Hearty Mushroom & Pumpkin Curry – the Perfect Winter Meal


Date Published: Nov 13th, 2025 | Last Updated: Nov 13th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: vegetarian, mains, asian
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 25 mins | Cook time: 40 mins

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If you’re a fan of mushrooms, pumpkin, and curry, this is the perfect recipe for you! Adapted from this New York Times Recipe, this is the ultimate winter comfort dish. It’s savoury, hearty, filling, and packed with flavour! This curry is fully vegetarian & vegan, but for my carnivorous readers, you could easily add in some shredded roasted chicken at the end to amp up the protein, but this robust curry stands well on its own and is guaranteed to be filling.

This recipe is easy and keeps well in the fridge, so you can make it ahead of time or meal prep for the week!

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • 1.2kg pumpkin or butternut squash (roughly 1/4 of a pumpkin), peeled and diced into 3cm cubes
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 6 medium shallots (or 1 medium onion), diced
  • 1 tsp (4g) black mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp (3g) cumin seeds
  • 40-50 (10g) fresh curry leaves (feel free to chop it into into halves or thirds if you prefer to eat smaller leaves in the curry)
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tsps (4g) ground coriander
  • 1 tsp (3g) ground turmeric
  • 2 tsps of kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground cayenne (optional)
  • 1 long green chilli (jalapeño or serrano), diced and deseeded (keep the seeds in if you want it spicier) (optional)
  • 750g mix of mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (use mushrooms that will hold its shape well well when cooking – I used a mix of Brown Beech, Baby Bellas, and Oyster mushrooms. Avoid enokis – they will get stringy and too soft in this recipe.)
  • 1 zucchini, diced
  • 1 can (403ml) unsweetened coconut milk
  • Optional: splash of fish sauce instead of salt at the end for extra flavour
  • Serve with: cooked basmati rice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 200˚C/400˚F.

Place the diced pumpkin onto a baking tray and add a drizzle of olive oil and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until the pumpkin is nearly cooked (soft enough to pierce with a fork but still with some resistance). Set aside until ready to use.

In a pot or a deep pan on MED-HIGH heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and the diced shallots. Cook for 2 minutes until it starts to soften.

Then add in 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, and curry leaves. Let it sizzle for 30 seconds then add in the minced garlic, 2 tsps ground coriander, 1 tsp ground turmeric, 2 tsps salt, 1/2 tsp ground cayenne (if using), and diced green chiles (if using). Cook for another 30 seconds.

Add curry leaves mustard seeds, cumin seeds
Let it sizzle
Add minced garlic and spices
Add chilis

Next, add in the mushrooms and zucchini and sauté for 3-5 minutes until the mushrooms start to soften, then add in the 1 can of coconut milk and roasted pumpkin (from step 2). Simmer until the vegetables are fully cooked (5-10 minutes).

Add mushrooms
Add zucchini
Cook until mushrooms soften
Add pumpkin
Add coconut milk
Simmer until all the veg are all cooked

Taste and season wth salt (or fish sauce) to your liking. Done! Serve immediately with white rice or let the flavours infuse overnight and serve the next day. Enjoy!

Optional step: Pick out the curry leaves at the end if you’re bothered by the fibrous texture.

Summarized Recipe:

Hearty Mushroom & Pumpkin Curry – the Perfect Winter Meal

Date Published: Nov 13th, 2025 | Last Updated: Nov 13th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: vegetarian, mains, asian
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 25 mins | Cook time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

  • 1.2kg pumpkin (roughly 1/4 of a pumpkin), peeled and diced into 3cm cubes
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 6 medium shallots (or 1 medium onion), diced
  • 1 tsp (4g) black mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp (3g) cumin seeds
  • 40-50 (10g) fresh curry leaves (feel free to chop it into into halves or thirds if you prefer to eat smaller leaves in the curry)
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tsps (4g) ground coriander
  • 1 tsp (3g) ground turmeric
  • 2 tsps of kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground cayenne (optional)
  • 1 long green chilli (jalapeño or serrano), diced and deseeded (keep the seeds in if you want it spicier) (optional)
  • 750g mix of mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (use mushrooms that will hold its shape well well when cooking – I used a mix of Brown Beech, Baby Bellas, and Oyster mushrooms. Avoid enokis – they will get stringy and too soft in this recipe.)
  • 1 zucchini, diced
  • 1 can (403ml) unsweetened coconut milk
  • Optional: splash of fish sauce instead of salt at the end for extra flavour
  • Serve with: cooked basmati rice

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 200˚C/400˚F.
  2. Place the diced pumpkin onto a baking tray and add a drizzle of olive oil and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until the pumpkin is nearly cooked (soft enough to pierce with a fork but still with some resistance). Set aside until ready to use.
  3. In a pot or a deep pan on MED-HIGH heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and the diced shallots. Cook for 2 minutes until it starts to soften then add in 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, and curry leaves. Let it sizzle for 30 seconds then add in the minced garlic, 2 tsps ground coriander, 1 tsp ground turmeric, 2 tsps salt, 1/2 tsp ground cayenne (if using), and diced green chiles (if using). Cook for another 30 seconds.
  4. Next, add in the mushrooms and zucchini and sauté for 3-5 minutes until the mushrooms start to soften, then add in the roasted pumpkin (from step 2) and 1 can of coconut milk. Simmer until the vegetables are fully cooked (5-10 minutes). Taste and season wth salt (or fish sauce) to your liking. Done! Serve immediately with white rice or let the flavours infuse overnight and serve the next day. Enjoy!
  5. Optional step: Pick out the curry leaves at the end if you’re bothered by the fibrous texture.

AbbyLeave a comment

Char Siu: An Authentic Chinese BBQ Pork Recipe


Date Published: Sept 27th, 2025 | Last Updated: Sept 27th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: Asian, easy, mains
Serves: 6-8 | Prep time: overnight | Cook time: 45 minutes

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Char Siu is a staple at any Chinese BBQ restaurant and still remains one of our favourite Chinese BBQ dishes when visiting these joints. Although it seems daunting, making Char Siu is actually quite simple: mix up the marinade, marinate the pork overnight, then bake! This is a great dish to serve when catering for a party since pork shoulder/pork butt is a pretty cheap cut of meat and the delicious flavours of the sticky sauce is easy to impress!

What is Char Siu?

Char Siu is Chinese BBQ pork that’s moist, juicy, and covered in an iconic sweet, savoury, and umami sticky glaze. You’ll find it in any Chinese BBQ restaurant served in slices over rice or chopped up and stuffed inside buns for the classic Char Siu Bao (BBQ Pork Bun). Some restaurants add red food colouring to their sauce to make the meat look a little red – I’ve skipped this step in my recipe because I didn’t have any on hand, but feel free to add it in if you want the classic restaurant look.

Restaurant-style Char Siu (note the red tinge)
Char Siu Bao (BBQ pork bun)
Image from https://www.istockphoto.com/photos/char-siu-pork

Char Siu is not to be confused with Chashu!

Char Siu is the Chinese BBQ pork dish whereas Chashu is the Japanese fatty pork belly slices you often see served in ramen. While both are insanely delicious, they are completely different dishes. This recipe is for the Chinese BBQ pork Char Siu, however if you’re looking for a good Chashu recipe, I’ve got you covered in my Tonkotsu Ramen recipe below!

Chashu
Chashu in ramen

Legit Tonkotsu Ramen from scratch (in an Instant Pot)


A tonkotsu ramen is a beautiful bowl of a rich pork bone broth with noodles, chashu, a ramen egg, and your choice of toppings. This legit restaurant-quality tonkotsu ramen recipe will blow your mind away!

What is fermented red bean curd?

If you are not familiar with this pungent beauty, strap in. Fermented red bean curd (also known as fermented tofu) is a Chinese condiment that is made with cubes of tofu that is fermented in a brine of red yeast rice and rice wine. The end result is an umami flavour bomb that can be a bit overwhelming when eaten on its own. It’s often used in sauces as a flavour enhancer or paired with congee.

At first glance it can definitely look off-putting. If you’ve never had it before, I’d recommend only trying the tiniest amount at first (I’m talking about less than a pea size, maybe just a dab). The flavour profile is very salty but with a creamy/cheesy texture. Even if you’re not a fan of the taste, I’d still recommend using it in this recipe to give it that extra depth of flavour that makes all the difference between this char siu recipe to the next. Be careful when taking it out of the jar – it comes in little cubes and is very soft and easily breaks apart.

When I was younger I hated this stuff and I’d cringe every time my dad took it out of the fridge. The flavour was too overwhelming for me, but as I got older I learned to love it and I can’t think of any better condiment than this to go with my congee (move over, pork floss).

Which cut of pork is best?

Pork shoulder or pork butt is the best and most traditional cut of pork to use to make char siu. You can also use pork belly as well, however I find it too fatty when eaten in slices but works very well when chopped up and used in a BBQ pork bun recipe.

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • Marinade:
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • 2 pieces (44g) spicy fermented red bean curd
    • 1 Tbsp (22g) honey
    • 1 Tbsp (14g) Shaoxing wine
    • 1 Tbsp (20g) soy sauce
    • 1 Tbsp (20g) oyster sauce
    • 1 tsp (6g) dark soy sauce
    • 1 tsp (2g) 5-spice powder
    • 1/4 tsp (1g) white pepper
    • 1/4 cup (50g) brown sugar, packed
  • 500g pork shoulder (try to get a fattier piece) or slab of pork belly, skin removed (I prefer pork shoulder)
The gang’s all here

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients of the marinade: 3 cloves minced garlic, 2 pieces fermented red bean curd, 1 Tbsp honey, 1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp dark soy sauce, 1 tsp 5-spice powder, 1/4 tsp white pepper, and 1/4 cup packed brown sugar. Mix well until there are no clumps.

Put the marinade in a resealable plastic bag along with the pork and squeeze out any air. Let it marinate in the fridge overnight.

The next day, preheat the oven to 200˚C/400˚F. Shake off excess marinade and place the marinated pork onto a wire rack over a tray. Brush extra marinade over the top and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. Flip each pork piece over, brush with more marinade and bake again for 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 63˚C/145˚F.

While the pork is cooking, pour the leftover marinade into a saucepan and turn the heat on to MED. Let the sauce bubble and simmer while continuously stirring for 3-4 minutes until it slightly thickens (don’t worry about reducing it too much since the sauce will thicken further as it cools).

At the end of the cook time, you should have a nice char/dark brown caramelization over the top of the pork. If you don’t, BROIL for 1 minute on each side until you get get the dark brown char. Remove from the oven and brush the reduced marinade (from step 4) over the top and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve immediately after slicing. Enjoy!

Pork belly over rice

Summarized Recipe:

Char Siu: An Authentic Chinese BBQ Pork Recipe

Date Published: Sept 27th, 2025 | Last Updated: Sept 27th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: Asian, easy, mains
Serves: 6-8 | Prep time: overnight | Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

  • Marinade:
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • 2 pieces (44g) spicy fermented red bean curd
    • 1 Tbsp (22g) honey
    • 1 Tbsp (14g) Shaoxing wine
    • 1 Tbsp (20g) soy sauce
    • 1 Tbsp (20g) oyster sauce
    • 1 tsp (6g) dark soy sauce
    • 1 tsp 5-spice powder
    • 1/4 tsp white pepper
    • 1/4 cup (50g) brown sugar, packed
  • 500g pork shoulder (try to get a fattier piece) or slab of pork belly, skin and excessive fat removed (I prefer pork shoulder)

Directions:

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients of the marinade: 3 cloves minced garlic, 2 pieces fermented red bean curd, 1 Tbsp honey, 1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp dark soy sauce, 1 tsp 5-spice powder, 1/4 tsp white pepper, and 1/4 cup packed brown sugar. Mix well until there are no clumps.
  2. Put the marinade in a resealable plastic bag along with the pork and squeeze out any air. Let it marinate in the fridge overnight.
  3. The next day, preheat the oven to 200˚C/400˚F. Shake off excess marinade and place the marinated pork onto a wire rack over a tray. Brush extra marinade over the top and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. Flip each pork piece over, brush with more marinade and bake again for 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 63˚C/145˚F.
  4. While the pork is cooking, pour the leftover marinade into a saucepan and turn the heat on to MED. Let the sauce bubble and simmer while continuously stirring for 3-4 minutes until it slightly thickens (don’t worry about reducing it too much since the sauce will thicken further as it cools).
  5. At the end of the cook time, you should have a nice char/dark brown caramelization over the top of the pork. If you don’t, BROIL for 1 minute on each side until you get get the dark brown char. Remove from the oven and brush the reduced marinade (from step 4) over the top and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

AbbyLeave a comment

Insanely Easy Instant Pot Pulled Pork


Date Published: Sept 11th, 2025 | Last Updated: Sept 11th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: easy, mains
Serves: 6 | Prep time: 15 minutes + marinating time | Cook time: 75 minutes

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Get ready for the most ridiculously easy pulled pork recipe that’s ready in 75 minutes! You will need an Instant Pot or any pressure cooker for this along with your favourite BBQ sauce.

Why I love this recipe!

  • Quick and easy – I never knew you could make pulled pork in such little time and without a slow cooker or cooking for hours! It takes 5 minutes to prep the pork and rest is just setting the Instant Pot and forgetting it. No need to watch it constantly as it cooks.
  • Easily makes a large batch – a 2kg/4 pound pork shoulder fits well into an Instant Pot and serves up to 6 people at once as a main, or even more if you’re using the pork as a side or inside another dish such as pulled pork tacos or sliders. I use this one recipe as meal prep for lunches for the rest of the week. This pulled pork also keeps well in the fridge or freezer so you can also do multiple batches for a large party the day before.
  • Budget-friendly! Cheap to feed and easy to impress a lot of people – After learning this recipe, I think this will be my new go-to dish for potluck events. Pork shoulder is relatively inexpensive and you should be able to find 2kg/4lbs of it for less than $30 to feed a party small. Just be sure to pick a good BBQ sauce!
  • Versatility – As you will notice, unlike many pulled pork recipes, this one does not cook the pork in the BBQ sauce. The pork comes out perfectly cooked, but a little on the blander side. This is intentional so it doesn’t overpower the flavours of your chosen BBQ sauce and also gives you more versatility in how you want to use the shredded pork. You can easily store this pulled pork in batches in the freezer and use it on so many things (keep scrolling to see the different dishes you could use this in!).

How much pork to feed a party?

As a rough guide, multiply the number of guests by 0.3 to get the amount of raw pork you’ll need to cook in kilos. To calculate it in pounds, multiply it by 0.6. This calculation is the amount of raw pork you need to serve each person as a main dish. Use less if you’re using this as a side dish or within a recipe.

For example: 10 guests x 0.3 = 3kg of raw pork to cook.

What to do with leftover pulled pork?

Pork shoulder is often on sale at our local Costco and as a result I regularly find myself with 7kg of pork shoulder for $30 and scrambling to find recipes – I just can’t pass up a good deal! Here are a list of dishes you can use with pulled pork before adding on BBQ sauce:

  • Mixed with BBQ sauce and served in sliders with coleslaw
  • Pulled pork tacos
  • Toasted sandwiches
  • Burritos
  • Toppings on okonomiyaki
  • Mixed with any kind of red pasta sauce for a quick pasta dish
  • Quick added protein to any soups
  • Pierogi or dumpling filling
  • Mixed with a fried rice
  • Quesadilla
  • Pulled pork nachos

Pair this recipe with a copycat KFC coleslaw!

Copycat KFC Coleslaw


This is a copycat recipe of the famous KFC Coleslaw. It’s quick, easy, flavourful, and delicious!

How to store leftover pulled pork:

To store: Use the leftover liquid from the Instant Pot and submerge the shredded pulled pork into this liquid and keep refrigerated for a few days or freeze. When ready to eat again, reheat with the liquid and strain the pork out before mixing with BBQ sauce.

You can also freeze it flat in a freezer bag with the pork rolled out in a thin layer, then when you need to use it in a pinch, just break off what you need.

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

This recipe was adapted from TatestBetterFromScratch.

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • Rub:
    • 1 Tbsp brown sugar, packed
    • 1 Tbsp gochugaru/Korean chilli powder (or substitute for 1/2 Tbsp cayenne) – optional
    • 2 tsps smoked paprika
    • 2 tsps garlic powder
    • 2 tsps onion powder
    • 1 tsp cumin
    • 1.5 tsps kosher salt
    • 1.5 tsp fresh ground black pepper
  • 2kg/4 pounds of pork shoulder/butt, or pork loin roast, cut into 4 large even pieces
    • This will allow more even cooking rather than one large roast which can get tough in the middle.
  • 1 can/355ml/12 fl. oz of regular Coca-cola (not diet, not zero, not flavoured)
  • Your favourite bottle of barbecue sauce

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients for the rub together: 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 Tbsp gochugaru, 2 tsps smoked paprika, 2 tsps garlic powder, 2 tsps onion powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1.5 tsps salt, 1 tsp black pepper.

Massage the rub mixture into the pork pieces and marinate for at least 1 hour or better if overnight.

Place the marinated pork into the Instant Pot and pour a can of Coca-cola around the pork.

Close the instant pot lid and cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 75 minutes then let it natural release for 15 minutes before carefully venting it.

Remove the cooked pork from the juices into a glass bowl or pot and use 2 forks to shred the pork. It should be perfectly cooked and very easy to shred. If you’re finding it tough, then cook for a bit longer. Remember, the flavours are meant to be subtle to not overpower your choice of BBQ sauce. Don’t adjust any seasoning the seasoning until after you’ver added your sauce.

Mix with your favourite BBQ sauce poured over top. Done!

Summarized Recipe:

Insanely Easy Instant Pot Pulled Pork

Date Published: Sept 11th, 2025 | Last Updated: Sept 11th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: easy, mains
Serves: 6 | Prep time: 15 minutes + marinating time | Cook time: 75 minutes

Ingredients:

  • Rub:
    • 1 Tbsp brown sugar, packed
    • 1 Tbsp gochugaru/Korean chilli powder (or substitute for 1/2 Tbsp cayenne) – optional
    • 2 tsps smoked paprika
    • 2 tsps garlic powder
    • 2 tsps onion powder
    • 1 tsp cumin
    • 1.5 tsps kosher salt
    • 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
  • 2kg/4 pounds of pork shoulder/butt, or pork loin roast, cut into 4 large even pieces
    • This will allow more even cooking rather than one large roast which can get tough in the middle.
  • 1 can/355ml/12 fl. oz of Coca-cola
  • Your favourite bottle of barbecue sauce

Directions:

  1. In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients for the rub together: 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 Tbsp gochugaru, 2 tsps smoked paprika, 2 tsps garlic powder, 2 tsps onion powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1.5 tsps salt, 1 tsp black pepper.
  2. Massage the rub mixture into the pork pieces and marinate for at least 1 hour or better if overnight.
  3. Place the marinated pork into the Instant Pot and pour a can of Coca-cola around the pork. Close the instant pot lid and cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 75 minutes then let it natural release for 15 minutes before carefully venting it.
  4. Remove the cooked pork from the juices into a glass bowl or pot and use 2 forks to shred the pork. It should be perfectly cooked and very easy to shred. If you’re finding it tough, then cook for a bit longer. Remember, the flavours are meant to be subtle to not overpower your choice of BBQ sauce. Don’t adjust any seasoning the seasoning until after you’ver added your sauce.
  5. Once shredded, mix with your favourite BBQ sauce poured over top. Done!

To store: Use the leftover liquid from the Instant Pot and submerge the shredded pulled pork into this liquid and keep refrigerated for a few days or freeze. When ready to eat again, reheat with the liquid and strain the pork out before mixing with BBQ sauce.

AbbyLeave a comment

Golden Diner Honey Butter Pancakes


Date Published: Sept 9th, 2025 | Last Updated: Sept 9th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: breads, dessert, snack, easy, vegetarian
Serves: 4 pancakes | Prep time: 1 hour | Cook time: 5-7 minutes per pancake

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The Honey Butter Pancakes at Golden Diner in NYC has been the latest viral craze. My friend back home in Canada was the first to show me the TikTok and since seeing the video, I’ve been hearing about this place non-stop. Although I’m not a huge fan of pancakes, I am however OBSESSED with the honey butter chips that this dish was inspired from. If you’ve never had the chips, you should definitely try it before going – it’s sweet, it’s savoury, it’s umami, it’s everything!

After getting off two trains and waiting 2 hours for a table on a weekday, we were finally seated. I’m glad to report that their Honey Butter Pancakes were indeed worth it. The honey butter syrup really does taste just like the chips and the thick but light and fluffy pancakes were the perfect texture to carry the heavy syrup. It comes in a single or double serving. I’d recommend the single – it’s quite heavy and after a while it can be a bit much if you don’t have a sweet tooth. You can read the rest of my review on the diner and some other local Manhattan Chinatown eats here.

Honey Butter Pancakes at Golden Diner

The Ultimate Guide to a Manhattan Chinatown Food Crawl – bring cash!


Manhattan Chinatown is full of amazing authentic Asian food but in a neighbourhood full of Chinese signage and shop keepers that barely speak English, it can be daunting to find the best food spots amongst the literal hundreds of restaurants in this neighbourhood. This food guide highlights some of my favourite places to eat in Chinatown…

Since visiting Golden Diner, I added the Honey Butter pancakes on my list of things to try and recreate, but lucky for me, chef and owner Sam Yoo already shared his recipe through NYT Cooking. After following his recipe to the tee, I made a few adjustments to streamline the cooking process and also dissected out the ingredients list for more clarity. I’ve shared them in this recipe below.

A Breakdown of the Golden Diner Pancakes:

There are 4 components to the pancakes at Golden Diner:

  1. The pancakes, of course – these are beautifully light and fluffy pancakes that perfectly soaks up the honey butter syrup. The batter goes through a fermentation phase (called the preferment) that gives it an extra depth of flavour and also a better rise.
  2. The Honey Butter Syrup – this is the star of the show. The genius combination of maple syrup, honey, and soy sauce makes the perfect blend of sweet, umami, and savoury.
  3. Maple Honey Butter (optional) – this topping is made using similar ingredients as the honey butter syrup, minus the soy sauce. It’s easy to make, but honestly, the honey butter syrup is already so flavourful with the same flavour profile that it masks the taste of this maple honey butter. Unless I’m eating this butter alone, I can barely notice it. I’ve included it in this recipe anyway to keep it true to how they serve it at Golden Diner, but regular butter would suffice in my opinion, so I’ve noted this as an “optional” component in the dish.
  4. Berry Compote (optional) – this is an optional add-on at Golden Diner for an extra $4. We didn’t have it originally but after making it at home it was a good choice to omit it. Although the Berry Compote is delicious, I found that the bold berry flavours completely masks the flavours of the honey butter syrup, which is the whole point of this dish. If you’re going to add the Berry Compote, you might as well just use regular maple syrup on the dish.

In summary, although there are 4 components of this dish, I find that the only essential two are the fluffy pancakes and the honey butter syrup. I tend to skip making the maple honey butter and just use regular butter instead and if I’m making the berry compote (which is Toby’s favourite part), I’ll pair it with regular maple syrup.

With the syrup and maple honey butter
With the berry compote

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Equipment you’ll need:

  • One or two small non-stick pans (16cm/6.5-7 inch diameter)
    • Two will make your life easier and cook the pancakes faster, but one is enough if you don’t care about speed.

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • Pancake Batter:
    • Pre-Ferment:
      • 2.25 tsps (7g or one 1/4 oz packet) active dry yeast (instant yeast is fine too)
      • 1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour
      • 1.25 cups (300g) buttermilk (or mix 1.25cups whole milk + 1.25 Tbsps lemon juice, let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it lightly thickens)
      • 1/4 cup (60ml) water
    • 1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour
    • 2 Tbsps (28g) granulated sugar
    • 3/4 tsps (5g) baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp fine salt
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1/4 cup (60g) neutral-tasting oil (ie. canola, vegetable…etc.)
  • Maple Honey Syrup:
    • 1/2 cup (113g or 1 stick) unsalted butter
    • 1/3 cup (100g) honey
    • 1.5 Tbsps (22g) maple syrup
    • 1 tsp soy sauce
    • 1/2 tsp fine salt
    • 1.5 Tbsps water
  • Maple Honey Butter (optional):
    • 1/2 cup (113g or 1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
    • 3 Tbsps (57g) honey
    • 2 Tbsps (28g) pure maple syrup
    • 3/4 tsp fine salt
  • Berry Compote (optional):
    • 14oz (400g) mixed berries (ie. blueberries, raspberries, strawberries), cut to the same size as the small berries
    • 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
    • 1.5 tsps cornstarch
  • Zest of 1 lemon for garnish

Directions:

A) Make the Pancake Batter:

Pre-Ferment the batter (this step helps the pancakes have better rise, with deeper flavour by a fermentation process):

1. In a large microwave-safe bowl, add in the 1.25 cups buttermilk with 1/4 cup water. Microwave for 30 seconds at a time until lukewarm (~38-40˚C/100-104˚F). (If you don’t have any buttermilk on hand, mix 1.25 cups of whole milk with 1.25 Tbsps of lemon juice and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it slightly thickens/clumps.)

If you don’t have buttermilk, mix 1.25cups whole milk with 1.25Tbsp lemon juice.
Heat the buttermilk with water until lukewarm

You can also do this in a small saucepan on LOW-MED heat and heat until it becomes lukewarm.

2. Whisk the 2.25 tsp yeast and 1 cup (130g) flour into the warmed buttermilk/water mixture until smooth.

3. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for 1 hour at room temperature.

Cover and leave at room temperature for 1 hour.

You can make the maple honey syrup, butter, and berry compote in this time.

Finishing off the batter:

4. After 1 hour check on the batter and give it a stir. It will have risen a little and formed clumps.

After 1 hour it will have risen a little and formed clumps.

5. In a separate small bowl, mix together the remaining dry ingredients for the batter: 1 cup (130g) of flour, 2 Tbsps (28g) sugar, 3/4 tsps (5g) baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt. Set aside.

Dry ingredients for the rest of the batter

6. In another larger mixing bowl, whisk together 2 large eggs and 1/4 cup neutral oil until smooth. Add in the pre-ferment batter into the egg/oil mixture, then slowly add in the combined dry ingredients prepared in the previous step (flour, sugar, baking soda, salt). Gently stir with the whisk until the dry ingredients are incorporated, it’s okay if the batter is lumpy.

2 eggs + 1/4 cup neutral oil
Whisk until smooth
Add in the preferment batter
Add in the dry ingredients
Gently whisk until smooth
Batter is ready for cooking!

B) Make the Maple Honey Syrup:

In a small saucepan on LOW-MED heat, add in the 1/2 cup (113g) butter, 1/3 cup (100g) honey, 1.5 Tbsps (24g) maple syrup, 1 tsp soy sauce, and 1/2 tsp fine salt. Whisk until the butter melts completely.

Add 1.5 Tbsps water and continue whisking until emulsified then reduce the heat to the lowest setting to keep warm until ready to use.

Melt butter with honey, soy, maple syrup, and salt
Add water while whisking
Whisk until emulsified

C) Make the Maple Honey Butter (optional):

In a bowl, whisk together the 1/2 cup (113g) softened butter, 3 Tbsps (57g) honey, 2 Tbsps (28g) maple syrup, and 3/4 tsps salt. Keep at room temperature if using within a few hours, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Pro-tip for storing leftover butter: spoon out the butter onto plastic wrap and roll into a log then refrigerate. Once the butter firms up, you can slice it and use as needed!

D) Make the Berry Compote (optional):

In a bowl, add in the mixed berries, 1/3 cup (67g) sugar, and 1.5 tsps cornstarch. Gently mix until the berries are evenly coated.

Heat a deep pan on HIGH heat. Splash a drop of water onto the pan and if it sizzles right away, then the pan is ready. Add the berry mixture from the previous step and cook until the blueberries are soft and easy to squish (~3-5 minutes), stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.

E) Cook the Pancakes:

Heat one or two small non-stick pans (16cm/6.5-7 inch diameter) on MED heat.

Once the pan has heated up, pour in 1 ladle of batter into the pan, which should fill up about 1/3 of the depth of the pan.

Let the batter cook for 2-3 minutes until the edges are cooked (see photo), then gently loosen the pancake from underneath and flip it over. Turn the heat down to LOW and continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes until the center is cooked (the internal temp will by 31-32˚C/88-90˚F).

Note the cooked edges will separate from the edge of the pan
Flip when golden brown underneath

Pro-tip: It can be tricky to flip a pancake when it’s in a small pan, so here are a few cheat ways to make it easier:

Method 1: If you have two of the same size pans, you can loosen the pancake first, then place the other skillet over top and directly flip it into the other pan and continue cooking.

Method 1: Use two small pans and flip onto each other (make sure to loosen the pancake first!)

Method 2: You could alternatively flip it into a large base non-stick pan and continue to cook since the pancake should hold its shape from the first pan. Tuck in any loose batter into the pancake.

Method 2: Flip the pancake onto a larger heated pan

Method 3: If your small pans are oven/broil-safe, you can just pop the pan under the broiler on LOW until it cooks through without having to actually flip it. I haven’t tried this method before, but this was how I saw them do it at Golden Diner for a perfectly shaped pancake each time.

Repeat this process for the remaining pancakes, ensuring you heat up the pan each time between pancakes.

F) To Serve:

Place 1 or 2 pancakes onto a plate and evenly drench the maple honey syrup over top right away. Spoon the berry compote on top (if using) then a dollop of the maple honey butter (if using) over the berries. Sprinkle some fresh lemon zest over top and serve immediately! Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Golden Diner Honey Butter Pancakes

Date Published: Sept 9th, 2025 | Last Updated: Sept 9th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: breads, dessert, snack, easy, vegetarian
Serves: 4 pancakes | Prep time: 1 hour | Cook time: 5-7 minutes per pancake

Equipment you’ll need:

  • One or two small non-stick pans (16cm/6.5-7 inch diameter)
    • Two will make your life easier and cook the pancakes faster, but one is enough if you don’t care about speed.

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • Pancake Batter:
    • Pre-Ferment:
      • 2.25 tsps (7g or one 1/4 oz packet) active dry yeast (instant yeast is fine too)
      • 1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour
      • 1.25 cups (300g) buttermilk (or mix 1.25cups whole milk + 1.25 Tbsps lemon juice, let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it lightly thickens)
      • 1/4 cup (60ml) water
    • 1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour
    • 2 Tbsps (28g) granulated sugar
    • 3/4 tsps (5g) baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp fine salt
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1/4 cup (60g) neutral-tasting oil (ie. canola, vegetable…etc.)
  • Maple Honey Syrup:
    • 1/2 cup (113g or 1 stick) unsalted butter
    • 1/3 cup (100g) honey
    • 1.5 Tbsps (22g) maple syrup
    • 1 tsp soy sauce
    • 1/2 tsp fine salt
    • 1.5 Tbsps water
  • Maple Honey Butter (optional):
    • 1/2 cup (113g or 1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
    • 3 Tbsps (57g) honey
    • 2 Tbsps (28g) pure maple syrup
    • 3/4 tsp fine salt
  • Berry Compote (optional):
    • 14oz (400g) mixed berries (ie. blueberries, raspberries, strawberries), cut to the same size as the small berries
    • 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
    • 1.5 tsps cornstarch
  • Zest of 1 lemon for garnish

Directions:

A) Make the Pancake Batter:

  • Pre-Ferment the batter (this step helps the pancakes have better rise, with deeper flavour by a fermentation process):
    • 1. In a large microwave-safe bowl, add in the 1.25 cups buttermilk with 1/4 cup water. Microwave for 30 seconds at a time until lukewarm (~38-40˚C/100-104˚F).
      • (If you don’t have any buttermilk on hand, mix 1.25 cups of whole milk with 1.25 Tbsps of lemon juice and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it slightly thickens/clumps.)
      • You can also do this in a small saucepan on LOW-MED heat and heat until it becomes lukewarm.
    • 2. Whisk the 2.25 tsp yeast and 1 cup (130g) flour into the warmed buttermilk/water mixture until smooth.
    • 3. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for 1 hour at room temperature.
      • You can make the maple honey syrup, butter, and berry compote in this time.
  • Finishing off the batter:
    • 4. After 1 hour check on the batter and give it a stir. It will have risen a little and formed clumps.
    • 5. In a separate small bowl, mix together the remaining dry ingredients for the batter: 1 cup (130g) of flour, 2 Tbsps (28g) sugar, 3/4 tsps (5g) baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt. Set aside.
    • 6. In another larger mixing bowl, whisk together 2 large eggs and 1/4 cup neutral oil until smooth. Add in the pre-ferment batter into the egg/oil mixture, then slowly add in the combined dry ingredients prepared in the previous step (flour, sugar, baking soda, salt). Gently stir with the whisk until the dry ingredients are incorporated, it’s okay if the batter is lumpy.

B) Make the Maple Honey Syrup:

  1. In a small saucepan on LOW-MED heat, add in the 1/2 cup (113g) butter, 1/3 cup (100g) honey, 1.5 Tbsps (24g) maple syrup, 1 tsp soy sauce, and 1/2 tsp fine salt. Whisk until the butter melts completely.
  2. Add 1.5 Tbsps water and continue whisking until emulsified then reduce the heat to the lowest setting to keep warm until ready to use.

C) Make the Maple Honey Butter (optional):

  1. In a bowl, whisk together the 1/2 cup (113g) softened butter, 3 Tbsps (57g) honey, 2 Tbsps (28g) maple syrup, and 3/4 tsps salt. Keep at room temperature if using within a few hours, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
    • Pro-tip for storing leftover butter: spoon out the butter onto plastic wrap and roll into a log then refrigerate. Once the butter firms up, you can slice it and use as needed!

D) Make the Berry Compote (optional):

  1. In a bowl, add in the mixed berries, 1/3 cup (67g) sugar, and 1.5 tsps cornstarch. Gently mix until the berries are evenly coated.
  2. Heat a deep pan on HIGH heat. Splash a drop of water onto the pan and if it sizzles right away, then the pan is ready. Add the berry mixture from the previous step and cook until the blueberries are soft and easy to squish (~3-5 minutes), stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.

E) Cook the Pancakes:

  1. Heat one or two small non-stick pans (16cm/6.5-7 inch diameter) on MED heat.
  2. Once the pan has heated up, pour in 1 ladle of batter into the pan, which should fill up about 1/3 of the depth of the pan.
  3. Let the batter cook for 2-3 minutes until the edges are cooked (see photo), then gently loosen the pancake from underneath and flip it over. Turn the heat down to LOW and continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes until the center is cooked (the internal temp will by 31-32˚C/88-90˚F).
    • Pro-tip: It can be tricky to flip a pancake when it’s in a small pan, so here are a few cheat ways to make it easier:
      • Method 1: If you have two of the same size pans, you can loosen the pancake first, then place the other skillet over top and directly flip it into the other pan and continue cooking.
      • Method 2: You could alternatively flip it into a large base non-stick pan and continue to cook since the pancake should hold its shape from the first pan. Tuck in any loose batter into the pancake.
      • Method 3: If your small pans are oven/broil-safe, you can just pop the pan under the broiler on LOW until it cooks through without having to actually flip it. I haven’t tried this method before, but this was how I saw them do it at Golden Diner for a perfectly shaped pancake each time.
  4. Repeat this process for the remaining pancakes, ensuring you heat up the pan each time between pancakes.

F) To Serve:

Place 1 or 2 pancakes onto a plate and evenly drench the maple honey syrup over top right away. Spoon the berry compote on top (if using) then a dollop of the maple honey butter (if using) over the berries. Sprinkle some fresh lemon zest over top and serve immediately!

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The Ultimate Guide to a Manhattan Chinatown Food Crawl – bring cash!


Date Published: Sept 2nd, 2025 | Last Updated: Sept 11th, 2025
Author: Abby | Category: Travel, USA

Manhattan Chinatown is full of amazing authentic Asian food but in a neighbourhood full of Chinese signage and shop keepers that barely speak English, it can be daunting to find the best food spots amongst the literal hundreds of restaurants in this neighbourhood. This food guide highlights some of my favourite places to eat in Chinatown including local must-have items! Many of these places are known for only 1 or 2 items on their menu, so we often like to jump from restaurant to restaurant, ordering only a couple things at each place to sample our way through Chinatown. Come hungry as you journey through this food crawl with me!

Contents:

  1. Before you head to Chinatown, here are a few tips to follow to ensure a good time
  2. Where is Manhattan Chinatown?
  3. My favourite Manhattan Chinatown eateries:
Manhattan Chinatown

Before you head to Chinatown, here are a few tips to follow to ensure a good time:

  1. Always bring cash. Many of these hole-in-the-wall joints only take cash and most won’t have ATMs on site. Even if they do take card, often there’ll be a discount if you pay in cash!
  2. Don’t hold up the line. Chinatown operates like many hustle and bustle places in Asia. It’s often about speed and high turnover in many of these OG places. Try and figure out what you want before you get in line (the lines can move very quickly!) or take a photo of the menu and step to the side to take your time deciding what you want to avoid holding up the line.
  3. Don’t expect good service. Time and time again so many fantastic authentic Chinese food joints get poor ratings due to poor service. In Asia, many of these authentic hole-in-the-wall eateries and old school joints are about serving up food quick and cheap and turning over as many tables as they can, street-style. Don’t expect table service, don’t expect niceties, just go in and expect good food and the rest is a bonus. Don’t take it personally, it’s just a way of life that has been ingrained in our cultures. If you prefer a good sit down service, then I’d recommend finding a larger fancy Chinese restaurant – but I have none in the recommendations below, this post is all about quick, cheap, delicious food.
  4. Be prepared to stand or take away. Not exclusive to Chinatown, many food shops in NYC are standing room only or takeaway only, so be prepared to do either. Keep this in mind especially if you’re coming from a day of walking or exploring the city and you’re looking for a place to sit for lunch.
Manhattan Chinatown after a snowstorm

Where is Manhattan Chinatown?

There are a few Chinatowns around NYC (ie Flushing and Bay Ridge), but there’s only one in Manhattan. A quick Google search will show you the outline of this neighbourhood that borders Little Italy. I’ve highlighted the neighbourhood in the maps below.

If you’re feeling like exploring the city and working up an appetite before lunch, my favourite morning route that we take visiting guests is to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge from DUMBO in Brooklyn, walk around the Financial District/Wall Street area, then head up towards Chinatown for lunch. Afterwards you could walk through Little Italy then up to SOHO. You can also consider doing a day of exploring the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island then have dinner in Chinatown afterwards.

Zoomed out map of Chinatown in Manhattan
Zoomed in map of Chinatown, Manhattan
Manhattan Chinatown after a snowstorm

Although Chinatown spans a relatively large area, many of the popular eateries are concentrated around Grand Street, Bayard Street, and Bowery. I’ve mapped out the eateries in this post below to give you an idea of where these places are located (I’m a visual learner – I like maps to orient myself when planning 😊).

My favourite Manhattan Chinatown eateries:

Without further ado, here’s a list of my favourite Chinatown eateries in Manhattan. Let me know in the comments if I’ve missed something you think should be included here!

Matcha Cafe Maiko (the best matcha soft serve we’ve ever had)

Address: 132 Bowery, New York, NY 10013 (multiple locations)
Hours: 12pm-10pm, daily
Website: https://www.matchacafe-maiko.com/eng/
Average spend per person: $5-$15
What to order: matcha and hojicha soft serve

When we first moved to New York, we stayed at an AirBnb for a few weeks until we were able to find an apartment. Matcha Cafe Maiko just happened to be right below our AirBnb. They have some of the best matcha and hojicha soft serves we’ve ever had! Matcha Cafe Maiko uses high quality matcha that allows the strong flavours to come through in all of their desserts. Highly recommend! (Although not a “Chinatown eatery”, this place is so good that I just had to include it in this post!)

Hojicha soft serve
Matcha & Hojicha swirled soft serve

Sanmiwago (a Taiwanese spot with great dumplings)

Address: 90 Bowery, New York, NY 10013
Hours: 9am-2am, daily
Website: https://sanmiwagomeals.com/menu
Average spend per person: $10-$20
What to order: signature pork and chives pan-fried dumplings

We found this place randomly because we were super hungry and it was around the corner from our AirBnb at the time. They advertise themselves as Taiwanese food which was what attracted me to them in the first place, but there are items on the menu that can be from other areas of Asia. It was a small shop and food came out quickly, I honestly can’t even remember everything we ordered, but I remembered that their signature pan-friend pork and chive dumplings were really good!

Xi’an Famous Foods (great spot for cumin lamb and noodles)

Address: 45 Bayard St, New York, NY 10013 (multiple locations)
Hours: 11am-9pm, daily
Website: http://xianfoods.com/
Average spend per person: $10-$20
What to order: spicy cumin lamb noodles, cumin lamb burger

Xi’an Famous Foods serves up delicious food with unique flavours from the Xi’an province of China (read: spicy & lots of cumin). They originally started off in a tiny hole in the wall shop and grew such a large following that they now have 16 locations across the city! A large part of their success can be attributed to a visit from Anthony Bourdain in an episode of No Reservations. Xi’an Famous Foods is known for their spicy cumin lamb noodles and the spicy cumin lamb burger. Both dishes are similar in flavour (one has the cumin lamb served over noodles and the other has the lamb stuffed inside a bun). The noodles are fresh and hand-pulled with the perfect texture so I prefer it over the burger. There’s also a side table with self-serve sauces – I would HIGHLY recommend slapping on their chilli oil and then buy a couple jars to take home. It has a great smokey flavour without being too spicy.

I first came here about 10 years ago and I’m happy to report that although their meat portions in the burger have gotten much smaller, the flavour of the food is just as delicious.

Lamb burger
Spicy cumin lamb noodles

ChiCha San Chen (the best bubble tea we’ve had)

Address: 72-74 Bayard St, New York, NY 10013
Hours: 11:30am-9:30pm daily
Website: https://chichasanchenny.com/
Average spend per person: $8-$12
What to order: bubble milk tea, dong ding oolong tea latte

This is a pretty new spot in Chinatown that only opened in May 2024. It’s a Taiwanese bubble tea company known for their high quality teas and strong flavours and they have a pretty strong fan base. As a Taiwanese person from the land of bubble teas, I’ve had more than my fair share of bubble tea so I’ve got some pretty high standards. At first glance, it’s a fancy looking shop decorated with the theme of marketing high quality Taiwanese tea. The menu is small compared to many bubble tea shops but I didn’t mind because it helps to avoid choice paralysis. We ordered the ding dong oolong tea latte and the bubble milk tea. It was pretty expensive, at about $10 per drink and only comes in the medium size. It took a while for us to get our drink but as we sat there waiting, you can appreciate how much care they take into brewing each cup of tea. The end result paid off. It was indeed one of the most tea-heavy flavourful bubble teas we’ve ever had. If you’re into quality tea, I’d highly recommend checking this place out, but be prepared to wait (it was about 15-20 minutes before we got our drink) and spend $10 per drink.

Kong Sihk Tong (Hong Kong street food)

Address: 65 Bayard St, New York, NY 10013
Hours: 8am-9pm Sun-Thurs, 8am-10pm Fri-Sat
Website: https://kongsihktong.com/
Average spend per person: $10-$20
What to order: Golden lava French toast, beef chowfun in brown sauce, baked rice

Kong Sihk Tong is a place known for serving up Hong Kong style street/fast food. We came here for the first time based on online recommendations. Food was overall average (some fantastic, some just okay) but the prices were great and the service was fast (as you’d expect from a Chinatown joint). There’s a large menu and they take cash only. We went during winter around 11:30am and we were able to be seated right away. Some reviews say that there are often lines out the door in the summer!

We got a few dishes:

  • Curry fish balls: One of their most highly reviewed dishes. It was decent, but similar to the other curry fish balls you can find in Chinatown so I didn’t feel like it was anything special.
  • Golden lava French toast: Another popular item on the menu. It tasted great, but it was definitely on the sweet side. It’s better eaten as a dessert rather than breakfast.
  • Beef chow fun in brown sauce: Fantastic. Great wok hei flavour. It was Toby’s favourite dish of the meal.
  • Baked rice with pork chop: You have an option of 3 sauces: cream, tomato, or black pepper. I ordered the cream base for nostalgia, but was pretty disappointed. I’ve definitely had way better. The pork chop in it was pretty good though! I saw many people order the baked rice – perhaps I’ll try a different sauce base last time since the waitress said it was one of their more popular dishes.

Overall, some dishes were great, some were just okay, but they’ve got a huge menu and we’re open to coming back and trying some of their other dishes!

Curry fish balls
Beef chow fun in brown sauce
Baked rice with pork chop
Golden lava French toast
Golden lava French toast

Bánh Mì Saigon (a damn good Banh Mi)

Address: 198 Grand St, New York, NY 10013
Hours: 10am -5:30pm, Tues – Sun (closed Mondays)
Website: https://banh-mi-saigon.restaurants-world.com/
Average spend per person: $6 – $10
What to order: Banh Mi Saigon (BBQ Pork sandwich)

If you’re looking for Banh Mi in NYC, you’ll be met with countless options. In the search to find the best Banh Mi NYC has to offer, two places kept popping up in my research time and time again: Bánh Mì Saigon and Saigon Vietnamese Sandwich Deli (see below).

For those that are unfamiliar what a Banh Mi is, it is a Vietnamese sandwich made with a French-style baguette-like crusty bread that is filled with a myriad of ingredients that include pickled vegetables, paté, and an option of different meats (no cilantro on mine please). This flavourful combination make it a staple in many Vietnamese restaurants in NYC.

Between the two shops, Bánh Mì Saigon is a larger shop that’s brightly lit with lots of standing room, but no place to sit. Their most popular is the “#1 Banh Mi Saigon” which includes BBQ Pork as the protein. It’s only $8 for a decent sized sandwich. They had by far the best Banh Mi bread I’ve ever had. It has such a perfect crust and texture. and there was a good balance of flavours. Highly recommend!

Saigon Vietnamese Sandwich Deli (another damn good Banh Mi)

Address: 369 Broome St, New York, NY 10013
Hours: 7am – 7pm Tues – Sat, 7am – 5pm Sun, closed Mon
Website: https://www.saigonvietnamesesandwichdeli.com/
Average spend per person: $10 – $12
What to order: #1 House Special (Grilled Pork, Vietnamese Salami, Vietnamese Ham)

Saigon Vietnamese Sandwich Deli is a much smaller shop compared to Banh Mi Saigon. This tiny shop has just enough room for their ordering counter and a large fridge with cold drinks and unlike most Chinatown shops, they actually have a small table by the window and 2 chairs for sitting. Their specialty sandwich is the “No. 1 House Special (grilled pork with Vietnamese ham and Vietnamese salami)”. Although the bread is not as perfect as the bread at Banh Mi Saigon, their filling was really flavourful. My favourite part was the Vietnamese ham 😋. Also highly recommend!

Tonii’s Fresh Rice Noodle (the best rice noodles I’ve ever had)

Address: 83 Bayard St, New York, NY 10013
Hours: 7:30am – 6:30pm
Website: none
Average spend per person:
What to order: Tonii’s special rice noodles (pork, chicken, and dry shrimp) with all the sauces

ChangFun or rice noodles are something I’ve only ever had at dim sum places. It’s usually a rolled up long white noodle dish with a protein wrapped inside and soy sauce drizzled overtop. I had never had fresh rice noodles until coming to New York and Tonii’s (yes, with 2 i’s) blew my mind! At first glance, this hole-in-the-wall shop has no seating and the inside looks a bit suss. There’s a crappy half-fallen down outdoor area with a couple of old chairs and tables that you can maybe clean off yourself if you want to sit and eat, but all the food is packaged as takeaway. I was skeptical, but upon first bite, I was in love! The fresh rice noodles here are so much softer than any dim sum place I’ve ever had. They offer a few different protein options, but their most popular (and my favourite) is the ‘Tonii’s special’ which has pork, chicken and dry shrimp. The rice noodles comes with 4 sauces that are packaged separately and you pour it on yourself: chili oil crisp, sweet soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and peanut sauce. I would highly recommend adding all 4 sauces and mix it all up. It’s seriously delicious and one of my favourite chinatown gems!

Mei Lai Wah (the best pineapple BBQ pork bun you’ll ever have)

Address: 41 Mott St, New York, NY 10013
Hours: 8:30am – 7:30pm
Website: http://meilaiwah.com/
Average spend per person: $3 – $10
What to order: Pineapple BBQ Pork Bun

Mei Lai Wah has hands down THE best BBQ pork buns (charsiu bao) in the city. They come in a regular bun or pineapple bun. The pineapple bun is a misnomer and is named due to the buttery crackled crust on top of the bun that resembles the pattern of the side of a pineapple, but has no pineapple flavour at all. I’d highly recommend getting the pineapple BBQ pork bun – it’s their number one seller. The sweet buttery topping paired with the fatty savoury charsiu pork filling is out of this world!

This place if often very busy with a line up out the door, but the line moves quickly. There’s usually 2 lines, one for cash only and the other for card payment. The cash line is usually much shorter and you can often walk right in to the counter. The shop is quite small, with very limited space and can fit about 5 or 6 people in the store at one time and it’s takeaway only. The buns are baked fresh and served right away, piping hot!

Chang Lai Fishballs Noodles (a place for fishballs and rice noodles)

Address: 55 Bayard St Store B, New York, NY 10013
Hours: 8am – 5:30pm, daily
Website: https://changlaifishballnoodles.dine.online/locations/6703032?fulfillment=pickup
Average spend per person: $10 – $15
What to order: A1. Curry fishballs with rice noodles

This fishballs and noodles shop started off as a food cart and operated on Grand Street for 30 years and only recently opened up this location in 2023. It’s run by a lovely husband and wife (?) team that are so proud of their food and so friendly. Their most popular item on the menu is the “A1 curry fishballs with rice noodles”. I thought the fishballs were just okay but Toby loved them. The rice noodles were my favourite. They’re rolled up and cut into small pieces and mixed with a combination of 4 or 5 sauces that’s a perfect portion for a snack. This is a small shop with limited seating, enough for about 3-4 people.

The Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory (ice cream with Asian flavours)

Address: 65 Bayard St, New York, NY 10013
Hours: 11am – 10pm daily
Website: http://www.chinatownicecreamfactory.com/
Average spend per person: $8 – 16
What to order: anything! Free samples of their ice cream – popular flavours are pandan and black sesame

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory is a small shop on Bayard Street that serves, you guessed it, ice cream! There are a TON of ice cream shops throughout NYC but nowhere else will you find unique Asian ice cream flavours such as durian, black sesame, matcha, pandan, lychee, ginger, red bean – that’s just to name a few. There’s usually a small line out the door in the evenings, however it moves quickly. There’s only enough room for about 5-6 people in the shop at one time and there’s no seating available. You can sample as many flavours as you like but note that popular flavours can run out earlier in the evening, so I’d recommend coming earlier if you’ve got your eyes set on something. Although a bit pricey at $8 a scoop and $11.50 for two scoops, their portions are quite generous.

We’ve been here twice now and although there’s no doubt better quality ice cream elsewhere with a creamier texture, the flavours they infuse into their ice cream knocks it out of the park and keeps us coming back.

Double Crispy Bakery (great steam buns and egg tarts)

Address: 230 Grand St, New York, NY 10013
Hours: 7am – 7pm, every day
Website: none
Average spend per person: $5 – $10
What to order: egg tarts (2 kinds), pineapple bun, mooncakes

I’m always on the hunt for a great egg tart. Double Crispy Bakery was recommended by a coworker of mine who’s a born and bred local. This bakery offers egg tarts in two different types: a “Custard egg tart” which is more traditionally Chinese with a formed crumbly crust and an intact gelatin-like eggy center, and the other a “Macau style egg tart” which is similar to the Portuguese egg tart, pastel de nata, that has a flaky crispy crust with a softer creamier eggy center. Both were delicious. The custard filling had great flavour with a boost of vanilla, but the flaky crispy crust of the “Macau-style” was preferable for me. Although not my favourite egg tart shop (that’s in Bay Ridge), it’s still pretty good here!

They also have a good pineapple bun (a misnomer that’s named for its flaky sweet crust that resembles a pineapple, but actually has no pineapple flavour at all) and mooncakes year-round in a few flavours (I don’t love mooncakes, so you can be the judge). Their large steam buns behind the counter are also pretty decent and are filled with savoury pork, egg, and Chinese sausage.

Shu Jiao FuZhou Cuisine (cheap peanut noodles)

Address: 295 Grand St, New York, NY 10002
Hours: 8am-8pm, 7 days a week
Website: none
Average spend per person: $3-$10
What to order: No. 5 peanut noodles, fried dumplings, fish ball soup

If you’re looking for great cheap Asian food in Chinatown, look no further than Shu Jiao FuZhou Cuisine. This no-flare restaurant offers street food items served at lightning fast speeds (seriously, the food was literally ready within 1 minute of us paying!) and nothing was over $6. Their most popular dish is the “No. 5 peanut noodles 拌面” for $3.25. It’s a generous portion of well-cooked soft wheat noodles over a peanut sauce mixture – no meat, no toppings, just noodles and sauce. I had my reservations when I first walked in and every other person in the restaurant was not Asian, but I love a good peanut noodle dish so I couldn’t resist. The peanut noodles are simple but indeed delicious and worth the visit! The cashier also recommended the fried dumplings (I thought was just okay, but Toby loved it), and the fish ball soup (which I also thought was okay but Toby enjoyed the vinegar addition to this classic soup). If you’re looking for a seriously quick and cheap place for decent food, check this place out!

The ZongZi/Bah-Chang lady outside of Grand Street Station

Address: Outside of Grand Street subway station (intersection of Grand Street & Christie Street) – just listen for her call of “Baaaah-chang”!
Hours: Usually 2pm-5pm most days
Website: https://maps.app.goo.gl/pVKw4RUNyq7avchf8
Average spend per person: $2-$3
What to order: Taiwan-style zongzi/”rice dumpling”

If you’re unfamiliar with the classic Chinese staple food, Zongzi (or also known as Bah-chang in the hokkien dialect) is glutinous/sticky rice filled with a choice different ingredients all wrapped in bamboo leaves in the shape of a triangle prism. The fillings can be savoury (commonly pork belly, egg yolk, mushroom, peanuts) or sweet (commonly red bean or mung bean). The Zongzi should be warmed prior to eating – most commonly via steaming, but you can also unwrap it and microwave it if you’re feeling lazy to bust out the steamer.

Like a character from a studio Ghibli movie, the beloved elderly Zongzi/Bah-chang lady has been selling zongzi for over 2 decades outside of the Grand Street subway station at the intersection of Grand and Christie. Her husband and daughter in law makes the zongzi and she sells them. You can hear her siren call of “Baaaaah-chang!” rain or shine.

Her most popular savoury zongzi is the Taiwan style (represent!) and the most popular sweet zongzi is the red bean. She sells them at a great price at $3 per meat-filled zongi and $2 for the others. Cash only!

We first heard of this lady when we first moved to New York in early 2023 and stayed in an AirBnB a few blocks away from the Grand Street station and would often hear her “Baaah-Chang” call. Unfortunately our AirBnb wasn’t equipped with a kitchen so we never had a chance to try them until recently! I bought her two most popular types and they were indeed pretty good. There was a decent amount of filling and the texture of the sticky rice was perfect. Although I’ve had better, for the price she charges and the quality of the filling, it’s a pretty good Zongzi.

Here’s a Youtube interview I found if you want to find out more about her story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJCbypba4kM&t=386s

The menu

Mee Sum Cafe (a breakfast joint with reputable Zongzi)

Address: 26 Pell St, New York, NY 10013
Hours: 5:30am – 5pm, daily
Website: none
Average spend per person: $10-$20 per person
What to order: dim sum, zong zi

Mee Sum Cafe is known as an OG local breakfast spot, open at 5:30am every single day and serves up traditional Chinese dishes including dim sum. If you’re looking for more Zong Zi (glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in leaves) recommendations, Mee Sum Cafe has a reputation for some great ones, offering up 7 different fillings. Unfortunately when we went, they only had 3 of their 7 kinds left, with the most popular ones sold out 😔. We didn’t have time to eat here so I bought a few frozen ones to go and tried it at home – it was just okay. Perhaps the ones that were sold out are much more worthy of their reputation 🤷🏻‍♀️. I debated whether or not to include them in this post since all I had was their Zongzi and wasn’t blown away, but due to their long standing reputation as an old school breakfast spot, I decided to include it so the rest of you can make your own decision on Mee Sum Cafe and also as a place marker to remind me to go back 🙃.

7 kinds of zongzi/sticky rice wrap

Golden Diner (honey butter pancakes)

Address: 123 Madison St, New York, NY 10002
Hours: 10am – 10pm most days (10am – 3pm on Thursdays) – make reservations ahead!
Website: http://www.goldendinerny.com/
Average spend per person: $20-$30 per person
What to order: Honey Butter Pancakes

Tucked away deep into the non-touristy parts of Chinatown where you need to speak some type of Chinese dialect to order food, Golden Diner is an American-Asian fusion diner that adds a twist to classic comfort foods. You may have seen this diner featured on many Tik Tok and Instagram videos lately showcasing their viral Honey Butter Pancakes – a friend of mine from Canada actually sent me a video of this place which is how we came to find it. I’m not overly excited about pancakes in general, but I am OBSESSED with honey butter chips so of course we had to come and try it. It took two trains to get to this prickly part the lower east side and without reservations, it was a 1.5 hour wait for a table at the bar. I’m glad to report that their Honey Butter Pancakes were indeed worth it. The honey butter syrup really does taste just like the chips and the thick and fluffy pancakes was the perfect light texture to carry the heavy syrup. It comes in a single or double serving. I’d recommend the single – it’s quite heavy and after a while it can be a bit much if you don’t have a sweet tooth.

I’ve written up the recipe for these pancakes that you can check out below:

Golden Diner Honey Butter Pancakes


The Honey Butter Pancakes from Golden Diner in Manhattan are the latest viral sensation! This recipe shows you how to recreate these fluffy pancakes with the unique umami honey butter sauce and a berry compote. Be warned – these heavy but luxurious pancakes may send you into a food coma!

We ordered a few other things here that unfortunately fell short. We had their special of the day which was a asian/cumin fried chicken wings with waffles – way too much cumin and the waffles were dry, and the matcha/hojicha coffee cake which had good flavour, but unfortunately was also very dry.

All-in-all, the pancakes were definitely worth it if you like honey-butter chips, but the rest of the things we ordered fell short. If you plan on visiting, make sure you make a booking, or else it could be over an hour wait for a table!

I hope you enjoyed my list of Chinatown eats! Let me know in the comments if there’s a place you think I should include on this list!

Happy eating!
Abby

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