We could easily go on and on covering the culinary treasures available in Chinatown. But for the purposes of this survey, we focused on the area east of Bowery, so many places in the historic heart of Chinatown were discounted. Even in this confined area, there was a lot of variety in readers’ answers. Spicy Village (68 Forsyth St.), for example, has won over some locals, who crave its lip-tingling wide noodle dishes and homestyle stews. But there was really no competition when it came right down to picking an all-purpose Chinese restaurant on the LES. Congee Village, the massive Cantonese eatery with tacky tiki hut decor, has it all–bargain prices, a incredibly diverse menu (250 items), late-night hours (2 a.m. closing time on weekends) and tables capable of accommodating large groups any time of day or night. To top it all off, Congee Village is one of the only Chinese restaurants in the neighborhood with dependable delivery. The 29 varieties of congee, the house special crispy chicken and razor clams in black bean sauce are all solid choices.
Congee Village 100 Allen St. 212-941-1818 Back to Best of the LES
