Chinatown Cheap Eats






Introduction

Over the course of 2020 into 2022, Chinatown's restaurant industry has suffered greatly due to COVID-19 and the xenophobic wave of fear that came with it. Restaurant spending dropped in Chinatown dropped by nearly 96% in 2020 and hordes of businesses were forced to shut doors, drawing a dark curtain over the once lively NYC Chinatown. Flashback to April of 2020 and I had just started practicing with Stuyvesant's Freshman Academy Basketball in the Lower East Side. At first, my journey through Chinatown simply began as a means to find a quick bite for lunch. However, as I began learning more about the pandemic's effects on small businesses, I was sure to support as many Chinatown restaurants as possible and to encourage others to support them as well. Since then, I have worked with the Stuyvesant Key Club and the Chinatown Community Fridge and Pantry to further help what would become one of my favorite communities. Below, I will be detailing some of the best cheap eats and hidden gems all across Chinatown NYC.
What is Chinatown?

NYC's Manhattan Chinatown, located in the Lower East Side, spans a whopping 492 acres and is home to roughly 100,000 people and around 300 restuarants. These restaurants are predominantly owned by Chinese immigrants who have settled into the neighborhood way back during the 19th century as Chinese immigrants began coming in from the west coast. Since then, the neighborhood has gained a reputation for being the center of Chinese culture in NYC as it hosts a large variety of annual festivals, parades, and other seasonal events. Attached to the left is a map detailing what exactly is considered Manhattan's Chinatown.

Adeeb's Favorite Cheap Eats

Wah Fung Fast Food

Wah Fung Fast Food is arguably my favorite Chinatown Cheap Eat. For an astounding $5.50, you can buy a choice of the best roast meat in Chinatown over rice and cabbage. It easily stands as one of the best deals in all of Chinatown however, you will have to wait in line for upwards of 45-60 minutes for an order on almost any given day. They simply are just that good.

ShuJiao Fuzhou

This location serves as one of the go to spots for delicious, authentic, Fujianese cuisine. For just $2.75, you can help yourself to a filling portion of peanuts noodles or to a portion of 6 dumplings of your choosing. This small, family owned, restaurant can often be seen packed with locals and visitors alike who look to enjoy this valuable Chinatown Cheap Eat.

Tasty Dumpling

For just $5, you are able to purchase a whopping 15 fried dumplings, asserting this location as one of the cheapest dumpling spots in all of Chinatown (just about 33 cents a dumpling!). The shop itself is very small and is currently take out only. On most days, service is run by a singular elderly woman who serves up your order within seconds. Overall, this is one of my go to spots for dumplings in Chinatown.

Taiwan Pork Chop House

At the Taiwan Pork Chop House, for just $7.25, you can buy a filling portion of porkchop over rice with a handful of assorted greens to cleanse your pallet. Popular side dishes include the salt and pepper chicken for just $6.25. The restaurant itself, on Doyers street, has a small and cozy interior with a sizeable outdoor dining area, allowing customers to dine in with little to no trouble.

King Dumplings

King Dumplings, standing on the corner of Hester and Allen street, is a fairly popular small and cheap eats spot, allowing customers to dine in casually for a quick bite. On top of having some of the tastiest and cheapest (10 dumplings for $3.50) dumplings in Chinatown, King Dumpling also serves a variety of tasty treats such as scallion pancakes, fried buns, and noodles.

Taiwan Bear House

At Taiwan Bear House, you can help yourself to a very filling bowl of a protein of your choice topped with cabbage, an egg, and rice to create a tasty and well-balanced meal for just $12. On top of well assorted bowls and bentos, Taiwan Bear House also serves a variety of snacks for $6 including their fried chicken leg and railroad pork chop along with an array of boba drinks for about $4-$5.

Wu's Wonton King

Lying on the Southeast border of Chinatown on East Broadway and Rutgers Street, Wu's Wonton King has served as a staple dim sum and roast meat place for the last 6 years. Its large menu with options ranging from simple wonton soups for just about $7 to larger dungeness crabs for about $30 have earned it a feature on the New York Times, whom emphasized the vastness of its menu, point out that it they "feel as if there’s no end to it." Overall, Wu's Wonton King is a very welcoming restaurant with a large indoor and outdoor dining space that is almost always packed.

Noodle Village

Right along the center of Mott Street, Noodle Village has been a staple of Hong Kong style cuisine since 2008. On top of serving delicious and authentic noodle dishes, Noodle Village is also very well known for their clay pot rice, a large serving of rice, a protein of choice, and sides served in a clay pot for just $12.75. On top of having a large variety of authentic Hong Kong style cuisine, the servers and staff working at Noodle Village have always kept high standards ensuring that all food is served in a highly presentable manner.

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