NewYorkCity’sChinatownisagreatplacetovisit,andthefourthmostvisited neighborhoodinManhattan.Ithasarichhistory,deliciousfood,anduniqueculture. NotonlydoIlovegoingtheremyself,butIalsoloverecommendingittootherswho arelookingforsomethingnewandexcitinginNewYorkCity.
Does Manhattan have a Chinatown that is worth visiting for food, souvenirs, and culture?Uncle Lou’s Chinatown Victor Jung
Is Chinatown Manhattan worth visiting?
Chinatownisworthvisitingifyou’reinterestedinseeingadifferentsideofNewYork City.It’salsoworthvisitingifyouwanttotasteChineseculture.Theareahasbeen aroundforover150yearsandcontinuesthrivingasoneofManhattan’smostpopular neighborhoods.IfyouwantauthenticChinesefood,thisiswhereyoushouldgo! CantoneseStyleBBQandMainlandChineseHotPotisamusttry.
WhatistheculturelikeinManhattan’sChinatown?
Yes!Chinatownisavibrantneighborhoodwithalotofhistoryandculture.Ithasone ofthelargestChinesepopulationsinNewYorkCity,butalsomanyotherculturesare alsorepresented.Therearemanygoodrestaurants,markets,andshopsinChinatown. Youshouldvisitthisneighborhoodtoseewhatit’slikelivinginNewYorkCityasan immigrantortouristfromanothercountry.
CanyouwalkaroundinManhattan’sChinatown?
AsyouwalkaroundManhattan’sChinatown,you’llfindit’squitesmallcomparedto othercitieswithlargeChinesepopulations.However,thisdoesn’tmeanthatthereisn’t anythingtodoorseeinManhattan’sChinatown!Thereareplentyofattractionsand restaurantsworthcheckingoutduringyourvisit.Theneighborhooditselfisfilledwith shopssellingsouvenirsfromalloverAsiaaswellasrestaurantsservingdishesfrom differentcountriesinAsia,suchasThailandandKorea(andevenChina).These restaurantsservebothtraditionaldishesmadewithchickenfeetorducktonguealong withmodernfusionfoodlikeramenburgers–soifyou’relookingforsomethingnew whilevisitingNewYorkCitythenlooknofurtherthanthisexcitingpartoftown!
IsfoodgoodinChinatown?
Chinatownhaslotsofoptions,andthey’reallprettygood.Idon’tknowifyou’veheard, butNewYorkCityishometosomeofAmerica’sbestrestaurants(andfoodingeneral). Therearesomanyoptionsthatitcanbeoverwhelmingifyou’renewtoChinatownor justdon’tknowwheretolook.Soletmehelp:
ThefirstplaceIrecommendcheckingoutisNomWahTeaParloronDoyersStreet. Thisrestauranthasbeenopensince1920andservesdimsum24hoursaday!It’soneof thoseplacesthateveryonetalksaboutwhentheyvisitChinatownforthefirsttime–you
willbeabletofinditeasilybecausetherewillprobablybealineoutsidewaitingfor theirturnatthisfamousspot(whichmeansitmustbegood).Themostpopulardishes hereincludeporkbuns(baozi)andsteamdumplings(mantou),buttherearealso plentymoreoptionsavailableaswell–justcheckouttheirmenuonlinebeforegoingso youknowwhat’savailable!
AmongsttheothermustvisitsareJoeShanghaifortheirsoupdumplings,BigWong’s fortheirChineseBBQ,UncleLouforthegreatesthits,GreatNoodleTownfortheir wontonnoodlesoup,JinFongforDimSum,PekingDuckHouseandWo-Hopforlate nighteatsafteryourdayinChinatown.
WhataresomeofthetopthingsIshoulddoandseewhenIvisitChinatown, Manhattan?
TherearemanythingstodoandseewhenyouvisitChinatown,Manhattan.Thefirst thingyoushouldcheckoutistheChineseNewYearParade.Ittakesplaceeveryyear aroundthefirstweekofFebruaryandfeaturesfloats,streetperformersanddragon dancersthatmaketheirwaydownMottStreetduringthisfestiveevent.Youcanalso visittheMuseumofChineseinAmericawhichfeaturesexhibitsonartisanship,history andculturethroughinteractiveprogramsthathighlightvariousaspectsofChineselife hereinAmerica.
AnotherthingworthcheckingoutistheConfuciusInstituteatColumbiaUniversity wherestudentslearnMandarinlanguageclassestaughtbynativespeakersaswellas participateinculturaleventsthroughoutthesemestersuchasbanquetswherethey enjoytraditionaldisheslikePekingduckpancakesordumplingsmadefreshright beforetheireyes!
Therearemanyothermuseumsworthvisiting.Theseinclude:TheMuseumof Immigration&CustomsEnforcement;NationalMuseumOfChineseInAmerica; MuseumOfImmigrationAndCustomsEnforcement;ConfuciusInstituteAtColumbia University…
WhenvisitingChinatownManhattanoneshouldmaketimeforsomeshoppingtoo becausethereareplentyofstoressellingsouvenirsrangingfromjewelrypiecesmade fromsemipreciousstoneslikejadependantsshapedlikedragonstails($100+)down
towardsCanalStreetyouhavethereplicaluxuryitemslikeRolex,Gucci,LouisVutton, etc.
Somepopularrestaurantstocheckout.
DimSum:DimsumisatraditionalChinesemealthatcanbeeatenforbreakfast,lunch ordinner.Itconsistsofsmallportionsoffoodservedinsteamerbasketsoronplates. Somepopulardimsumdishesincludedumplings,bunsandcakes.Myfavoritesare JingFongandNohWahTeaParlour
ChineseFood:WhilemanyexcellentrestaurantsservetraditionalCantonesecuisinein Manhattan’sChinatown,ifyou’relookingforsomethingmoremodernized,checkout RedFarmorUncleZhou’sDumplingHouse(locatedinsidethesamebuilding).Both placesservedeliciousmoderntakesonclassicdisheslikePekingduckwhileoffering anextensivecocktaillist!ButifyouwantneighborhoodcharmJoeShanghai,Uncle Lou,WoHoparemyfavorites.
JapaneseFood:Hiddeninsideapassagewayisthehighly-ratedNakaji,theactual fixtureofthisplaceisitsChef,athirdgenerationsushichefKunihide“Nakaji”
Nakajima,whohasbeenhoninghisskillssincehewas18.Itwouldbeapitytomissout ontheomakasewhosepricereflectstheskillofthechefandthetwo-and-a-halfhours oftastingEdomae-stylesushi.TheBaratNakajialsoofferssmallunique,butdelicious plateslikeAnkimo,aJapanesemonkfishliversimmeredinsoy.
Let’stalkaboutshoppinginNewYorkCity.
ShoppinginNewYorkCityisamust.Whilemanyneighborhoodscanofferyouunique shoppingopportunities,Chinatownisoneofthebestplacestoshopforsouvenirsand gifts.AsyouwalkdownCanalStreet,you’llseecountlessstoresthatselltraditional itemslikelanterns,fans,andkites.Ifyou’reinterestedinbuyingChineseherbsorteas thenChinatownisalsohometonumerousherbalmedicineshopswherethatselltheir productsatreasonableprices.
Thereisn’tasingleChinatowntopicthatI’mnotcomfortablespeakingabout! However,ifyou’reinterestedinlearningmoreaboutmyopinionsandexperiences, checkoutoneofmyotheranswersonthistopic.
I’manativeNewYorker,soI’mfamiliarwithallthegreatthingstodoinChinatown.
I’vebeentoeverysinglerestaurantandstoreyoucouldthinkofinChinatown.
Ilovethisneighborhoodandhavealotofknowledgeaboutit!Ifyou’relookingfor recommendationsonwhatrestaurantsaregoodorhowmuchstuffcostsatsouvenir shops,Icananswerthosequestionseasily!
Conclusion
Ihopethisposthelpsyougetabetterideaofwhatit’sliketovisitChinatown, Manhattanandifit’ssomethingthatinterestsyou.
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