An Insider's Tasting Tour
Chinatown, where to begin? The neighborhood is filled with many great spots, and really the best way to find your favorites, is simply to eat your way through. Here are a few places to start:
Nha Trang 87 Baxter Street
Give Me Jury Duty- And Give Me Lunch. Around the corner from the New York Court House, the simple and authentic atmosphere makes this Vietnamese restaurant a great place to spend lunch. An absolute must is the ghio-yao (egg roll with salad) and fish sauce. Wrap the egg roll in lettuce and dip into the fish sauce for a crispy, delicious inside out sandwich. For a variation on the theme, it
served over vermicelli with fresh mint or the classic combination, grilled shrimp with egg roll served over vermicelli.
Shanghai Gourmet 57 Mott Street
A newcomer to Mott Street, this narrow restaurant serves some of the very best pork and crab meat dumplings anywhere to be found this side of the Yangtze River. Scoop one up with a spoon and take a nibble off the top. Add a dab of the vinegar, ginger sauce and suck out the inside soup before biting into the warm dumpling. Warning: These will cause irresistible cravings and impulsive, erratic visits at unpredictable times of the day.
Oriental Garden Seafood Restaurant 14 Elizabeth Street
Chose your dinner from the aquarium outside. The selection includes shrimp, langostinas, clams, crabs and lobsters. Age is determined by size (there is currently a 30 pound lobster in the window who has been around for almost as many years) and the shellfish are priced by the pound, making them really worth their weight. Order right out of the tank to your table, steamed with ginger and soy or a garlic sauce. If you are dining in a group, try the Peking Duck, sliced,served and placed neatly into a warm dumpling with hoisen sauce and scallion. A feast to celebrate all occasions.
XO Kitchen 148 Hester Street
And now for dessert: A Fresh Mango Shake with Pearls of Black Tapioca. The thick straws are the fun part of the drink, which can also be made with bananas, honeydew or cantaloupe.
