Dim Sum and Ice Cream in Chinatown

Dim Sum at Jing Fong Restaurant - New York, NY

Jing Fong Restaurant
20 Elizabeth Street
New York, NY
(212) 294-5256 | Map

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
65 Bayard Street
New York, NY
(212) 608-4170 | Map



Last Sunday, I met up with some friends (Linda and Matt) at Jing Fong Restaurant in New York's Chinatown for dim sum after months of failed attempts at making it happen. I scarcely had time to take off my coat and set my purse on the floor when Matt asked, "Do you like chicken feet?" It was a question I wasn't anticipating. Before I could answer, Linda said, "I won't eat them." After pausing to ponder the question, I finally answered, "I don't think chicken feet should be the first thing I eat on a Sunday morning."

I had never been to Jing Fong before, so I didn't really know what to expect when we rode the escalator from the ground floor to the second floor. When we entered the main room, which was full of large round tables, we were escorted to a table in the back. I had to take a second to take it all in. Organized chaos! Eventually, two other parties of diners joined us at our table to fill up the empty seats. Rather than wait for the servers to push the food carts past our table, Matt grabbed our bill (so it could be stamped) and took the initiative to hunt down some dishes for us.

Rice Noodles Stuffed with Shrimp at Jing Fong Restaurant - New York, NY

First up? Some rice noodles stuffed with shrimp (Linda, Matt, correct me if I'm wrong!). So delicious! While Linda and I worked on those, Matt left the table again and came back with more goodies.

Steamed Pork Spare Ribs with Taro Root at Jing Fong Restaurant - New York, NY

Steamed Pork Meatballs at Jing Fong Restaurant - New York, NY

This time? Steamed pork spare ribs with taro and steamed pork meatballs. I could barely keep up with Matt's speedy delivery! I'm so glad I went to this place with people who knew what they were doing. Without Linda and Matt, I would be totally lost and eating things completely unidentifiable to my eyes.

Rice Cakes and Fried Vegetable Dumplings at Jing Fong Restaurant - New York, NY

Up next? Rice cakes with flecks of Chinese ham and taro root and fried dumplings stuffed with vegetables. I wasn't a huge fan of the rice cake, even after smothering it with hoisin sauce. I heard Linda say the word "cake," and I expected something sweeter. Even though she told me there was ham in it, I couldn't get over the fact that it was a savory dish. Oh well, I can't like everything!

Steamed Shrimp Dumplings, Chicken Feet, and Japanese Eggplant Stuffed with Shrimp at Jing Fong Restaurant - New York, NY

Just when I thought I couldn't eat any more, Matt brought back one more round of food: steamed shrimp dumplings (upper left), chicken feet (upper right), and Japanese eggplant stuffed with shrimp. Matt hadn't forgotten about the chicken feet, and I couldn't forget about them either. They were right in front of me, challenging me... calling me chicken... So, I went for it, and Linda made sure to capture the moment.

There you have it, folks -- documented proof that I tried and ate a chicken foot. Did I like it? Let's just say I didn't eat the whole foot! But I did enjoy the meal we ate at Jing Fong as a whole. For the three of us, all of that food -- including the Chinese broccoli I didn't take a picture of and the tea we drank -- cost just under $35! An incredible deal, if you ask me!!

Since we didn't eat dessert at Jing Fong, we stopped by the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory for something sweet. It was hard for me to decide which flavor to try since so many of the flavors sounded great, but I finally settled on a dish of Almond Cookie. Yum!! It was just what I needed to help me forget that I put a chicken foot in my mouth and the perfect ending to our lunch in Chinatown. I can't wait to go back!

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