CHINESE
Shun Lee Café: Chinese. 43 W 65th @ Columbus-CPW; 21/16/$40; 769-3888; Excellent Dim Sum, complete with carts; Traditional dishes; The more inexpensive alternative to next door’s Shun Lee West.
Tang Pavilion: Chinese. 65 W 55th @ 5-6th Av; 23/17/$38; 956-6888; Roomy quarters with spacious seating; Upscale, different types of selections; Shanghai style; Excellent service; Eight Jewelry Duck – Mmm; Can’t go wrong here.
Wu Liang Ye: Chinese. 36 W 48th @ 5-6th Av; 22/13/$32; 398-2308; Inventive food; Unique Chinese choices and the classics; Great spices and hot dishes are hot. Beware of iffy service and not the greatest décor; Upscale Chinatown
Ping’s Seafood: Chinese. 22 Mott @ Pell; 22/11/$27; 602-9988; Known for Dim Sum and fish served whole; Weak service and dated décor but the weekend Dim Sum is magic (for NYC); The menu contains the usual huge number of selections including many seafood entrees and noodle dishes; Eat cheaply, though not as cheap as competitors in the genre.
Peking Duck House: Chinese. 28 Mott @ Mosco; 23/15/$36; 227-1810; 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. BYO with no fee; Great service for the genre; Large portions and reasonably priced to boot.
Mandarin Court: Chinese. 61 Mott @ Bayard; 21/9/$21; Used to be some of the Best Dim Sum in city; Dirt cheap; Dinky place; Weekends is best! Pushcart authentic classics; Shrimp dumplings. Heavenly tidbits. Nothing fancy and often crowded on weekends; New ownership has resulted in below average reviews since then. I have not been since ownership change. Do not expect even average service.
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.
Joe Shanghai: Chinese. 9 Pell @ Bowery-Mott; 22/9/$25; 233-8888; Famous Soup Dumplings; Dim Sum like; Well-known; Large menu of all the other usual classics; Dirt cheap pricing. Most popular place in Chinatown; Have uptown location at 24 W 56th; Food is addictive; Go for the Soup Dumplings (crab or pork) and try another dish as well and you will be full… all for under $25. Great NY Noodle Town: Chinese. 28 Bowery @ Bayard; 21/14/$23; 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 prices can’t be beat; Open until 4am daily; Known for an amazing roast pork; Imagine what you want to eat Chinese wise – they have it.
Oriental Garden: Chinese. 14 Elizabeth @ Bayard-Canal; 24/12/$31; 619-0085; Seafood doesn’t get fresher; Way better than anything in area; Dim Sum is outstanding; Simple Chinatown-esque décor and very mixed service quality; Crab with ginger and scallion; Shrimp dishes. Chow fun and other noodle dishes amazing; Not the cheapest C-Town eatery but they have a huge following;
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; Best for the “Disneyland” of Dim Sum – go early; Great for parties; They even have Dim Sum M-F for $2.25 an order- no matter what type (of the 75 selections or so). Nice 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 are the masterpiece here; Dim sum, noodle, & rice selections; Huge menu; Steamed crab & pork steamed dumplings; Service is fast but quarters are crampt;
Fuleen Seafood: Chinese-Seafood. 11 Division @ Bowery- E-BWay; 23/9/$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 galore; Best for lunch or mid-day weekend meal; Especially excellent are the crabs.
Congee: Chinese. 100 Allen @ Broome-Delancey; 20/13/$22; 941-1818; Gigantic portions for the Chinese cravings we all get; Kitschy décor; Fun experience, laid back, and tasty- exactly right. Try the house special chicken; Inexpensive cocktails to go along with the food (if there is room); Rice and noodle platters also stand out; Great for large groups; Have an ‘any time’ Dim Sum menu. Golden Unicorn: Chinese. 18 E B-Way @ Catherine; 22/13/$25; 941-0911; Dim Sum genius; Giant spot- 3 levels and a huge assortment of Dim Sum selections; Authentic food; Shrimp Dumplings; Probably the most established Chinese I’ve had in Chinatown; Not a ‘scene’ by any means; Go for Dim Sum or even dinner; True Chinatown experience.
Chinatown Brasserie: Chinese. 380 Lafayette @ Great Jones; 22/22/$48; 533-7000; High end Dim Sum any time; Peking Duck, BBQ Ribs; Gorgeous two-level setting; Trendy & date friendly; Ultra fresh ingredients- you’ll note the difference. The large array of dumplings are the signature here; Great for large groups; Like dining in a movie set. Easily the ‘coolest’ Chinese in area. Fantastic cocktails.
Wu Liang Ye: Chinese. 338 Lex @ 39-40th; 22/13/$32; 370-9648; Inventive food; Unique Chinese choices and the classics; Great spices and hot dishes are hot. Beware of iffy service and not the greatest décor; Upscale Chinatown
Phoenix Garden: Chinese. 242 E 40th @ 2-3rd Av; 24/10/$31; 983-6666; Cheap décor, Chinatown level service but worth it because the food will blow you away. Go for lunch or a weekday dinner; Inexpensive. BYO a further incentive; Cash-only; Salt & Pepper shrimp is amazing- signature dish; Probably best tasting Chinese in the neighborhood. Great dumpling appetizers.
Chin Chin: Chinese. 216 E 49th @ 2-3rd; 22/18/$48; 888-4555; Gourmet, high end cuisine; Whole menu outstanding; Worth the extra bucks for the genre. The emperor must have dined this way! Try the Grand Marnier shrimp or the orange crispy beef; Dumplings and lo mein are expertly prepared; Setting is fairly conservative but roomy and pleasant. Lunch-time favorite for the area.
Peking Duck House: Chinese. 236 E 53rd @ 2-3rd; 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. BYO with no fee; Great service for the genre; Large portions and reasonably priced to boot.
Lychee House: Chinese. 141 E 55th @ Lex-3rd; 25/15/$28; 753-3900; Shanghai classics as well as Malaysian curries and Dim Sum; High-end, Semi-elegant, yet casual (jeans fine); Overall, winning sit-down quality Chinese food. Try the Duet Prawns- 8 of them, half in Grand Marnier, half in salt/pepper; Replaced “Our Place”; Full Dim Sum available weekends- though far pricier than Chinatown. Huge menu.
Shun Lee Palace: Chinese. 155 E 55th St@ Lex-3rd; 24/20/$54; 371-8844; Upscale Chinese; Silky service; Gourmet dining; 5 different Duck entrees; Top of the line in the city; Expensive for genre but amazing quality; Silky smooth service.
Shanghai Pavilion: Chinese. 1378 3rd Av @ 78-79th; 21/18/$34; 585-3388; Upscale Chinese; Creative Menu; Almost fancy digs- certainly a suitable experience; Great effort put forth and food is the evidence. Wu Liang Ye: Chinese. 215 E 86th @ 2-3rd Av; 22/13/$32; 370-9648; Inventive food; Unique Chinese choices and the classics; Great spices and hot dishes are hot. Beware of iffy service and not the greatest décor; Upscale Chinatown
Chef Ho’s Peking Duck: Chinese. 1720 2nd Av @ 89-90th; 22/14/$29; 348-9444; Asian at very affordable prices; The duck is indeed succulent. Service is sharp. Semi-upscale; One of the better sit-down Chinese places. Signature dish might be the crispy orange beef after the duck; Endless menu; Mid-level Chinese at extremely affordable rates for the UES.