Night out in Tiny Asia

I love a good, greasy dim sum cart, but Chinatown, NYC, USA, is so much more than that. Here are some of the top non-dumpling-related things to do in Chinatown:

Masterful pho at Nha Trang

1. Try other flavors. While they may not be as bright and prolific as the Chinese joints, restaurants in a range of Asian persuasions abound in Chinatown. There’s Malaysian, Korean and Vietnamese – my favorite – including one pho spot, Nha Trang on Baxter Street, that even San Francisco and Seattle friends admit is top notch. Alternately, try the unbeatable bahn mi at Bahn Mi Saigon Bakery.

 

2. Get a massage. No, not that kind of massage. We’re talking Tui-Na, which literally means “push-pull” – a vigorous, sometimes painful massage in which one usually lies under a blanket. There are scores of these places around Canal, but a friend recommends the mysterious, much sought-after Helen at the Fishion Herb Center on Mott.

3.   Shop for produce. A terrific range of fresh, interesting fruits, vegetables and seafood line the streets of New York’s Chinatown. It’s one of the best places in the city to get low prices on specialty items like lychees, daikon radish and bok choy. Contrary to popular conception, fish in Chinatown is super fresh – in fact, it comes from the Hunts Point fish market just like fish in most of New York’s other restaurants and markets. Competition – and, often, the fact that you have to gut it yourself – keeps costs low. (A note of warning, however: stay away from live fish. Those come from local “independent” fishermen. I’ve seen lots of Chinese dudes with hooks in the East River – coincidence??)

Chinatown fruit stall - photo c/o WNYC

4. Go out on the town. Blame the cheap rent, the proximity to the LES, or the kitch-cool wandering streets – Chinatown is a haven for the dark and loungey. There’s the dismal converted massage parlor, Happy Ending, the ever-present Winnie’s karaoke, and a string of new speak-easies, including Apothoke – which I visited for the first time recently. Fashioned after the old Euro-imperialist Saigon lounge, the bar is all low light, muted jazz and bottles and jars. The drink menu is arranged in the old Chinese style into categories: Health and Beauty, Stress Relievers, Pain Killers, Stimulants, Aphrodisiacs Pharmaceuticals. (I had a shiso martini with edamame puree - seriously!) It's quirky playtime in a faux opium den.

 Fun at loungey Apothoke