A Day in Chinatown with Cook and Food Writer Hetty McKinnon (@hettymckinnon)
Welcome to our next spotlight of our new mini series “A Day in Chinatown with…” where our favorite New Yorkers, part-time New Yorkers and/or New York fanatics share with us their favorite Chinatown spots. There is so much to explore and love about Chinatown; every corner of the neighborhood has its gems.
Hetty McKinnon is a Chinese-Australian cook and food writer based in Brooklyn, New York. She is the author of three bestselling cookbooks, the best-selling Community,Neighbourhood, the award-winning Family. Her latest To Asia, With Love will be released in the US on April 6, 2021 and is a love letter to the food and flavors that she grew up eating. Hetty is also the editor and publisher of multicultural food journal Peddler and the host of the magazine’s podcast The House Specials. She is a regular recipe contributor to New York Times Cooking, Bon Appetit, Epicurious, ABC Everyday and Food & Wine.
FAVORITE LUNCH SPOTS
Fong On - I have always been a tofu devotee and being vegetarian, it is my main and favorite source of protein. Enter Fong On, where you can buy a bowl of freshly made tofu, topped with either sweet or savory (yes!) toppings. While you are here, pick up some fresh (often still warm) tofu to take home and don't forget their amazing rice cakes which are straight from my childhood. Their rice cakes come in several flavors and their brown sugar one is my fave.
Wu's Wonton King - I love to pick up char siu and siu yook (roast pork) here for the men in my family, who are carnivores.
Congee Village – This restaurant offers a chow mein that’s as close to my mum’s dish that I’ve tried at a restaurant. It’s so good! The noodles are a perfect combination of crisp and saucy. Their e-fu noodles are rather flawless too. Not to mention it’s one of the few places in the city to get vegetarian congee.
Jing Fong – If you’re looking for the hustling and bustling energy of dim sum, Jing Fong is the place to go! I love the vastness of their dining room and the constant liveliness of the trolley carts being pushed amongst the throngs of hungry diners. During quarantine, Jing Fong has been my savior with their excellent takeout service when I needed to satiate my dim sum cravings!
Editor’s note: Jing Fong announced they will be closing their dining room space, but you can still enjoy this space until March 7th.
COMFORT FOOD
Spicy Village - This place will forever hold a special place in my heart. It was the first time I tasted tomato and egg dish, not made by my mother (or myself), and I was hooked! They serve it with their hand-pulled noodles (huimei). Also, you must try their “triple salad”, which is a seriously addictive salad of seaweed, cucumber, and tofu. It sounds simple, and it is, but it is mind-blowingly good.
Tonii's Fresh Rice Noodle - Cheung fun is such comfort food for me, and I love that they have one for vegetarians! A wonderful pit stop after a busy day wandering.
Shu Jiao Fu Zhou - Most people come for their dumplings, but I'm here for their peanut butter noodles. Seriously, is there anything better? Saucy and packed with umami, I could easily eat two bowls in a row. I like to top it with lots of chili crisp. This is the best thing $2.75 can buy!
GIFTS & NOSTALGIA
CW Enterprise - One of my favorite stores in NYC is now in Chinatown. I am obsessed with stationery, so what’s not to love about an entire store filled with pencils? Heaps of fun, I can browse in this tiny store a day long.
Wing On Wo & Co - Still the very best selection of Chinese dishes and tea sets. The Wing On brand is very nostalgic to me because my dad lived above the Wing On store in Sydney when he first immigrated to Australia.
WALK & EAT
Alimama Tea - Stand aside, because I'm coming for those mochi donuts! I am a mochi tragic, and theirs are a standout. I love the brûlée mochi donut, which has a burnt caramelized sugar glaze.
Mei Lai Wah - There's always a line outside, and I really dislike lines… but I'll still join the queue here because their deservedly beloved roast pork bun is a favorite amongst my boys. For me, I'm ordering the silky egg yolk buns and their amazing Vegetables and Fried Cruller rice noodle roll.
Happy Star Bakery - This place is so good and unassuming that I almost don’t want to share it! Tucked away in the Two Bridges area next to the East Broadway subway station, Happy Star is home to some of the freshest Chinese baked goods I've tried. The custard buns are pillowy and oozy, the way they should be. And their coconut buns, raisin bread and char siu bao are standout.
Chinatown Ice Cream Factory - No trip to Chinatown is complete without a visit to my favorite ice cream parlour. The flavors speak to me - black sesame, taro, banana, and my recent new fave, dan tat, based on Chinese egg custard tarts.
THE MARKET EXPERIENCE
Chinatown Supermarket of Manhattan - My go-to grocery store in Chinatown: an upstairs and downstairs galaxy of my favorite Asian groceries. I love wandering the aisles and finding my favorite candy and snacks from my childhood. It also has the most extensive selection of noodles and sauces, along with an excellent range of fresh Asian greens. In my opinion, the fresh produce in Chinatown is some of the best in the city.
Kong Kee Food Corp - Every time I walk past their streetside table on Grand Street, I cannot resist nabbing a few bags of fresh rice noodles and some fresh tofu too. Seriously, these are the freshest rice noodles I've ever tried.
Deluxe Food Market - I love to wander this food emporium to pick up freshly cooked food for my family, along with baked goods, rice noodles and greens. A real one stop shop.
