Chinatown is a favorite neighborhood for both New Yorkers and tourists because of its vibrant, decidedly non-Western culture. Each neighborhood in New York has its own flavor, but Chinatown feels like its own world. To visitors, it is a hive of sights, sounds and smells you don't find anywhere else in Manhattan.
This week, Manhattan Walking Tour has been leading Chinatown food tours, and doing some extra exploring, too. With different waves of Cantonese, Fujianese, Vietnamese, and other Asian immigration, we know that this ever-expanding neighborhood is also constantly changing. And we want our tours to reflect the best of what Chinatown is, not just what it was the last time we were there.
So I personally took it upon myself to sample as many new restaurants as I could, and hard work though it was, I had quite the delicious week. I tried a new Western Chinese place, with a richer, cumin-spiced flavor than the more familiar Hunan and Szechuan cuisines. I tasted several versions of bubble tea, including the Hong Kong style, which seems similar to Thai iced tea. And curry fish balls are my new favorite snack.
I couldn't pass the brand new statue in Columbus Park without delving deeper into the story of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, a leader in China's revolution from monarchy to republic, and the subject of the new monument. Dr. Sun's dramatic story adds another layer to the history of Chinatown's people and politics, and I can't wait to share these tastes and stories on my next Manhattan Walking Tour.
Chinatown's food is legendary, and just walking around the neighborhood is a thrill for any visitor. But when you hear the stories behind the places you see, you discover why Chinatown is a vital part of New York. And why Manhattan Walking Tour is the way to see it.
