4. Flushing
Flushing rivals Manhattan’s and Sunset Park’s Chinatowns as New York’s center of Chinese culture; 71% of Flushing’s population is Asian, the majority of which consists of Chinese residents. With such a diverse Asian population, Flushing has become a food paradise, housing eateries from nearly every region in China as well as from countries like South Korea, Japan, and Malaysia.
For a quick yet delicious meal, Zhu Ji Dumpling Stall offers juicy and fresh pork and leek dumplings, fluffy pork buns, rice noodles, and deep-fried cruller. Tucked away in a shopping plaza, Best North Dumpling Shop serves a similar menu of dumplings like beef with turnip and pork with fennel as well as a variety of pork buns. For some of the cheapest dumplings in Flushing, Jie Jie Sheng offers typical fried dumplings and buns in addition to leek pancake and oxtail noodle soup. Also try the Peking Duck Sandwich Stall within Corner 28 market, which serves peking duck in a fluffy bao.
Many of Flushing’s best eateries are housed within its many shopping malls, the largest of which being New World Mall. Housed within the mall are popular options like Lan Zhou Noodles, cuisine from China’s Gansu Province; Old Luoyang, specializing in Henan cuisine; Fish Dumpling, and Yoz Shanghai. Flushing’s second-largest food court, New York Food Court, includes favorites like Incredibowl, a make-your-own dry hotpot stall, Western Spicy Chicken, and Siblings Potato Noodle. The relatively new Super HK Food Court offers a similar array of Chinese stalls from many regions of China.
For dim sum, the most popular and traditional places include Asian Jewels Seafood Restaurant, Royal Queen, and Shanghai You Garden, which all serve classics like siu mai, shrimp dumplings, and buns. Other places to try that specialize in dim sum include 39 Kings Cafe, which offers favorites like tripe and turnip cakes, and Yi Feng Yuan, which offers pumpkin cake and fermented glutinous rice dumplings.
Flushing also offers a selection of central Chinese eateries like Lucky Chen, a rather formal eatery with a selection of Hunanese chicken, pork, and fish dishes. 200 Gram Noodles, a rather modern spot, offers a selection of dishes from Chongqing like pork liver and kidney with pickled vegetables and Gele Mountain spicy chicken. Hot Space, a Sichuan eatery, offers various spicy dishes like buffalo fish and bullfrog that can be shared between two or three people.