Moveable Brunch in Manhattan Chinatown

To get your morning started in Manhattan’s Chinatown, board either the N, Q, or J, Z trains and disembark at Canal Street Station. From the station, you’ll want to head east on Canal Street, make a right on Baxter Street, then make a sharp right on Walker Street.

Price: Approximately a dollar per pastry
Duration: 20 minutes
Hours: 7:30 am – 8:00 pm
Address: 125 Walker Street (see map on Page 4)

Skip the commotion outside on Canal Street, and step inside this bakery of sugar donuts and pineapple buns. Both are good, and savory buns with a sausage filling are also available, along with teas and coffees. Alternatively, you could travel a little further east on Canal Street for fancier looking tarts at Taipan Bakery (194 Canal Street), which is known for its bubble teas. 

The beautiful pineapple bun at Dragon Land Bakery

Price: $1.00
Duration: 15 minutes
Hours: Varies, as it is a street cart
Address: usually outside Taipan Bakery, 194 Canal Street (see map on Page 4)

A fun and popular breakfast snack, Ling’s Sweet Mini Cakes is one of several street carts you’ll see on the sidewalks of Canal Street. The little cakes are pillow soft, sweet and piping hot, and for $1 you get 10. Eat it as you walk along and make your way to Golden Steamer: from Canal Street, make a northbound left at Mott Street. Keep walking until you reach 144A Mott between Grand and Hester Streets.  

Golden Steamer

Price: $1 for a steamed bun
Duration: 15 minutes
Hours: 7:00 am – 8:00 pm
Address: 143A Mott Street (to your left)  

Delicious, old school Chinatown steamed buns are yours, mostly under one dollar. I recommend the pork and vegetable bun, the pumpkin bun, or if you have a really sweet tooth, the Cantonese egg tarts.

Thái Son

Price: $6.00
Duration: 20 minutes
Hours: 10:30 am – 10:30 pm
Address: 89 Baxter Street (see map on Page 4) 

For a great breakfast/brunch introduction to Vietnamese food, try Bánh cuốn, tender rice-flour crepes with pork, mushrooms and fried shallots at this restaurant. If you want to try another Vietnamese favorite, try either the Muc Chien Don ($9.75) crispy squid (calamari) with garlic sauce or the delicious Pho ($5.25) next-door at Nha Trang One (87 Baxter Street).

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory

Price: $3.99
Duration: 20 minutes
Hours: 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Address: 65 Bayard Street (see map on Page 4)
Website: http://www.chinatownicecreamfactory.com

If you still have room in your stomach, make sure to head over to the famous Chinatown Ice Cream Factory where you can order some outstanding ice cream like the Almond Cookie (pictured) or Zen Butter. This dessert destination has been around for 28 years and still remains a proud, family-run business.

Canal Street to Pearl River Mart

To get to Pearl River Mart from Canal Street, head north on Broadway and walk approximately two and a half blocks. The store is to your left, between Grand and Broome Streets.

Project Burn Calories! Shopping

Price: Free to browse
Duration: 30 minutes
Address: 477 Broadway
Website: http://pearlriver.com 

Van to Flushing

Zhong Hua Flushing Chinatown Shuttle at Division and Bowery (left), the Flushing van stop you should disembark is the 3rd van stop in Flushing (right), located on 41st Avenue

Price: $2.75, one-way (Tip: The driver does not accept pennies, but he does give change.)
Duration: depends on traffic, 20 minutes to 1 hour
Address: Van picks up at the corner of Division Street and Bowery Street, in front of Confucius Plaza (see map of Manhattan Chinatown, Page 4)

We’re now going to say goodbye to Manhattan Chinatown and make our way via van over to Flushing, New York’s most Asian neighborhood. Flushing may feel familiar to those of you who have been to Hong Kong or China, but exotic to the rest of us who have yet to travel to Asia. Before you board the van, which runs approximately every 15 minutes, and you want a little more food, try a quick bite at NY Noodle Town, another historical Chinatown establishment where they serve a very decent wonton dumpling soup ($5.95). You also don’t want to miss the best Cantonese egg tarts ($1.00 for two tarts) in Manhattan at Bread Talk (47 Catherine St). To get to Bread Talk, from the intersection of Division and Bowery, head south on Catherine Street (directly behind Division Street) and walk for 3 blocks. The bakery is on your left.

Commuting time via van takes anywhere from 20 minutes to 1 hour and depends solely on traffic. You’ll notice you’ve arrived in Flushing once the van slows down and Chinese signage is visible on the streets. At this point, you’ll want to get off the van at the 3rd van stop, which should be across from Municipal Parking Lot #3 (pictured above, also see map of Flushing below).

Once you’ve arrived in Flushing, take a look around. You’ll notice the streets here are just as crowded as Canal Street, so navigate accordingly. From the van stop, you’ll want to head west on 41st Avenue, then make a right at College Point Boulevard. Head north on College Point Boulevard for two blocks, then make a right at 39th Avenue.

Late Lunch at Asian Jewel Seafood, Flushing

Map of Chinese Flushing 

The area of Flushing, Queens you’ll explore in the afternoon is densely populated and home to the world’s second largest Chinatown outside Asia. The intersection of Main Street and Roosevelt Avenue is thickly settled and the Chinese population continues to grow, bringing with them a diverse range of cuisines. Asian Jewel Seafood is a highly popular dim sum destination with locals, because of its expansive menu and dim sum carts, available at a fraction of Manhattan prices. Recommended items include shrimp dumplings, shrimp crepes, and clams in black bean sauce.

After you’ve had your fill of dim sum, go back outside for a tour of the new Flushing. As the population continues to grow, urban developments are on the rise, including ambitious shopping malls and supermarkets. SkyView Center has both, so we’ll start there to get a feel for the new Flushing.

Walk to SkyView

To get to SkyView Center, retrace your steps to College Point Boulevard. Walk 1 block south to SkyView Center. The mall is to your right.

SkyView and SkyFoods Tour, New World Mall

Price: Free to browse

Duration: 1 hour
Address: SkyView Center is located at 40-24 College Point Boulevard, New World Mall on 136-20 Roosevelt Avenue (see map of Flushing on Page 8)
Website: http://www.shopskyviewcenter.com/

Even dyed-in-the-wool Manhattanites are surprised at the new changes that’s taking root in Flushing, a borough known more for its burgeoning immigrant population but less for its new, ritzy urban developments. SkyView Center includes SkyFoods, a food emporium with a dizzying array of Asian food items. It is also home to Target, Marshall’s, and several other retail chains, if you are keen on doing more shopping.

New World Mall is another commercial hub that’s home to a supermarket, a dim sum palace and a basement level food court. Again, this is another clean, well-lit center with great amenities, plus the basement level food court has a good range of cuisines that has something for everyone. Recommendations: the $12.95 lobster special at the Live Seafood Stall (#14) and the Mango Pure Snowy at the SnoPo Stall (#5), a Taiwanese shaved ice dish that tastes like frozen cotton candy.

New World Mall to Golden Mall

To get to our first destination, Golden Mall from New World Mall, head outside to Roosevelt Avenue, and make a left on Main Street. Head south on Main Street for 3 blocks, past the railroad overpass. Cross 41st Road, and the mall is located to your right.

Flushing Street and Mall Eats

Price: Most items under $10
Duration: 1.5 hours
Hours: 10:00 am – 10:30 pm (Golden Mall)
Address: 41-28 Main Street (Golden Mall), also see map on Page 8 for other locations

This section of the tour highlights Flushing’s more authentic eats, including street carts, outdoor food stalls, and underground food malls where the local population likes to dine. However, it’s not just locals who enjoy dining at these hidden gems. Anthony Bourdain has featured Xi’an Famous Foods via his TV Show ‘No Reservations,’ which is also part of this delectable food tour.

Golden Mall

Price:  Most items under $10
Duration: 30 minutes
Address: 41-28 Main Street (see map on Page 8)

In the no-frills surroundings of this narrow food court, you’ll find a surprising range of Chinese eateries serving cuisines from all corners of the mainland. Your best bets are the hand-pulled noodles (pictured) and lamb cumin burgers at Xi’an Famous Foods on the basement level, and the stewed beef wrapped in scallion pancakes at Tianjin Xian Bing on the first floor. Also, the hand-pulled noodles at basement-level Lanzhou Handmade Noodles in various meat flavors are a good choice.

Xinjiang BBQ Cart
Price: $1.00 per skewer
Duration: 15 minutes
Hours: Varies, as it is a street cart
Address: 38th Avenue near Main Street

If you didn’t get your fill of Xinjiang (Uighur) cuisine at Xi’an Famous Foods, the Xinjiang BBQ Cart will give you another flavor that’s more evocative of the Middle East than China. Lamb, chicken and beef skewers or kebabs sold here are cumin-flavored and noted for its juicy cubes of protein.  

Price: Most items under $10
Duration: 30 minutes
Hours: 7:30 am – 10:00 pm (most stalls)
Address: West side of Main Street between 40 and 41st Ave, directly below the Long Island Railroad Tunnel (see map, Page 8)

The string of food stalls you’ll find here are a foodie’s paradise. You’ll find a great variety of xiaochi, or small eats, delicious bites of street food, some of them just $1. Most of the signage is in Chinese, so just watch for these items by the windows: fried chicken drumsticks (2 for $1), duck buns ($1), and You Tiao (long, golden-brown fried dough, pictured on left). Enjoy!

Local’s Tip: Got room for Szechuan chili oil dumplings? They’re mighty good at White Bear (135-02 Roosevelt Avenue – see map on Page 8).

Price: Regular sized teas under $3.00
Duration: 15 minutes
Hours: 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
Address: 135-18 Roosevelt Avenue (see map on Page 8)

You’re not done with Flushing until you try the wonderfully concocted bubble teas at Ten Ren. They have an outpost in Manhattan too, but the boba (mochi rice balls) here is second to none. I always get the black milk bubble tea (pictured) because the slightly bitter black tea harmonizes really well with the sweetened milk. There’s also a tea store here if you’re looking to buy high quality loose leaf teas by the can.

Transportation back to Manhattan

Now we’ll head back to Manhattan for dinner and drinks. Don’t forget you can always return via the Flushing van you boarded in the afternoon at the same bus stop. However, if you prefer, you can take the 7-subway train back to Manhattan as well. From Ten Ren, simply head east until you come across the first intersection (Roosevelt and Main Street). You’ll see signs for the subway as well as stairs heading down to the station. The Main Street/Flushing Station, where you board, is the last stop on the line, so all trains here are Manhattan-bound. Once in Manhattan, the 7 train stops at Grand Central/42nd Street as well as Times Square/42nd Street, where you can connect to other subway lines.

Pre-dinner Drinks

Price: High, drinks start at $14 but are worth it
Duration: 30 minutes
Address: 149 Mulberry Street between Grand and Hester Streets
Website: http://mulberryproject.com/

To get to Mulberry Project take the N, R, or the 6 train to Canal Street. Walk east on Canal Street, then make a left at Mulberry Street. Walk for one and a half blocks, the bar is to your left.

Mulberry Street to Chinatown Brasseries for dinner

To get to Chinatown Brasserie from The Mulberry Project, head north on Mulberry Street, past Houston Street. Make a left at Bleecker Street then make a right at Lafayette Street. The restaurant is to your left. 

Dinner at Chinatown Brasserie

Price: $48 for a whole Peking duck
Hours: 11:00 am – 11:00 pm (Sun-Thurs), to 12:00 am (Fri-Sat)
Address: 380 Lafayette Street(between 4th Street& Great Jones Street)
Website: http://www.chinatownbrasserie.com/

Local’s Tip: If you’re looking for a less pricey alternative, try Sanur (18 Doyers Street in Chinatown), an Indo-Malaysian place where you can order dishes like Mee Goreng, stir-fried Indonesian noodles, Nasi Lemak, Malaysian coconut rice, served with anchovy hot chile sauce, and Roti Canai (thin, pancake-like bread served with a mild curry sauce).