Reading: NYC’s Dim Sum Guide
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It’s officially Lunar New Year, which means it’s time to eat lots of dim sum! We love this time of year for so many reasons, but especially because we’ll take any excuse to eat at a traditional dim sum parlor multiple times in a two week period. From NYC classics like Jing Fong to our new favorite, New Mulan in Flushing, keep reading for our top picks for the ultimate dim sum experience.
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With locations in both Chinatown and the Upper West Side, Jing Fong is one of our all time favorite spots for a dim sum meal. For the full dim sum cart experience, we’d recommend going to the newly reopened Chinatown location where the rolling carts are constantly replenished with classics like pork buns, scallion pancakes, chicken feet, and their famous fried turnip cake. If you’re looking for a little something extra, definitely go for their full roast duck, another option that’s great for sharing.
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There’s a reason why there are nine locations of Dim Sum Palace; it’s just that good. Expect Cantonese classics, like congee and dumplings – our favorites are the roast pork and shumai – to egg buns, peking duck, sesame noodles, and fried rice. Don’t leave without ordering a pot of their famous tea, too!
Who would think that the most incredible rice rolls would be found on the second floor of Flushing’s Queens Crossing Mall?! This luxurious dining room is buzzing with both rolling carts and cat robots that deliver your dim sum. In addition to traditional dim sum, they also serve East-meets-West delicacies like orange glazed ribs and crispy coconut prawns with lime aioli.
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House of Joy offers a little bit of everything we love: incredible dim sum, karaoke, signature evening dishes, and a true dim sum parlor experience. It’s also the largest dim sum hall in Chinatown, so dining here is truly a feast for the eyes. Some of their best sellers include their salty egg yolk cream buns, black pepper sauce beef ribs and of course, their soup dumplings.
PC: Nom Wah
Nom Wah Tea Parlor is a New York establishment. It’s the oldest restaurant in Chinatown and still one of the very best. The restaurant started as a tea parlor and bakery in 1920 and has since shifted to include all kinds of dim sum. Instead of carts, you can order all of the classics on a piece of paper and keep adding as you go. Your wait here will probably be long, especially if you’re coming on a weekend, but once you bite into your first haw gow, it will all be worth it. Make sure you get an order of “the original” egg roll – which is massive, and the special roast pork bun which is our favorite rendition of all time.
PC: Asian Jewels
Although it’s hard to find, it’s well worth the scavenger hunt in downtown Flushing to get to Asian Jewels. This dim sum and seafood restaurant is huge and they offer some of the most creative, reasonably priced dim sum we’ve seen. You can’t go wrong with dishes like minced beef balls and salt & pepper fried anchovies. And if you’re looking to splurge, be sure to ask for one of the lobsters directly above the tank at the general manager’s desk, which they steam, sauté, and then cover with scallion and ginger.
PC: Pings
Ping’s is another iconic Chinatown spot known for their dim sum and other cantonese specialities. Grab a group, don’t forget cash, and scout out the fried shrimp balls on all of the carts that pass by. Once those are secured, you can then begin piling your table with the dumplings, pork buns, rice rolls and more.
PC: Golden Unicorn
Established in 1989, Golden Unicorn is another great option for dim sum in Chinatown. After taking an elevator upstairs, you’ll enter a dining room filled with people celebrating birthdays, weddings, and more. Within seconds of being seated you’ll be pleased to see all of your favorites rolling your way – steamed pork buns, lobster dumplings, sesame seed mochi balls and so much more. Get here early to get a prime seat closest to the kitchen so you can see all the action and get your first pick of steamy dim sum.
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Don’t let the massive size of East Harbor Seafood Palace fool you. You’re pretty much always guaranteed a wait if you make your way here for a weekend brunch. But the wait is worth it, considering this is the best dim sum spot in Sunset Park. Standout items here include the beef ribs and taro pork dumplings, which are hard to come by on other dim sum menus.
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With huge tables, lots of people, and carts whizzing by, Royal Seafood is definitely at the top of our list for an authentic Chinatown dim sum experience. They have the best braised beef tripe, on top of a seemingly endless list of other dim sum delicacies. Load up your table with chicken feet, short ribs, har gow, egg custard, rice rolls, and so much more. And when you think you’re done, get one more order of those shrimp dumplings while you can.
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