In the heart of Chinatown, a restaurant located at 69 Bayard Street, bearing the same name, is papered with dollar bills.  From wall to wall, dolla dolla bills, y’all, cover every square inch of the restaurant.  Customers, visiting tourists or local New Yorkers, leave their mark by plastering a George Washington (or Abe Lincoln) on the wall or the ceiling and write something, a declaration of love, a Greek affiliation, a gang motto, or a simple “________ was here.”

The food served at the restaurant is simple enough:  meat and/or vegetables over rice with an abundant amount of source and flavor for around $4.75.  I always get the same thing when I come here, tofu and beef over rice.  And take out always comes with a free cup of soup.

In sum, give this restaurant a try; the food is simple Chinese fare, cheap and filling.  And the interior of the place is in itself worth seeing.

East Boat Lobster Restaurant
72 Kenmare Street
(212) 226-8881

The decor is outdated, the theme they were going for (I don’t think they were aiming for anything) is a cross between Chinese New Years and outdoor picnic area. The checker table cloth and mugs from 99 cents store makes you feel very casual.

They serve enormous portions in random plates. But they are very attentive. We asked for a couple of substitutions ( instead of chicken we requested snails) and they were more than happy to accommodate us.

Salt and pepper shrimp was really good, sweet and tender on the inside, light and crunchy on the outside. The octopus with pepper was nothing special, not my favorite dish.

This was the lobster ’s brain(there was a lot of brain), they asked if we like it serve over scramble eggs.  Nothing goes to waste and it was quite tasty.

Sea scallop, this was added.
“Hungry Buddha Jump The Wall” soup.

Baked Snails stuffed with mashed potato. (not that great)

This was a 4lb lobster so we requested for have fried and half steamed. I preferred the fried over the steam. The steam felt to watery and seemed tasteless.

Steamed lobsterThe Steak (edible)

Chinese spaghetti (tasted like they use ketchup for pasta sauce)

Fried rice (Ok, but it’s weird to have this plate last)

Dessert was ice cream and coconut tapioca. (again random mug and dish)

Overall, it was bargain for the amount of food and the size and amount for the lobster.

Shanghai Cafe, located on 100 Mott Street, is a good eat for several reasons. It is cheap, colorful, and tasty.

The ambiance of the place makes it a good restaurant to bring friends, especially those of the Caucasian Persuasion. You know, it is not easy sometimes when figuring out where to bring such friends because they may not be as comfortable or accepting of the level of hygiene or taste of decor as you. You may feel right at home at a place whose walls are covered in dollar bills, where there is poor lighting or where the waitress/waiter throws, literally throws, you the bill when you’ve only just begun eating. But when you plan on going to Shanghai Cafe, cast aside your anxieties. Pastel colored lights line the walls and ceilings and the chairs and tables are modern metal.

In terms of food, I highly recommend the steamed pork buns; they are either number 1 or 2 on the menu. Get the cheaper ones, don’t get the ones with crab meat, it’s fake anyway. Below you will find a tutorial on just how to devour a steamed pork bun. It is rather like an art. ALSO, order the scallion pancakes; it’s simply divine and everyone likes them. They’re akin to French fries or mozzarella sticks in that they have a universal appeal.

Lung Moon Bakery
83 Mulberry St
New York, NY 10013
(212) 349-4945

The letter ‘Y’ fell off

While you’re there grab one of these fresh Egg Custard Tart.

The Cheapest “Hong Kong Mini Cakes” in Chinatown, $1 for 20 ping pong size cakes.  While other vendors sells theirs for $1 for 15 pieces, this cart never change their price after many years. You can find this cart on the corner of Grand and Bowery Street. A great cheap and lite snack on the go.

Pronounced like you’re giving out a sneeze, “A Chau”, the only place in chinatown that just sells authentic Vietnamese sandwiches. A menu of 10 different sandwiches to choose from, each costing no more than $3.50, definitely a great place for a cheap tasty meal on the go. I typically prefer the classic Vietnamese Cold Cuts with Pate Sandwich which consist of Pâté(meat paste), Vietnamese ham, roasted ground pork, pickled carrots, cucumber, cilantro, and mayo on a toasted French baguette. The sandwich hit the spot and filled me up nicely.

A Chau Deli
82A Mulberry Street
(212) 766-3332
9am-7pm

Selection of Vietnamese Sandwiches

Drinks

Big Wong

67 Mott St, New York, NY 10013

Well this can be considered in Chinatown a staple restaurant serving good quality food, and good service. Through the years restaurants have successfully imitated their style of service and appearance, but many have failed. I would firmly believe that it’s the quality of their food, it is not like the taste is so different and better but it is basically home cooked ingredients with a restaurant touch. During the lunch hours, the front of the restaurant is usually packed especially on weekends. For the takeout part, their are no lines, Chinese style, just start screaming your order and maybe someone would get your attention. If you are eating in and you are just with one other friend you might have to sit next to some strangers, no room to waste. You will be served with 2 cups of hot tea, and just order away, nice quick and easy. The roast pork many would suggest is the top in Chinatown, along with their roast duck. The pricing is extremely reasonable ranging from 3$ – 6$ for a solid meal. Well as a kid growing up, I would always get this dish and its the 3 combo meal, with a fried egg, roast pork, and soy sauce chicken with a scallion ginger mix for the chicken. This is always a solid choice, if you like the meats. Just check it.

-R.sin

Thus, when Kawai mentioned 9 Chatham Square, I had to check it out:

and their famous “dai bao”

Tasty Dumpling
54 Mulberry Street

Perfectly crispy bottom, well cooked pork inside, steaming hot, and amazingly cheap 5 for $1.25(they recently raised their prices) fried dumplings aka potstickers at Tasty Dumpling. Their name says it all, they have a small menu of items from noodles, tofu salads, scallion pancakes all OK, but the star is the DUMPLINGS! Don’t expect service, seating are limited about 10 people max, but hey what do expect its Chinatown. Make sure you properly season your dumplings with the provided dumpling sauce and sriracha hot sauce on the table, to gives it that extra little kick. If the weather permits, take it to go and enjoy people watching at the park right across.

Above: Pork and chive dumpling, so fresh it melted the styrofoam package.