How to Spend a Great Day in Chinatown

Head downtown to Manhattan’s Chinatown (not to be confused with the one in Flushing), and you can easily lose yourself in a day of eating and browsing the awesome array of tea shops, grocery stores, fresh noodle and dumpling shops.

Not sure where to start your Chinatown adventure? We’ve got you covered.

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Don’t start your day hungry

Nobody wants to be hangry, so it’s ideal to prepare for your day of exploring with a full and happy tummy, and that means one thing: yum cha (Americans call it dim sum). Obviously there are heaps of places to gorge on piping hot dumplings, sticky rice and sweet egg tarts in the area. We recommend Nom Wah, a former tea parlor and bakery with a long history, Ping’s, a tight squeeze of a restaurant with some of the most delicious har gow (prawn dumplings) we’ve had, and if you want the full yum cha cart experience House of Joy has got your covered.

Need a caffeine boost after all those dumplings?

Head to one of the many terrific cafes like Kore Coffee, Sweet Moment or Round K by Sol to get those energy levels back up. You’re going to need it.

Ready for some culture?

The Museum of Chinese in America has exhibitions that explore the living history, heritage, culture, and diverse experiences of Chinese Americans. The Tenement Museum is also nearby and has fascinating tours and neighbourhood walks that explore the city’s history and people.

It’s time for supplies

Chinatown is THE place to stock up on all of your Asian sauces, noodles, frozen dumplings, tea and bags of fresh (and cheap) vegetables.

Hot tip: it’s a good idea to bring a very large bag so you can cart everything home.

Hong Kong Supermarket is the perfect place to start. Here you’ll find all the Asian cooking staples to restock your pantry. Think soy sauces, oils, big bags of bok choy and choy sum, catering-sized containers of peeled garlic (you definitely need these; they keep forever in the freezer), and every kind of noodle, bamboo steamer, ramen bowl, and chilli sauce you can think of.
Kong Kee has the freshest bags of rice noodles (pre-cut or in sheets) for your stir-fries.
Kings Dumplings sells big bags of frozen dumplings. These are perfect for keeping in the freezer on nights when you don’t feel like cooking or are perfect for trying out your new bamboo steamer.
Green Garden Village is our favourite place to get a few pounds of BBQ pork, duck or chicken cut to order to take home. It’s great to have it in the fridge to throw on top of a steaming bowl of ramen and bok choy or added to fried rice. You can thank us later.
Fong On is the oldest family-run tofu shop in New York and is an awesome place to find the freshest tofu, tofu puddings and rice cakes. You’ll never want to buy the supermarket stuff again.

Tired of walking? Feet aching? Need a little pick-me-up?

Chinatown has a huge array of affordable massages and beauty treatments. We’ve heard great things from devotees of the hour-long foot massage at Renew Day Spa.

Finish your day off with a sweet note

Kam Hing Bakery has been open for over 30 years and is a favorite for its range of light and airy Chinese-style sponge cakes.
Harper’s Bread House Two words: egg tarts.
Keki has that bouncy Japanese cheesecake you have seen all over Instagram. We want to try the ube flavour and the Osaka cheese tarts next time we visit.

Or maybe you just need a cocktail and some fancy Chinese food

Chinese Tuxedo is located in the city’s first Chinese Theater, and the food and vibes are exceptional. Definitely a place to take your best mates and share a tableful of upmarket dishes. Other places for fancier dining and drink options include Tolo (exceptional wine list), Apotheke (home to their own cocktail academy), Mr. Fongs and Clandestino.