There’s a new “creative Chinese” spot coming to 22 Orchard St, the block just above Canal. According to documents filed with Community Board 3 today, Jonathan Wu and Wilson Tang are applying for a full liquor license, in a storefront once occupied by a wholesale noodle company. Wu, a Per Se alum, has been popping up lately at Bowery Station. Tang is a partner at Bowery Station and also owns the Nom Wah Tea Parlor on Doyers Street.
The application indicates the restaurant, called “Fung Tu,” will be open from 10 a.m.-2 a.m. seven days a week. There will be 34 tables and a bar with six seats. This place does not appear to be another Nom Wah, Chinatown’s oldest dim sum parlor. The sample menu in the application includes items such as: smoked mussels in scallion oil; parker house steamed buns; and whole steamed fish with fennel and tangerine peel, chili and fermented black beans.
This stretch of Orchard Street is becoming something of a restaurant block. It already includes Fat Radish, Leadbelly and Cheeky Sandwiches. At one point, the Fat Radish team had planned to open another restaurant at 22 Orchard.
Tang is a member of CB3’s SLA Committee, the panel that reviews liquor license applications. He’ll obviously have to recuse himself from next month’s deliberations. The committee meets May 20, 6:30 p.m. at 189 Allen St. See the menu below:
These guys aren’t OG. If they were, they would name some dishes after the band members.
Maybe Aged Bean Curd Kisses was named after Ol’ Dirty Bastard. Who knows.
Sounds like this is really going to be a bar, masquerading as a restaurant. Why do they need a full liquor license already and why should they be open until 2 AM every night. Is the horrible above Delancey bar scene now heading south towards the Canal Street neighborhood? Please don’t let this pass the SLA Committee easily just because of the success of the Nom Wah Tea Parlor.
Wack wannabe’s. CB3 shouldn’t even consider granting them a full liquor license, just beer and wine at best. No quantitative nor qualitative contributions to the community from either that I’ve ever heard or read about.
Hello, this is one of the partners. We’re not planning on opening a bar that will actually stay open to 2:00 am, that is only an open slate. Obviously with a chef that is coming from Per Se, we’re serious about the food. We are also very serious about getting community input. We picked this location because of its proximity to Chinatown and the story that fits with ours as Chinese Americans. Otherwise if you’d like to keep hating, please by all means. Haters gotta hate.
If you don’t need to be open until 2am then adjust your application with SLA. Otherwise we will have to conclude that you’ll really be a bar with fancy nouveau-Chinese snacks
I like this idea!
Anyone worried about this place being primarily a bar hasn’t tasted this chef’s food.
Wow this menu looks amazing! If you guys want to collaborate with the community that would be a great. I wish you would collaborate with University Settlement. They serve low income families who are primarily Chinese immigrants. There’s my plug. thanks. I can’t wait to eat at this place. =)
what about a family owned business from the 1920s isn’t a qualitative contribution to the community? I say give it a chance. If Chinatown is gonna stay Chinatown the next generation is gonna have to find ways to compete with rising rent while maintaining some of the past. We have to give good sincere projects like this the chance to make it.