Nom Wah Tea ParlorCHAIN

4.6/10Chinese

AI-generated summary

People argue about Nom Wah. Plenty call it a tourist trap with bland, overpriced , and a few say a lot of it comes out frozen. Defenders say everything is made fresh to order and the old-timey room is worth it on its own. The is the one dish that gets praise from both sides. Regulars say go to the original Chinatown location and expect a line.

NYC classic — Nom Wah Tea Parlor opened on Doyers Street in 1920 and is the oldest continuously running restaurant in Manhattan's Chinatown. Wally Tang joined at sixteen in 1950 and bought it in 1976; his nephew Wilson Tang took over in 2010 and shifted the dim sum service from metal carts to made-to-order. Wikipedia

13 Doyers St, New YorkChinatown / Tribeca, ManhattanGoogle Maps

What Reddit says151

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  • in:My NYC food spots1 pts

    “Nom Wah is arguably the worst dimsum in all of nyc and is the epitome of a tourist trap. The menu is extremely limited in terms of items and whatever they do have is bland and flavorless.”

    H3

  • in:What's the worst food you've had in NYC?1 pts
    replying to u/igetlotsofupvotes: Worst one by memory I’ve been to is nom wah tea parlour a couple years ago.

    “They gave categorically the worst dumplings ever. They’re the type sold by Chinese takeouts in the suburbs that have a thick, gluey dough. I couldn’t believe they had the gall to serve that.”

    H3

  • in:Dim sum for the uninitiated (Manhattan)15 pts
    replying to u/crazeman: I wouldn't bother going to Chinatown specifically for Dim Sum at 5PM. Most of the good spots like House of joy/Golden Unicorn/Jing Fong stop serving dim sum by the early afternoon at the latest. The only places that serves dim sum at 5pm in Chinatown would be Dim Sum Go Go, Nom Wah, or Dim Sum Palace. Pretty much all these spots should be very English friendly since Dim Sum is a breakfast food and Chinese locals won't eat dim sum that late. There are multiple Dim Sum Palace in Midtown Manhattan so another good reason why I wouldn't go to Chinatown for it lol. Nom Wah is the "oldest restaurant in Chinatown", their dim sum is okay/fine, not fantastic. There's frequently a line because it's tourist central there. I do really like their '80s style Chinese cafe decor. Dim Sum Go Go is good but I feel like I'd rather just go to one of the Dim Sum Palaces in Midtown if it's more convenient.

    “I did not like their dim sum. Even my non-Asian friends found it below average.”

    H2

  • in:What's the worst food you've had in NYC?8 pts
    replying to u/jyeatbvg: Haven’t been myself but don’t think I’ve heard a positive thing about this place.

    “My one experience was very mediocre, but we didn’t have to wait so I can’t imagine it as the “worst food you’ve had in NYC”. By comparison to our many other great Chinese restaurants, it’s not worth it, but it’s not offensively bad”

    H2

  • in:What's the worst food you've had in NYC?8 pts
    replying to u/igetlotsofupvotes: Worst one by memory I’ve been to is nom wah tea parlour a couple years ago.

    “Nom Wah is absolutely awful. Idk why anyone would ever eat there when there’s so much great food on the same fucking street. Complete tourist trap”

    H2

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