$43; 226-3177; Delicious fare; Touristy but still a delightful experience; Service is tops. Traditional Little Italy Classic; Possibly the best on this strip; Can sit outside; Treated like royalty.
Angelo’s of Mulberry:
Italian; 146 Mulberry @ Grand-Hester; 23/16/$46; 966-1277; Been around forever; Pasta and Garlic lovers gravitate here; One of the best in Little Italy. Red sauce classics; Lines out the door for a reason; Stereotypical, but tried and true. Il Palazzo:
Italian. 151 Mulberry @ Grand-Hester; 23/19/$45; 343-7000; Incredible seafood; Italian food is complex & tasty. One of the best on Mulberry. Glass enclosed garden room. Authentic.
Da Nico:
Italian. 164 Mulberry @ Broome-Grand; 22/17/$39; 343-1212; Absolutely nothing wrong with this fine Little Italy selection; Solid all round; Garden & back patio in summer; Large portions for moderate sums; Coal oven pizzas. Eight Mile Creek: Australian. 240 Mulberry @ Prince – Spring; 20/15/$37; 431-4635; Great energy; Kangaroo on menu; Garden, Pub & Formal dining area; Upscale Outback. Tasmanian oysters. Bar scene. Pho Viet Huong: Vietnamese. 73 Mulberry @ Bayard-Canal; 23/10/$18; Excellent authentic Vietnamese; Exotic dishes. Cafeteria like setting; Most of the menu under $10; Pho – everything available; Shanghai Café: Chinese. 100 Mott @ Canal-Hester; 22/12/$19; 966-3988; Competes with Joe’s Shanghai for the best soup dumplings in the city; Endlessly long menu of anything you could possibly crave as well; No dim sum. Amazing 66: Chinese. 66 Mott St @ Bayard-Canal; 21/14/$23; Huge menu; Nice décor for area; Dirt cheap lunch specials; Delicious Chinese food. Even decent sushi and great drinks. Giant portions to share. Tao-like vibe.
Nyonya: Malaysian. 194 Grand @ Mott-Mulberry; 22/13/$22; 334-3669; Dirt cheap tabs for a true Malaysian experience; Properly spiced; Great for lunch and to walk around Chinatown ort Little Italy afterwards; Mandarin Court: Chinese. 61 Mott @ Bayard; 22/9/$19; Possibly the Best Dim Sum in city; Dirt cheap; Dinky place; Weekends is best! Pushcart authentic classics; Shrimp dumplings. Heavenly tidbits.
Peking Duck House: Chinese. 28 Mott @ Mosco; 22/15/$36; 759-8260; Crispy Duck; Get the signature dish skillfully carved at your table; Has all the usual Chinese dishes as well; Select the 3-way duck- they make a soup & stir fry with leftovers.
Pho 21: Vietnamese. 21 Mott @ Pell; 20/12/$25; 965-5366; Extremely authentic restaurant with large menu featuring soup, pork, and prawn dishes; Exotic spices and combinations; Dirt cheap for lunch or dinner. Go Pho it!
Joe Shanghai: Chinese. 9 Pell @ Bowery-Mott; 22/9/$22; 233-8888; Famous Soup Dumplings; Dim Sum like; Well-known; Large menu of all the other usual classics; Dirt cheap pricing. Oriental Garden: Chinese. 14 Elizabeth @ Bayard-Canal; 24/12/$29; 619-0085; Seafood doesn’t get fresher; Way better than anything in area; Dim Sum is outstanding; #1 rated in Zagats for Chinese; Simple Chinatown-esque décor; Crab with ginger and scallion; Shrimp dishes. Jing Fong: Chinese. 20 Elizabeth @ Bayard-Canal; 20/13/$20; 964-5256; Huge ballroom Dim Sum Palace; Famous and always packed on weekend; Dim Sum Cart central; Massive menu for other nights; Dirt cheap tabs.
Pongsri: Thai. 106 Bayard @ Baxter; 21/13/$25; 349-3132; Though a 4-location chain, they deliver extremely reliable fare; Spicy excellence; Huge selection of dishes; Pad Thai perfection.
New York Noodle Town: Chinese. 28 Bowery @ Bayard; 21/14/$25; 349-0923; Massive menu of every variety of noodle dish; Multiple rice dishes to choose from and even standard Chinese fare; Even soft shell crab; Tons of soups- under $4 so process can’t be beat.
New Green Bo: Chinese. 66 Bayard @ Elizabeth-Mott; 25/5/$16; 625-2359; Best Chinese in City; Flat out awesome Chinese in a dump; Authentic. Soup dumplings; Dim sum, noodle, & rice selections; Huge menu; Steamed crab & pork steamed dumplings;
Fuleen Seafood: Chinese-Seafood. 11 Division @ Bowery- E-BWay; 24/9/$29; 941-6888; Epic good seafood; Fish straight from the ocean; Prepared wonderfully; So cheap for seafood; Piss poor décor but worth it for crustaceans swimming into your mouth. Has non-seafood dishes. Golden Unicorn: Chinese. 18 E B-Way @ Catherine; 20/12/$25; 941-0911; Dim Sum genius; Giant spot; Authentic food; Shrimp Dumplings; Probably the most established Chinese I’ve had in Chinatown; Not a ‘scene’ by any means; Go for Dim Sum.
Doyers: Vietnamese. 11-13 Doyers @ Chatham Sq; 21/6/$18; 513-1521; Beyond inexpensive & a hole in the wall setting; However, it’s a diamond with incredibly tasty local fare; Sugarcane wrapped grilled shrimp; Huge menu.