Mee Sum Cafe — all mentions

postStir fried blue crabs at Mee Sum Café139 pts
“It was well worth it - a steal at $25, brimming with cracked sweet super fresh crabs and deliciously aromatic with ground pork, fresh ginger, garlic, scallions, soy sauce & Shaoxing wine. We devoured every last morsel.”
H3
in:Being a part of this sub since it’s inception makes me laugh how literally every food report has the exact same spots on them. Hope it becomes more common to venture off the beaten path and find the spots that aren’t on TikTok and eater mag. What’s a non hyped spot you tried lately that you enjoyed?12 pts
replying to u/crazeman: That Witch Ales You. I recommended them a lot in the past year on this sub. I first went in the spring this year on a Friday? I felt kinda bad because I think I was there for a few hours with a friend and only saw like 5 people there the entire time. They definitely deserve more attention for how unique they are. They're a "nano brewery" and claim to brew everything on site. I love that it gives off the local, family owned vibes. Small store front but they have a backyard where you can hang out and enjoy your drinks. I went to Forma Pasta near Atlantic recently and it gives off similar backyard vibes. It feels like I'm drinking at the backyard of a friend's house. They're in a awkward location in Two Bridge. Like kinda close to Chinatown but it's a bit of a walk. Kinda close to South Street Seaport but also a bit of a walk.
“IMO it's not a great place to recommend for most people. It's a runned down spot and they serve very salt of the earth, no frills, cheap Chinese / Hong Kong cafe type of food, so I feel like most non Chinese won't really enjoy it. They do make the best very best Zongzi or Joong in the city though.”
H3
in:Where can I find zongzi to take home?3 pts
“I'd say Mee Sum Cafe is my favorite. Get the toishan one. It's like how grandma used to make it, like it's huge and it's jammed pack full of fillings.”
H3
in:BLT from Fay Da. Don't sleep on the Chinese bakeries for awesome cheap sandwiches10 pts
“Check out Mee Sum Cafe next time. It’s a hole in the wall that has excellent dim sum.”
H2
in:Chinatown Zongzi Rice Tamales8 pts
“My runners up for best zongzi (I love zongzi) are the aforementioned Mee Sum Cafe and Deluxe Food Market.”
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in:Foodie Souvenirs!5 pts
“My personal pick from the list would be ZongZis from [Mee Sum Cafe](https://maps.app.goo.gl/MkuTDEBTtz2NPq5D7) if you don't have access to Zongzi where you're from.”
H2
in:Pork belly zongzi from the Zongzi Lady on Grand St5 pts
replying to u/donut_butt: [https://maps.app.goo.gl/HvmXHqVH8Tk7y6AL7](https://maps.app.goo.gl/HvmXHqVH8Tk7y6AL7) One of the best zongzi I've had in NYC. I'm glad she had the simple, pork-only ones I prefer (I went to Deluxe Food Market first, and they seemed to all have egg yolk / peanuts / etc. that I personally don't like). 10/10!
“IMO their zongzi is better than Zongzi lady's.”
H2
in:Heading to NYC next weekend, is there a food item that I can pick up and freez for me folks when they visit me 3 months from now?4 pts
“Mee Sum cafe's Toishan zongzi is the best in Chinatown.”
H2
in:Hong Kong Supermarket Frozen Aisle3 pts
replying to u/crazeman: Some of my favorite pantry items (including unfrozen): [Frozen Eels](https://www.sayweee.com/en/product/Unagi-Kabayaki-Charcoal-Grilled-Eel--Frozen-1/13138?trace_id=1d68abdb-431c-41d8-bdbf-08001f671a13) (Unagi) - More of a Japanese product. There's instructions on how to cook them in the package, it's been a while but I believe you can microwave them. Cook some rice in the rice cooker and eat the Eel over rice. The package SHOULD have enough sauce but if you need more, you can always buy some extra Unagi sauce and go nuts with the sauce. **(steamed) Buns** - You're better off going to [Golden Steamer](https://maps.app.goo.gl/2KSrMiRLpt6HRrB79) nearby (there's 2 right around the corner from each other, the newer one on Grand St. is bigger and has more stuff) and grabbing a package of buns from their fridge and sticking it into the freezer when you get home. Steam them for 10-15 minutes to warm them back up. I would recommend the Steamed Roast Pork Bun. Also like The Pork and Vegetable bun and the Big Bun has a bit of everything in it. As a kid I love the lotus seed bun while my sister loved the egg custard. Salted egg yolk bun is also worth a try. (I pretty much listed their entire menu but Golden Steamer is pretty fucking awesome) This [Korean Taiyaki Ice Cream](https://www.sayweee.com/en/product/Binggrae-Samanco-Taiyaki-Green-Tea-Ice-Cream-Sandwich-with-Red-Beans-4ct/15307?trace_id=2450bf95-50bb-4bf9-8176-723673c96973). There's also [Brown Sugar boba popsicle sticks](htt…
“I personally would recommend going [Mee Sum Cafe](https://maps.app.goo.gl/KktuKN2unaea3Fgq6) instead as they make the best ZongZi.”
H2
in:Hole in the Wall Recs2 pts
“Oh and before you leave, I would highly recommend ordering/getting a Toi Shan Style "Sticky Rice Wrap" (or ZongZi) to go, there should be a bunch on a tray by the door.”
H2
in:What's your favorite bowl of nourishing noodle soup, in any borough?2 pts
“wonton soup from mee sum cafe!!”
H2
in:Favorite dishes in Chinatown?2 pts
“Zongzi at mee sum cafe”
H2
in:Dim Sum Open at 5AM?2 pts
replying to u/miss_cheongfun: Seconding Mee Sum Cafe. It's kind of a shithole, but in the most lovable way, and honestly it's one of my favorite OG restaurants in Chinatown. I used to go there super early sort of regularly. Not uncommon to see some real characters that early, like old Chinese dudes drinking out of a paper bag in between bites of cheongfun (mmm cheongfun). I also recommend their zongzi, although I'm partial to their scrambled eggs over rice with spam, too.
“They have the best zongzi in Manhattan Chinatown imo”
H2
in:Are places like Wah Fung and Tin Wong in Chinatown considered “authentic” Chinese food by Chinese people/NYC Chinatown locals?2 pts
“Mee Sum Cafe is old authentic Cantonese. Most folks I know who are Toison or similar go there when they want old school good stuff.”
H2
in:NYC Food or Foodie thing that travels well?26 pts
“The best ones are from [Mee Sum Cafe](https://maps.app.goo.gl/Ux914t4Gnh1bmy5a8) in Chinatown.”
H1
in:What are your favorite places to buy lunch from that are open super early (ie. before 8) in the day?17 pts
“Mee Sum Cafe”
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in:Dim Sum Open at 5AM?14 pts
“They make the best ZongZi in the city.”
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in:I'm over the reservation chase- It's ridiculous. What are your favorite places, you can just walk in, and eat that haven't been corrupted by Resy/OpenTable?11 pts
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in:Early Breakfast places in Chinatown6 pts
“They're all really good.”
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in:Morning recommendations Manhattan6 pts
“Mee Sum Cafe”
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in:Small group tonight for Chinatown early evening for pre Thanksgiving new tradition. Plate sharing lively old school style. 6 pts
“Mee Sum Cafe”
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in:Food souvenirs to bring back to Europe5 pts
“Personally I think the ones from Mee Sum Cafe are better Zongzi Lady but I always like to throw her some love too”
H1
in:Dim Sum Open at 5AM?5 pts
replying to u/crazeman: Most more traditional dim sum restaurants do not open that early so if I had to guess, he's probably either referring to either a Chinese bakery or a dinky OG cafe spot because they will usually have SOME dim sum. These places are also likely to have not that great dim sum when compared to a full blown Dim Sum restaurant. Which brings me to the OG dinky cafe spot, [Mee Sum Cafe](https://maps.app.goo.gl/2dSKE5BpuiL5ER3K6). They've been around since 1967, currently opens at 5:30am, and serve some dim sum and small cheap rice lunch boxes in the menu. They're on that doyer/pell alley which connects right into Bowery. (If you're going to Mee Sum Cafe, get the ToiShan-style ZhongZi. They make the best ZongZi in the city. Grab a few to go and you can stick them in the freezer and steam them up for 15 minutes whenever you want to eat them and add a bit of soy sauce, maybe a dab of sesame oil and it's a meal) My other guess was going to be Hop Shing. They used to be right on bowery, super OG spot, served dim sum, but they closed back in 2020.
“It's kind of a shithole, but in the most lovable way, and honestly it's one of my favorite OG restaurants in Chinatown.”
H1
in:I’m on a soft food diet for a couple weeks. It doesn’t have to be pureed but it has to be pretty soft (ex. Ravioli) with no gritty or bits that can get stuck. Seems like a good time for a soup/pasta/??? Crawl, where should I grab food at the bar or to go?5 pts
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in:Unique brunch recs!4 pts
“I'll recommend places that aren't just the typical eggs and toast.”
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in:What is your favorite (Chinese food) restaurant in the City? (separate by cheap and expensive)2 pts
“For brunch and dinner, I like the classic Mee Sum Cafe.”
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in:Weekday breakfast2 pts
“Mee Sum Cafe”
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in:Stir fried blue crabs at Mee Sum Café2 pts
“get mee sum”
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in:Chinatown Zongzi Rice Tamales2 pts
“IMO they have the best one in the city, huge and stuffed with stuffing inside.”
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in:Viaiting Manhattan for two weeks 1 pts
“My favorite unique or tasty spots:”
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in:I'm over the reservation chase- It's ridiculous. What are your favorite places, you can just walk in, and eat that haven't been corrupted by Resy/OpenTable?1 pts
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in:Low key + quiet dim sum place in Manhattan?1 pts
“Mee Sum Cafe”
H1