People unfamiliar with the mystery, culture and drama of Chinatown do, at least, know one thing it does very well: food. New York, already famous for its excellent Chinese food, can also boast an area so packed with Chinese restaurants that one might find it easy to get lost, confused or frustrated trying to find the best restaurant to try. The fact is, however, that there is one that stands out from all the rest. There is one restaurant that surpasses all others, even in Chinatown, in excellence, beauty and class. That restaurant is Jing Fong.

Entering the building from the street, you may not realize what you are about to encounter. The escalator rising in front of you seems to go on forever and offers no clue as to where it might take you. Getting on, you rise majestically upwards, away from the busy streets, the shouting delivery boys and the honking cars, up into an atmosphere alive with music, quiet, murmured conversations and occasional outbursts of laughter. You enter a space you are unlikely to see anywhere else in Chinatown or even, dare I say it, the city of New York.
 

Jing Fong is the largest Chinese restaurant in Chinatown. It seats roughly 1300 people and has been known to host more than one banquet at a time and not be any the worse for wear. The space itself is an amazing architectural feat; while the room is enormous, there are no supporting columns anywhere giving it a cavernously luxuriant feel. The room is split into three sections by dividers which can be removed if necessary. Each section boasts slightly different décor and a different ornate chandelier. There are also three stages for the frequent concerts hosted there the walls of which are adorned with frescoes of Chinese dragons. The tables, dressed in bright pink cloths, nicely accent the muted pinks of the luxuriant carpet.

The restaurant itself is famous for its dim sum which is enjoyed by both locals and tourists from all over the world. When looking at the dim sum menu one might mistakenly think that there was very little selection. However, that could not be further from the truth. The fact is that the selection is so large it cannot possibly all fit on a menu. In fact, Jing Fong serves approximately 150 types of dim sum and the chef will be happy to make anything you ask for, even if it’s not on the menu. While dim sum is served between 9:00am and 3:00pm the restaurant also offers lunch and dinner with popular items such as fried rice, noodles and soup.

The restaurant truly is a blend of tradition and modernity which fuse together here to create an atmosphere of elegance and prestige. Dining at Jing Fong, one feels the opulence of Chinese culture as well as the entertainment and draw of New York City. When wandering Chinatown for a place to eat, look no further. Jing Fong will delight, entertain and inspire you.

C&F Restaurant (Cantonese)
171 Hester Street, between Elizabeth St. and Mott St.,
(212) 343-2623.
Located in the heart of Chinatown, it is no wonder C&F serves the most authentic Chinese cuisine for miles around.

Congee Restaurant (Cantonese)
98 Bowery, between Grand St. and Hester St.,
(212) 965-5027.
Perfect for those cold, wintry mornings before work. Stop by and try some delicious rice porridge, plain, or flavored with beef, pork, chicken, scallions, salt, garlic…the list goes on.

Golden Bridge Restaurant (Cantonese)
50 Bowery, between Bayard St. and Canal St.,
(212) 277-8831.
Grand opening! Luxurious seating, delightful dim sum, and giant screen TVs, as well a fabulous view of the Manhattan Bridge for parties.

Hop Lee Restaurant (Cantonese)
16 Mott Street, between Pell St. and Chatham Square,
(212) 962-6475.
Chinese food at its best, and party space to go with it. A second floor is available for parties, banquets, etc.

Jing Fong (Dim Sum)
20 Elizabeth St, between Canal St. and Bayard St.,
(212) 964-5256.
With seating for more than 1000 people, Jing Fong is a spacious and delicious restaurant perfect for banquets, parties, conventions, etc. Dim sum is served daily. Try their specialty - clams stir fried with black bean sauce.

Joe’s Shanghai (Shanghainese)
9 Pell Street, between Bowery and Doyers St.,
(212) 233-8888.
Famous for its steamed, soup-filled, pork and crab meat buns, Joe’s Shanghai in Chinatown, and its sister restaurant in Flushing, New York, have people lined up around the block for a taste of their delicious buns, chewy fried rice cakes, and much more. Come early for best seating.

Lucky II (Cantonese)
11 Mott Street, between Mosco St. and Worth St.,
(212) 566-9888.
Recommended by Time Out New York, Lucky II now has a newly renovated private dining room where you and your company can enjoy the delicious and authentic northern Chinese cuisine.

Ming Dynasty (Dim Sum)
75 - 85 East Broadway, at Market Street,
(212) 732-8886.
Large and in charge, Ming Dynasty is the perfect place for anything from a hearty meal to light, traditional dim sum. Dim sum runs from 9 am to 9 pm. Special discounts are offered from Friday to Sunday.

New Big Wang Restaurant (Cantonese)
1 Elizabeth Street, between Canal St. and Bayard St.,
(212) 219-3686.
Authentic Cantonese cuisine with a wonderful home-cooked flare. Try their roast pork over rice with cabbage and a big glass of cold soy milk.

New Wonton Garden (Cantonese)
56 Mott Street, between Canal St. and Bayard St.,
(212) 966-4886.
Serving home-style Cantonese meals with noodles, wontons, dumplings, and more, New Wonton Garden has been a favorite of Chinatown locals for many years.

New York Villa (Cantonese)
81 Chrystie Street, between Grand St. and Hester St.,
(212) 343-3388.
Specializing in dim sum and other traditional Chinese snacks and breakfast/lunch items.

Shanghai Garden (Shanghainese)
14A Elizabeth Street, between Canal St. and Bayard St.,
(212) 964-5640.
The only restaurant in town where you will find such a fabulous Shaw Lon Pau dish. Their noodle soups, a stable in the Shanghainese diet, have been rated the best by Daily News.

Sun Dou Dumpling Shop (Shanghainese)
214 - 216 Grand Street, between Mott St. and Elizabeth St.,
(212) 965-9663.
A large selection of the juiciest, plumpest dumplings in town, made with all the freshest ingredients.

Wo Hop Restaurant (Cantonese)
15 Mott Street, between Pell St. and Chatham Square,
(212) 566-3841.
Fresh, delicious Cantonese food at the city’s best prices. A favorite of nearby Stuyvesant students.

Wong’s Rice & Noodle Shop (Noodle Houses)
88 Mulberry Street, between Bayard St. and Canal St.,
(212) 233-2288.
Hot, steaming noodle soups that will satisfy the hungriest and heartiest of appetites.

Yeah Shanghai Deluxe (Shanghainese)
65 Bayard Street, between Mott St. and Elizabeth St.,
(212) 566-4884.
Stop by for some truly authentic Shanghainese cuisine that is hard to find anywhere else in the city.

Yogee Noodles (Noodle Houses)
85 Chrystie Street, between Grand St. and Hester St.,
(212) 965-0615.
A favorite of Chinatown locals, especially during the cold winter months. The large variety of hot, steaming bowls of noodles will keep you warm and full.