Chinese cuisine is one of the few food categories in which Brooklyn usually plays third fiddle to Manhattan and Queens, with local foodies opting for pilgrimages to the malls of Flushing or Manhattan’s Chinatown when in need of a serious hot pot or dim sum fix. But while our offerings may not be quite as plentiful, Brooklyn actually has plenty of top-notch Chinese fare too, from simple Downtown dumpling shops to our own overlooked Chinatown in Sunset Park. With Chinese New Year celebrations coming up later this week, here are 10 reasons why you shouldn’t ever have to leave Brooklyn for excellent, and diverse, Chinese meals…plus one brand new spot just in time for the Year of the Ram.
All the fixins at Mister Hot Pot (Photo: Mister Hot Pot)
By far Sunset Park’s trendiest spot–dance-y pop music blasts throughout the dimly-lit interior–MHP is also one of the tastiest for Hong Kong-style hot pot, where diners dip their own meats and veggies in simmering broth. Choose from a chili-spiked extra-spicy broth or a simpler low-heat one and load it up with everything from lobster and pork jowl to beef brisket and sliced fatty lamb. 5306 8th Ave (between 53rd and 54th Streets); 718.633.5197; misterhotpotnyc.com
2. Grand Sichuan House
Chengdu dumplings at Grand Sichuan House. Photo: Yelp / Lex X.
Traditional Sichuan-style fare like Dan Dan noodles, soup dumplings, and cumin-flavored beef lure foodies out to this venerable spot in Bay Ridge. The menu is lengthy and just about everything is good. Our favorite Bay Ridge expert Alison Robicelli warns that they are not kidding around with the spices at Grand Sichuan; “they will burn your face off.” 8701 5th Ave (between 87th and 88th Streets); 718.680.8887; grandsichuanhouse.net
3. Kum Kau
Battered salted shrimp at Kum Kau. Photo: Yelp / Nadia B.
This is not the place for authentic Sichuan fare or a hot pot extravaganza, but as far as simple, Americanized Chinese takeout goes, Kum Kau is a big step ahead of your average corner counter joint. This Clinton Hill spot have been a local favorite since the 1970s for fried and greasy favorites like battered salted shrimp and roast pork fried rice, along with some NYC-style “Chinese” food options like BBQ chicken wings, which even Brooklyn luminary/Notorious BIG widow Faith Evans gives a shoutout to.
The Duck noodle soup at 2 Duck Goose. Photo: 2 Duck Goose / Facebook
Two Hong Kong natives cook up classic Cantonese dishes with some Brooklyn-y twists (a roast duck Benedict for brunch), as well as unusual dishes like Hong Kong style Borscht (brought by Russians in the 1920s, it remains a staple there). Their special Year of the Ram menu (February 18 to 22) includes a half roast duck with roasted red chili sambal, sweet and sour chutney and Chinese chive puree–order with 24 hours notice. 400 4th Avenue (at 6th Street); 347-987-4808; 2duckgoose.com
5. Lucky 8
Salt and pepper pork chops over noodles at Lucky 8. Photo: Yelp / Xue T.
Behind the fish tanks and hanging roast ducks, this Brooklyn Chinatown spot stands out from the crowd on 8th Avenue as the place to go for an opulent Chinese feast, with perfectly done dishes like Dungeness crab over sticky rice and a duo of crispy Peking roast duck and roast pork. Feel free to splurge on some pork intestine appetizers. 5216 8th Avenue (between 52nd and 53rd Streets); 718.686.1887; lucky8cuisine.com
6. Golden Fried Dumpling
The best dumplings in Downtown Brooklyn. Photo: Yelp / Jessica D.
Downtown Brooklyn is littered with cheap Chinese warming-plate spots, but this unsuspecting hole in the wall–a spinoff of a Manhattan Chinatown fave–is a surprisingly satisfying find. You won’t find a cheaper winter-warming treat than the 4-for-$1 dumplings here; try the beautifully golden, just as advertised, fried pork and chive varieties. 192 Duffield Street (near Willoughby); 718-522-2836
7. Trinidad Golden Palace
The daily line for doubles at Trinidad Golden Palace. Photo: Yelp / Nova G.
For Chinese food with a side of Caribbean flavor, this perpetually-packed Crown Heights spot offers up fare that’s typical of the Chinese community in Trinidad, like crispy chow mein and massive shrimp wontons, alongside a menu of more traditional Caribbean fare. You’ll want to go early in the day in order to sample their much-vaunted doubles–chickpea-flatbread sandwiches–doused in tamarind sauce.
788 Nostrand Avenue (near St. John’s Place); 718.735.70658. Pacificana
Dim sum is a popular affair at Pacificana. Photo: Pacificana
9. Xi’an Famous Foods
Hand-ripped noodles swimming in chili oil. Photo: Xi’an Famous Foods
What began as a tiny stand in Flushing’s Golden Shopping Mall has mushroomed into a citywide mini-chain, which is a good thing for those of us who don’t want to travel to Queens for a taste of the super-spicy, cumin-y, peppercorn-covered fare of China’s northwest region. There are now two spots in Brooklyn to enjoy Xi’an’s savory hand-ripped noodles. Their central kitchen in East Williamsburg includes a storefront counter, and in December they opened a small sit-down space in Greenpoint. 86 Beadel Street (near Vandervoort) and 648 Manhattan Avenue (near Nassau); xianfoods.com
10. Yun Nan Flavor Garden
Braised pork noodle soup at Yan Nun Flavor Garden. Photo: Yelp / Amy N.
The longstanding Yun Nan Flavor Shack in Sunset Park has blossomed into a larger space to make room for the crowds who regularly stream in here for hot and sour dumplings, silky-smooth rice noodles, and other flavorful fare from Yunnan province, where the sweet-and-spicy fare is an amalgam of Chinese regional styles with influences from Myanmar and Vietnam as well. 5121 8th Avenue (near 52nd Street); 718.633.3090; yunnanflavorsnack.com
A peek inside the brand-new East Wind Snack Shop. Photo: East Wind
And here’s one brand new spot to add to your Chinese eating itinerary. Nobu veteran Chef Chris Cheung is set to open East Wind Snack Shop in Windsor Terrace within the next week. Inspired by the many teahouses that once dotted Manhattan’s Chinatown, East Wind will serve an affordable all-day snack menu of dumplings, spring rolls, Hong Kong hot cakes and more. They’re also planning a New Year’s celebration complete with dancing paper dragons for Feb 21st. 471 16th Street (near Prospect Park West); 929.295.0188; eastwindsnackshop.com
Thank you very much for featuring my photo and crediting me in your post! This is a really great review of gems in Brooklyn!
Wow, that all fixins at Mister Hot Pot looks like Chinese food heaven! If one can dine in such a way in Brooklyn, there’s definitely no need to get out of the city to get a good Chinese food fix! The Chengdu dumpling looks hot and spicy, as well as those hand-ripped noodles! Have to get me one of those, thanks for sharing!
I love food and Chinese food is my favourite. It’s the most valuable post, I am going to visit the place. Thanks for sharing it.
Everything looks so good, but the braised pork noodle soup really stands out! Brooklyn is a great place and has many places to eat, it’s great to see that there’s so many good Chinese restaurants too! Thanks for sharing!