Great NY Noodletown

28 Bowery, Chinatown, NY

6.7

map & more

Neighborhood
Chinatown

Cuisine
Chinese

Nearby
Bowery Ballroom
Brooklyn Bridge
Santos Party House

212-349-0923

Official Website

By Andrew Steinthal
April 13, 2011

We’re well aware that we don’t make it down to Chinatown enough. We’ve been knocking off a bunch of Authentic Ethnic Eats joints over the course the last six months, but most have not been of the Chinese variety. So we figure it’s time to dive in head first, and we might as well start with what seems to be everyone’s favorite.

We’ve now been to Noodletown multiple times, and to be brutally honest, we don’t get it. Yes, it’s good, but is it that good? People talk about this joint like it’s God’s gift. It’s entirely possible that we don’t know this culture well enough to appreciate their famous duck dish, which is served cold and, in our opinion, hardly edible. Also, the menu has an overwhelming characteristic across all dishes: salt, and a lot of it. Bitching aside, there is plenty to like here too, as the menu is insanely deep with classic noodle dishes and delicious pork options. It’s definitely one of the best Late Night Eats options around, and we dig the crazy waiters and the feverish pace at which they operate. Your soup is showing up at the table before you’re even done ordering.

So while Great NY Noodletown destroys the typical Chinese you’re used to having delivered on Sunday nights, we’re not on board with placing this Classic NYC Establishment anywhere near our top 50 restaurants. The bottom line is that we need to dig deeper into Chinatown. Suggestions welcome.

Photo Credit: Yun Cee Ng/NY Magazine

Food Rundown:

Soup
Obviously, you’re starting this meal off with a bowl of soup. The Won Ton Noodle Soup is where it’s at – especially the shrimp – and the roast pork in noodles is also excellent.

Roasted Duck
One of their most talked about dishes left us scratching our heads. Not a single person at our table could handle more than two bites. Maybe we’re complete amateurs, or maybe it’s just that we like our duck warm and not tasting like it just came out of the fridge after being wrapped in saran wrap for a week. Skip unless that sounds good.

Roasted Pork
The other end of the spectrum, the fatty strips of roasted pork are quite delicious. The crispy outside layer is done just right. Pig > Duck.

Soft Shelled Crab
Another one of their famous dishes. During soft shelled crab season they fry ‘em up and salt ‘em down like no one else. These crabs are damn tasty, albeit a little on the plain side when you take away their main source of seasoning. Definitely worth ordering, but not worth going out of your way for.

Pan Fried Noodles
What Noodletown does best. High quality noodle dishes that go down easy and don’t come along with the negative residual effects most of us are used to after eating a full plate Chinese action. We tried on the Singapore Chow Funn off a Serious Eats recommendation and it went over well. The Beef Chow Funn is the go-to, 4AM move when you’re wasted and starving. It’s not as good when you eat it sober.

Chicken
We’ve sampled the Genersal Tso and the Kung-Po chicken dishes. Both totally fine, but nothing to write home about.