New York – The Year of the Rooster begins Feb. 9, and the Lunar New Year will be observed all over Chinatown during the first two weeks of February. Firecracker demonstrations, lion dancers, a parade and a flower market are among the festivities planned to mark the holiday.
But you don’t have to be here for New Year’s to experience Chinatown. The neighborhood’s hustle and bustle, exotic markets and authentic, inexpensive food can be sampled any time of year. Just take the subway to Canal Street and start walking.
The pace of the neighborhood is so frenetic that it can sometimes be hard to flag down busy passersby for directions, so pick up a map at the Chinatown Visitors Kiosk at the intersection of Canal, Walker and Baxter streets.
The kiosk and a website that lists New Year’s events and other attractions – at – are part of an effort by city officials to make the area more accessible to out-of-towners.
If you’re looking for an elegant gift (or a rest from the chaos on the street), a good place to stop is Kam Man Food Products at 200 Canal St., near Mott Street. The store is primarily a supermarket, so don’t let the hundreds of jars filled with things you’ve never seen before put you off. Make your way downstairs and you’ll find a cornucopia of beautiful and wonderfully inexpensive Asian-style plates, cups, teapots, cookware and other goodies. For even more gift items, go to the Mall of Great Wall at Broadway and Canal.
Stroll farther down Canal Street to Mott Street, the heart of one of the nation’s largest Chinese enclaves. Both sides of the street are lined with stores overflowing with all types of merchandise – from postcards and bamboo plants to toys and electronics to Buddhas, jewelry and silk jackets.
Chinatown is a mini-Asian melting pot, attracting immigrants from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam and other countries. Keep an eye out for the large Taiwanese flag flying at 62 Mott St. over the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, an umbrella group for the many family and village associations that dot the neighborhood. Many of the area’s political decisions are made behind the CCBA’s doors, and its president is sometimes referred to as the mayor of Chinatown.
If you’re thirsty, stop at any of the tea cafes that line Mott Street. They specialize in bubble tea – milky, iced tea with balls of tapioca at the bottom. It’s not everybody’s cup of tea, but it’s worth trying.
When you reach Bayard Street, hang a left and you’ll find the legendary Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. Yes, they have flavors you can get anywhere else, like rocky road and pistachio, but not every ice cream parlor carries lichee, almond cookie or mango.
But before you have ice cream, how about a main course – or two or three? Chinatown is renowned for its restaurants, and with so many to choose from, your biggest problem will be settling on any one place. Here are a few good rules:
Don’t let looks fool you. The food might be fantastic even if the lighting is dingy.
If the locals are eating there, odds are it’s good.
Be adventurous in what you order. You might be pleasantly surprised.
Go with two or three others. Entrees are usually served family-style in the expectation that everyone in your party will share.
Chinatown is a particularly good place to sample traditional dishes that may not be available at your hometown Chinese restaurant. For Peking Duck, try the Peking Duck House at 28 Mott St., a longtime neighborhood establishment.
For dumplings, make your way east to the aptly named Dumpling House at 118 Eldridge St. Although it’s a bit of a walk from the heart of Chinatown, this place is worth the trip. At five exquisitely fried or steamed dumplings for a dollar, you can’t go wrong.
Then there’s dim sum. Served roughly between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., primarily on weekends, dim sum attracts neighborhood families, curious tourists and sophisticated gourmands alike. Instead of ordering off a menu, diners simply point to small sampler-sized plates of various dishes that are wheeled around on carts inside the restaurant.
At Jing Fong, 20 Elizabeth St., expect to walk out very full, and with plenty left in your wallet. A meal for two averages around $15 to $20. And with room for 900 people, you won’t have to worry about getting a seat.
At some smaller restaurants, though, you may be seated with strangers at a large round table. Don’t worry, you’re not expected to share food, or the bill.
To learn more about Chinese restaurants, walk over to the Museum of Chinese in the Americas, 70 Mulberry St., which is hosting an exhibit through June 30 titled, “Have You Eaten Yet? The Chinese Restaurant in America.” The museum is also one of several outfits to offer walking tours pointing out local historic and cultural sites.
The details
Chinatown: Go to or call NYC & Company, the city’s visitors’ bureau, 212-484-1222. Free maps and brochures at the Chinatown Visitors Kiosk, at the intersection of Canal, Walker and Baxter streets.
Getting there: Closest stops to Canal and Mott are the A, C, E, J, M, N, Q, R, W, Z or 6 trains to Canal. From the 1 and 9 stop at Canal, walk east. From the B and D stop at Grand Street, walk south to Canal, then west. From the F stop at East Broadway, walk west.
Lunar New Year Events
Feb. 5 and 6: flower market in Sara D. Roosevelt Park, at Grand and Chrystie streets.
Feb. 9: firecracker ceremonies, at noon at Mott and Bayard streets, and at 2 p.m. at Market Street and East Broadway. Dancers and singers perform at both locations, noon to 4:30 p.m. Dance troupes costumed as lions, dragons and unicorns march along Mott, Bowery, East Broadway, Bayard, Elizabeth and Pell.
Feb. 13: parade, noon to 4:30 p.m., featuring floats, bands, acrobats and dancers, along Mott, Canal, Bowery, East Broadway, Chatham Square, Forsyth, Division and Worth streets, with performances by musicians, dancers and martial artists.
