A Tour Through New York’s 'Other Chinatowns'
- Sara Karp
- 7 hours ago
- 5 min read
During my first week at NYU, I took the No. 6 train down to Chinatown four different times. I was in love with the dumplings, rice rolls, peanut noodles, and soups that lined the streets of Lower Manhattan. I’d soon come to learn that this Chinatown was just the beginning of the culinary expression of a city with the largest Chinese population in the country. But New York City doesn’t have just one Chinatown, it has multiple — some have argued as many as nine. While there is much debate over what constitutes a “Chinatown,” most can agree that there are three main hubs for Chinese eats in New York City. Of course, there’s the Chinatown we’re all familiar with in Lower Manhattan, but there are also two other large Chinatowns in Flushing, Queens, and Sunset Park, Brooklyn. So, armed with cash and some friends and family to share the wealth, I set off for what felt like an endless weekend of eating. For NYU students looking to explore a little further, I’d highly recommend the trek.
SUNSET PARK
Ba Xuyên
4222 8th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11232
My first stop was not in fact a Chinese restaurant, but rather an unassuming bánh mì joint on a quieter stretch of 8th Ave., the street that’s home to Sunset Park’s Chinatown. Ba Xuyên is one of the oldest bánh mì shops in the city and one of the most beloved in Brooklyn. Running at $8 a sandwich, they offer eight different bánh mì fillings to choose from, mostly variations of pork, as well as chicken, sardine, and meatball options. They also have amazing Vietnamese coffee, a perfect complement to the toasted, crusty baguette that housed my grilled pork bánh mì.
Roast 28
5124 8th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11220
This next Sunset Park spot is the sister restaurant of Corner 28, a restaurant in Flushing’s Chinatown. Upon walking into Roast 28, you’ll see the restaurant's specialty — roast chicken, pork, and duck — hanging in the window. You can buy the different meats by the pound, or you can get them in a single serving over rice or noodles. I elected to get a combo meal of honey roast duck, scallion chicken, and roast pork over rice, all for $10.25. Everything was delicious, but my favorite was the scallion chicken, which was exceptionally tender and juicy. The combo meals also come with sautéed bok choy, which was some of the best Chinese greens I’ve had to date.
Xinfa Bakery
5617 8th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11220
Courtesy of Sara Karp
My last stop of the day in Sunset Park was a bakery nestled in between a block of seafood and vegetable markets along 8th Ave. Xinfa Bakery, with a line nearly snaking out the door, did not disappoint. While Xinfa has a tantalizing array of sweets of all kinds, I was there primarily to try their egg tarts. With their flaky crusts and creamy custard filling, these $1.75 tarts might be one of the best things I’ve spent money on in New York thus far. If egg tarts aren’t your thing, I’d recommend the milk bun or the coffee walnut bread.
FLUSHING
Golden Palace
41-20 Delong St, Flushing, NY 11355
Courtesy of Sara Karp
In contrast to Sunset Park’s Chinatown, whose restaurants are mostly confined to a single long stretch along 8th Avenue, Flushing’s Chinatown is more spread out, with restaurants intermingled with hotels, department stores, and residential side streets. This first stop in Flushing was only a 14-minute walk from the No. 7 train, but was on the edge of the main Chinatown, wedged between the highway, a CubeSmart, and a Home Depot. Walking inside, the space feels like a large banquet hall, with ceilings high enough that it made me question whether we were still in New York City. There’d never be enough room for a building this big in Lower Manhattan.
We shared the chicken corn soup, green beans with minced pork, noodles with braised mushrooms, and marinated cucumbers. Overall, the food at this place was tasty but nothing extraordinary. Still, eating at Golden Palace was a fun experience and one that would be even more fun with a really big group. Plus, they give out blistered peanuts and marinated tofu skin as appetizers, and fresh sliced pineapple and cantaloupe as free dessert!
Shaxian Snacks
36-24 Union St, Flushing, NY 11354
Courtesy of Sara Karp
Shaxian Snacks was perhaps my favorite of all the spots on this list. They are one of the few places in the city that serve cheap eats from the Shaxian District in the Fujian province of southeastern China. I ordered and devoured the Shaxian wontons with peanut butter, a dish consisting of delicate mini-wontons smothered in peanut sauce. I also ate the Shaxian noodles with soy bean paste, which combines noodles with pork, a savory soy bean paste, cucumber, crunchy peanuts, and lots of cilantro. Both dishes balanced freshness with depth of flavor, and the bill came out to just over $16 for a hearty meal and leftovers.
Hunan Cafe
137-40 Northern Blvd, Flushing, NY 11354
Courtesy of Sara Karp
Just around the corner from Shaxian Snacks, Hunan Cafe has earned itself quite a reputation. Having earned the Bib Gourmand distinction from Michelin in 2019, Hunan Cafe cooks up dishes from the Hunan province in southern China, distinguished by their complex spice palette. I ate bites of the sautéed egg tofu on hot stone, steamed chicken in chili sauce, and deep fried rice cakes with brown sugar. All three of these dishes were delicious and contained the most complex blend of flavors and textures out of all the restaurants we visited. The sautéed egg tofu was pillowy and rich, topped with a savory gravy, while steamed chicken in chili sauce was spicy and umami laden, with crunchy cucumbers and peanuts to complement it. On the sweeter side of menu items, the deep fried rice cakes with brown sugar made for the perfect dessert. The only downside of Hunan Cafe is that it can be pricier than some of the other spots on this list. The bill was a little over $40, and some of the other signature items on the menu, such as the whole fish head, was out of my price range.
Like each restaurant on this list, each of New York City’s Chinatowns is unique, with different histories, cultural nuances, and, of course, food. While Manhattan’s Chinatown may be the oldest and most famous spot to get dumplings in the city, Flushing and Sunset Park represent rich stories of immigration and community-building. And for anyone who likes to eat, I think the best way to experience these stories is through food.