Located at 17 Mott Street, two blocks downtown of Canal, this is simply the best Chinese food imaginable. The place is tiny, usually crowded, and the service is hurried (although that means you get your food FAST!), but it's worth every inconvenience. They're open 24 hours, and although I've never done it because it's too far from our place, I hear it's great 3 AM post-bar food. I personally want to be sober enough to remember every meal I have at Wo Hop. You can get a huge serving of delicious food for easily less than $10, which is practically a miracle in Manhattan. Make sure you go to the downstairs dining room for the true authentic experience. Cheesy headshots line the walls and make for great conversation starters. Truly, if you haven't been here, you haven't experienced New York yet, but that's just my opinion.
I always smile like this at Wo Hop. That's how good it is.
Check it out. Expect a skeevy diner-like ambiance and amazing, fast, cheap food.
The hubs is always trying to get me to go to new places in Chinatown but he's never taken me here. I just asked him about it and he said it's pretty good (he's a Chinese food snob) so I've demanded that he take me next time. :-) Thanks for the rec!
ReplyDeletePosting info about hidden gems like Wo Hop on the net causes them to become overrun with tourists and newbies like yourself and ruins the place for long-time regulars.
ReplyDeleteTom -- We were all newbies at one point. That's the only way to become a long-time regular :)
ReplyDeleteBut if you broadcast the hidden gems via the web, a place's charm and beneath-the-radar character quickly become ruined. I've seen it happen countless times to all types of places.
ReplyDeleteWhen I said newbie, I meant new to the city. Nothing wrong with being new but no need to tell the world about local joints that are in enjoyed by locals, in part at least, because they are known mostly if not only to locals. This city has become completely overrun by tourists who seem to invade almost every crevice of the city.
I wouldn't agree that Wo Hop is exactly a hidden gem -- many of my non-New Yorker friends have told me that they've been as a tourist. Plus, I'm pretty sure that far too few people read my blog to overrun a restaurant!
ReplyDeleteMany of my posts deal with local spots that I visit and share with readers who are looking for that sort of vibe. Thanks for the input, though! :)