Walking around New York City's Chinatown with Wilson Tang is almost like walking around with a celebrity; every couple of steps, someone stops to say hi, to shake his hand. And it makes sense: Tang is the second-generation owner of Nom Wah Tea Parlor, a dim sum joint synonymous with "Chinatown institution." The restaurant, which has been around for almost 94 years, is almost a hallmark to the unchanging landscape of the neighborhood.
On an island as small as Manhattan, however, Chinatown isn't immune to change. Small mom-and-pop joints are being replaced by swank tea houses, while a bevy of high-end eateries are crowding around the eastern border. One of those restaurants? Fung Tu, Tang's second restaurant in collaboration with Per Se veteran Jonathan Wu.
"I'm in a very unique position because I have one foot in this very old-school Chinese world—my chef has been with my family for 30 years—and on the other hand, Fung Tu is an interpretation of Chinese food, and it's a totally different thing," Tang says. "So I see all the changes in Chinatown, but I'm also part of that change."
So, what used to be an area filled with dumpling houses and grocery stores is now getting pushed out, thanks to higher rents, a real estate difficulty that even the best restaurants cannot avoid. "There's this whole boom in the Lower East Side, and now it's starting to creep into Chinatown a little bit more," Tang says. "Chinatown is the last frontier of places that haven’t been gentrified. It's this enclave of tenements buildings, mostly held by Chinese owners, and we are are starting to see people who want to rent their storefront to a restaurant, gallery, or boutique."
Nevertheless, the heart of Chinatown remains, and though some of Tang's favorite places (Yuen Yuen, for instance) have fallen to sky-high rents, some remain. Meanwhile, the restaurants that are moving in are bringing in a new kind of Chinese restaurant, eschewing the takeout joint for something a little more...hipster. Here, Tang shares some favorites from old and new Chinatown, plus a Fung Tu recipe for duck-stuffed dates, an innovative take on classic red-bean stuffed dates.
The Classic Restaurant:
OLD: Mee Sun Cafe, 26 Pell Street
"This place is dope. You can get rice dishes, Hong Kong-style sandwiches, salt-baked chicken over rice. I used to go to Chinese school on Mott Street, so we would come by to grab some steamed buns in the morning."
NEW: HONG KONG STATION, 45 Bayard Street
"The owner, Wallace, is a guy from Hong Kong and took this whole noodle concept, where you choose what noodles you want, what soup base, and what toppings. This was ten years ago. What a pioneer."
The Tea House:
OLD: Mei Lai Wah Coffee, 64 Bayard Street
"This place has been here a really long time, and they specialize in afternoon tea time. They've expanded their menu to include
On an island as small as Manhattan, however, Chinatown isn't immune to change. Small mom-and-pop joints are being replaced by swank tea houses, while a bevy of high-end eateries are crowding around the eastern border. One of those restaurants? Fung Tu, Tang's second restaurant in collaboration with Per Se veteran Jonathan Wu.
"I'm in a very unique position because I have one foot in this very old-school Chinese world—my chef has been with my family for 30 years—and on the other hand, Fung Tu is an interpretation of Chinese food, and it's a totally different thing," Tang says. "So I see all the changes in Chinatown, but I'm also part of that change."
So, what used to be an area filled with dumpling houses and grocery stores is now getting pushed out, thanks to higher rents, a real estate difficulty that even the best restaurants cannot avoid. "There's this whole boom in the Lower East Side, and now it's starting to creep into Chinatown a little bit more," Tang says. "Chinatown is the last frontier of places that haven’t been gentrified. It's this enclave of tenements buildings, mostly held by Chinese owners, and we are are starting to see people who want to rent their storefront to a restaurant, gallery, or boutique."
Nevertheless, the heart of Chinatown remains, and though some of Tang's favorite places (Yuen Yuen, for instance) have fallen to sky-high rents, some remain. Meanwhile, the restaurants that are moving in are bringing in a new kind of Chinese restaurant, eschewing the takeout joint for something a little more...hipster. Here, Tang shares some favorites from old and new Chinatown, plus a Fung Tu recipe for duck-stuffed dates, an innovative take on classic red-bean stuffed dates.
The Classic Restaurant:
OLD: Mee Sun Cafe, 26 Pell Street
"This place is dope. You can get rice dishes, Hong Kong-style sandwiches, salt-baked chicken over rice. I used to go to Chinese school on Mott Street, so we would come by to grab some steamed buns in the morning."
NEW: HONG KONG STATION, 45 Bayard Street
"The owner, Wallace, is a guy from Hong Kong and took this whole noodle concept, where you choose what noodles you want, what soup base, and what toppings. This was ten years ago. What a pioneer."
The Tea House:
OLD: Mei Lai Wah Coffee, 64 Bayard Street
"This place has been here a really long time, and they specialize in afternoon tea time. They've expanded their menu to include