Jing Fong
This lively, somewhat chaotic Chinatown restaurant serves a vast array of good-tasting dim sum. The banquet-style dining room is huge, and the choices are plentiful, including shrimp dumplings, clams in black bean sauce, mini egg tarts, a variety of noodle and rice dishes, custards, choy sum, congee, shark dumplings, chicken feet, lotus paste buns, and more and more. The carts roll endlessly. They serve dim sum every day from 10 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.
Jing Fong
20 Elizabeth Street
New York, NY 11201
(212) 964-5256
No website
Golden Unicorn
You'll likely have to wait in line to get into this popular and award-winning dim sum restaurant in Chinatown, especially on the weekends, when loyal locals crowd the vast dining rooms of this multistory institution. The red, white and gold décor is a bit kitschy, including two blinking-eyed dragons set on a stage, but the dim sum offerings are fresh and plentiful. There are more than 50 to 100 items carted around (even more on the weekends), including steamed spare ribs, dumplings, chicken feet, tripe, beef balls, and pork buns; crispy shrimp rolls, cakes, and noodles; beef and chicken satay; duck tongue, fish balls, and taro cakes; and more. The dim sum menu also includes an assortment of soups, juices, slushes, teas, and desserts. Dim sum is served every day.
Golden Unicorn
18 East Broadway
New York, NY 10002
(212) 941-0911
goldenunicornrestaurant.com
Ping's Seafood
If the name doesn't give it away, then the bank of fish tanks you'll see as you enter the door of this longstanding Chinatown restaurant should. It's best known for its fresh fish offerings, of which you'll find many on the dim sum carts. Heated trolleys buzz through this large, often-crowded and noisy eatery, with up to 100 or more offerings. There are soups, salads, dumplings, and much of the standard dim sum fare, plus a clam cart. Popular items include the abalone, steamed fish, lobster rolls, shrimp bonnet, and shark fin gow. Dim sum is served every day; expect large crowds of local families on the weekends.
Ping's Seafood
22 Mott Street
New York, NY 10013
(212) 602-9988
No website
About The Author
Pamela Wright is a freelance writer, author of more than two dozen guidebooks, and hundreds of articles. Her work has appeared in a variety of publications, including "National Geographic Traveler," "Family Circle," "Family Fun," "Backpacker," "Hemispheres," "Cooking Light," "Yankee" and more. An active member of the Society of American Travel Writers, she holds a Bachelor's from Michigan State University
