Wilson Tang’s Insider’s Chinatown | Find. Eat. Drink.
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September 30, 2014
Wilson Tang is the owner of Nom Wah Tea Parlor, the oldest dim sum house in the city dating back to 1920. Four years ago, Wilson took over the restaurant from his uncle, who had started as a dishwasher in the fifties and worked his way up, eventually buying the restaurant and building in 1974.
As a life-long resident of Chinatown, Wilson has become an unofficial ambassador for the area giving outsiders an insider’s perspective. He generously passes along his favorite local spots in Chinatown.
Wilson Tang is the owner of Nom Wah Tea Parlor, the oldest dim sum house in the city dating back to 1920. Four years ago, Wilson took over the restaurant from his uncle, who had started as a dishwasher in the fifties and worked his way up, eventually buying the restaurant and building in 1974.
To Wilson’s credit, when he inherited the business he kept the original decor. “My uncle said to me, ‘oh, we can deck it out and make it futuristic.’ I said, ‘No way! That’s a horrible idea!’” The vintage space with its black and white checkered tile floor, lipstick red booths and deco columns has served as a backdrop for many movies (Amazing Spider-Man 2, Reversal of Fortune) and fashion shoots.
While Wilson has not done a make-over on the interior design, he has updated the menu. “We expanded the menu to over 50 items and added larger plates so it can work in a dinner format with noodles, fried rice, ribs and beer and wine.” The dim sum isn’t rolled around on carts, but is made-to-order so it’s hot and fresh when you eat it. “The cuisine is primarily shrimp and that breaks down really fast if it sits. It loses crispness.”
The “Original” Egg Roll at Nom Wah Tea Parlor
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One of their signature dishes is the “Original” Egg Roll. “This is an item that my uncle swears he invented. There is no documentation of that, but no one else is doing it this way. We actually make it with eggs, not a pre-fab wrapper. The other big sellers are the Shrimp and Snow Pea Leaf Dumpling and the Turnip Cake.
In addition to Nom Wah, he is the co-owner of Fung Tu on Orchard Street and will be expanding the Nom Wah brand in the Philadelphia market in the coming months.
As a life-long resident of Chinatown, Wilson has become an unofficial ambassador for the area giving outsiders an insider’s perspective. He generously passes along his favorite local spots in Chinatown and the Lower East Side in the Find. Eat. Drink. iPhone app. Here’s a taste of some of the places on his hit list.
October 13, 2014
Wilson Tang’s Insider’s Chinatown
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Nom Wah Tea Parlor’s Restaurateur
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69A Bayard Street, New York, NY 10013
T: 212.769.1888
“It's a very cute space with about ten seats. They have mango puddings, ice cream, fresh fruit, smoothie drinks and Chinese porridges.”
69 Chinese Restaurant
69 Bayard Street, New York, NY 10013
T: 212.227.1173 | www.69chineserestaurant.com
Green Tea Red Bean Bun at InDessert
Photograph courtesy of InDessert
InDessert
1 E Broadway, New York, NY 10038
T: 212.528.3188
“Great for amazing Asian desserts. In the summer, they serve Taiwanese slushies, which are ices and you put tapioca or fresh fruit on them. They also make smoothies and hot or cold Chinese porridge with sweet red bean or green tea.”
“I come here at least once a week. It is a hole-in-the-wall and great for late night. I order the Salt & Pepper Fried Chicken Wings, a rice plate and a small wonton soup. It's like a Chinese-American diner that is open during the day and night.”
69 Chinese Restaurant
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“I always get the same thing here - Liang Pi cold skin noodles and a pork burger. It’s quick and inexpensive and always hits the spot. I love the fact that the owner, Jason Wang, took his dad's concept and expanded it into a chain all over NYC. Props to that guy!”
Stewed Pork Noodles at Xi’An Famous Foods
Photograph courtesy of Xi’An Famous Foods
“They have dim sum with a big menu that includes rice platters and they do a banquet-style dinner. Great dim sum take out too. They have a good shrimp rice noodle roll and great little buns with fillings.”
Hop Shing
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Yee Li
1 Elizabeth Street, New York, NY 10013
T: 212.219.3686
“This restaurant is authentic and amazing. They make all their own barbecue in-house, like BBQ pork, soy sauce chicken and roast duck. They have a banquet-style menu featuring ten different traditional and classic dishes for a table of ten people (Chinese menu only). The cost is from $228 to $500 and includes Chinese fried chicken, steamed fish, rice and noodles, a bunch of veggies, and some sort of cold platter. Bring a Chinese person if you don't speak Chinese.”
Yee Li
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Up Stairs Bar
59 Canal Street, New York, NY 10002
T: 917.608.6978
“This is a hole-in-the wall up a narrow staircase with disco lights and karaoke. You can get a large glass of whiskey for $7. It used to be a neighborhood bar where you'd see Chinese people playing dice games, but now it's more of a mixed crowd since it was discovered by hipsters.”
Up Stairs Bar
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