You Dim Sum, You Lose Some
Hankering for some dim sum in NYC? We’ve got you covered!
If there’s one thing NYC is known for — aside from its outrageous volume of Starbucks locations or the inscrutability of its transit system — it’s arguably the number of Chinese restaurants you can find scattered throughout every borough. Though we love our General Tso’s, Shayna had never experienced the wonders of dim sum before, so we set out to find the best pork buns, dumplings, and other bite-size noms in NYC.
Table for Two
We started our journey, as per usual, by consulting our trusty Google apps and various listicles. Ultimately, we settled on venturing to the heart of Chinatown to get a seat at Nom Wah Tea Parlor, which according to Zagat, boasted a rich history, tasty food, and affordable prices.
Nom Wah first opened its doors on Doyers Street all the way back in 1920, serving tea, Chinese pastries, and dim sum. In 1974, it was bought by Wally Tang, and has remained in the family ever since. It’s well-known throughout NYC for its longevity, retro atmosphere, and its Hollywood appearances in Reversal of Fortune, All Good Things, and “Law & Order.”
With all that going for it, we knew this place had to be great. Armed with our Google Maps, we bobbed and weaved through the crowds of Canal Street, finally finding our way to the tiny Doyers Street, also known as the “Bloody Angle.” Despite being told that it would be hard to get a table mid-day, we managed to arrive around 11:45 and snagged one immediately before the lunch crowd hit.
Dim(me) Sum More
Settling into our cozy booth in the middle of the restaurant, we took note of the charming, diner-esque decor that harkened back to a bygone era. The walls were littered with framed reviews and autographed photos of the owner with various celebrities, a maneki-neko in the window, and a prominent shelving display with various teas tucked into a corner by the front counter.
After perusing the menu and debating whether we could really eat three types of dumplings in one sitting, we finally settled on our selections and placed our order for Pork Buns, Shanghainese Soup Dumplings, Pan-Fried Dumplings, Scallion Pancakes, and “The Original” Egg Roll.
Our first course arrived promptly, and we dug right into these delicious pork buns.
Within another few minutes, our waiter delivered our egg rolls and soup dumplings.
At this point, we realized that our eyes had been bigger than our stomachs, and were already feeling quite full. Yet when our waiter once again returned with our final order of fried dumplings and scallion pancakes, we just couldn’t resist.
Once we finished (read: devoured) our meal, we chatted, paid our bill and decided we might just have enough room left for dessert on our way to the subway.
Rolls on Rolls
If you happen to live in the city or make frequent trips in, you may be aware that rolled ice cream has become one of the hottest trends in frozen deliciousness. Walking down Ludlow Street, we just so happened to pass one such place called Juicy Spot Café.
We placed our orders for a Chocolate Chip Espresso and a Razzle Dazzle, and then excitedly observed the fascinating process that goes into creating these Thai-style ice cream rolls.
All in all, we had a deliciously satisfying adventure in Chinatown. Even though we practically had to roll ourselves home after all that food, we’re already planning our next dim sum and ice cream lunch outing!
