Skip the Americanized stuff for great Sichuan like juicy Chongqing chicken and crackly fried eggplant.
A cheffy, well-done take on Chinese-American classics; don't miss the dumplings, particularly the excellent xiao long bao.
The uptown location of the fun Chinese-American restaurant with excellent dumplings and other classics.
Full-service Shanghai-style restaurant with our favorite soup dumplings in the neighborhood.
A late night Chinatown classic. Aim for the roast meats, and slather ginger-scallion sauce over everything.
The first sit-down restaurant from the folks behind Xi'an Famous Foods offers all their classics (lamb burgers, hand-pulled noodles, and more) with table service, still on the cheap.
A modern Sichuan restaurant decked out in vintage 1920s Shanghai decor. The focus here is on quality, not quantity, with expertly cooked proteins and a smart hand with the spices.
If you want to see what Chinese fine dining will look like in America in 10 years, eat at Fung Tu now. Modern Chinese cooking that's the right kind of fusion.
The real treasures lie not in the Sichuan food, which is pretty standard, but rather creative dishes like massive pork meatballs in a sauce of pickled mustard greens.
The specialty here is the cuisine of Hunan, spicy food with all manner of dried, smoked, and pickled meat and vegetables. Get the fish with chili oil sauce and the dried beef with white peppers.
Danny Bowien's gonzo Chinese cooking is more refined and smart than it used to be. The new dining room is also gorgeous, with red banquets lending an old New York feel.
Get the excellent "Famous Garlic Aromatic Crispy Chicken" and "Famous Golden Fried Rice," some of the best fried chicken and fried rice the city has to offer.
A Flushing classic for good reason; they don't let up on the heat here. Seek out uncommon dishes like fiery shell-on shrimp cooked with a ground pork and sweet asparagus.
A busy Szechuan gourmet competitor that's just as good. We love the dry fried string beans and the spicy fish stew.
Both the Hunan and Sichuan dishes are wonderful here. Crispy cumin lamb and smoky dry fried string beans are must-orders.
The handpulled noodles are delightfully chewy and doughy. Also order the dumplings, fried rabbit, and griddled pancakes.
A small but high quality selection of loose leaf teas, mostly Taiwanese oolongs. Buy for brewing at home or do an educational tea tasting with the owner.
Your Flushing brunch: a casserole of savory steamed egg custard slicked with soy sauce, chili oil, and nubs of ground pork. Gobble it up over rice.
Home to the city's best twice-cooked pork: thick, meaty slices of pork belly beautifully browned, with bold bites of leek.
Getting to College Point is a trek, but it's worth it for the Sichuan food here. Pickled string beans with ground pork have a serious addictive funk.
Destination-worthy Northern Chinese in a nicer than average setting. Don't miss the Muslim Lamb Chop, which is braised until fall-apart tender, rolled in cumin seeds, and deep fried.
The midtown flagship of the Xi'an Famous Foods empire in the shadow of the Empire State Building.
Score a baguette from nearby Orwasher's and fill it with Xi'an's cumin lamb for the best sandwich on the UES.
Best destination for the food of the Chinese city of Xi'an in NYC. Try the chewy liang pi noodles or "lamb face" salad, all doused in their alluringly fiery house sauces.
Best destination for the food of the Chinese city of Xi'an. Try the chewy liang pi noodles or "lamb face" salad, all doused in their alluringly fiery house sauces.
The oldest, and most old school, Xi'an location. Try the chewy liang pi noodles or "lamb face" salad, all doused in their alluringly fiery house sauces.
Killer cumin lamb and smoky dry-fried green beans. Both Hunan and Sichuan specialties are done very well here.
The best Hunan restaurant in the city. Don't miss the steamed egg custard topped with ground pork, soy sauce, and chili oil.
You're here for two dishes: fried chicken, crispy as Peking duck, smothered in fried garlic; plus light, fragrant fried rice.
Excellent Sichuan worth the hike to College Point. Go with a group to order plenty; you want to make a trip worth your while.
Skip the noodles and focus on the incredibly juicy and flavorful pork dumplings, the best you'll get in Chinatown--better than all those dumpling shops!
Ridiculously juicy lamb and green squash dumplings are the best dumplings in the city.
You go here for one thing: pork wontons in hot oil (no. 6). The thin wonton skins hold a delicate filling; mild chili oil and preserved vegetable topping make this one of the best dumplings in NYC.
A small restaurant that specializes in wonton soup. We like a mix of the juicy wontons with snappy noodles and sweet chicken broth.
Thick, chewy skins are the hallmark of this tiny dumpling shop in a slender mall. Pork and "fennel" (dill, actually) and aquatic vegetable dumplings are must orders.
This stall is best for Fujianese-style "small wontons" floating in a rich chicken broth. Sesame noodles make a very cheap and tasty breakfast. Little to no English here.
Hand-pulled noodle vendor best for its guo tie (pan fried dumplings) with a special lacy crust.
Excellent hand-pulled noodles, which you should order on the Big Tray of Chicken, a massive stew of spicy chicken and potatoes that serves three.
Skip the broths at this hand-pulled noodle specialist; get yours stir fried instead.
The hand-pulled noodles are a little thicker and softer than ideal, but they come in broths you'll want to slurp and scrape out of the bottom of the bowl. Solid soup dumplings and sheng jian bao.
The dan dan noodles here are particularly memorable: seriously mouth-numbing but full-flavored, and not crazy on the chili heat.
Stir fried rice noodles are soft, springy, and gloriously stinky thanks to some spicy pickled bamboo.
The dim sum here is fresher than most, with lots of items you won't find at other more popular spots.
We like most of the dim sum here, but especially the soft-yet-supple rice noodle rolls.
On a good day, the best dim sum in Manhattan. Certainly the cheapest, with some items you won't get elsewhere.
Truly massive dim sum hall with greasy but satisfying dim sum classics.
Clean, modern-looking menu-based dim sum. Stick to fried dishes and the steamed duck dumplings for best results.
You have to respect the city's oldest dim sum parlor, which looks like a Law and Order set piece in the best of ways. The dim sum here won't blow your mind, but it's solid.
Very good hot pot with an excellent mild broth and plenty of fresh ingredients for dipping.
For a fixed price you get over an hour of all you can eat hot pot with strong broths and plenty of dipping options. Be careful: the spicy broth isn't joking.
The Queens branch of the international hot pot chain. If it's your first time, get the half-and-half broth: part mild, part spicy.
This is some of the best roast pork in Chinatown. A serving over rice will set you back about five bucks. Cash only.
Skip the dumplings and order the excellent pan-fried sesame pancakes instead.
Skip the dumplings and get the excellent pan-fried sesame pancakes instead.
Get your fresh silken tofu and perfectly wobbly steamed rice rolls here.
If you can, head to the Fay Da on Mott for pastries that are more likely freshly baked.
Best destination for tong sui desserts. Get the fresh-tasting mango-sago soup with tart pomelo on top.
The best bubble tea shop in Chinatown; they rely on quality tea, not sugar and fake flavorings, and let you control exactly how sweet you want your tea.
Hands-down the best source for Taiwanese tea in New York City. While the teas are expensive, a tea tasting ceremony costs just a few bucks. Can't-miss Flushing experience.
Serene tea room with a small but excellent selection of loose leaf teas. Buy leaves to go or go on a "tea tasting journey" with the shop's resident tea master.
Delicate and delicious soup dumplings. Spring for the crab upgrade, which adds a briny touch to the juicy pork tinged with ginger.
