today we'll be eating our way through Chinatown Manhattan and only going to the most popular
spots these eateries always have long lines and the mission today is to find out why and I bring
it to Friends Along Ben and Ming from the big buzz namwati parlor the oldest restaurant in Chinatown
and always a long line how do so many people find out about this spot anyway it's all over social
media Tick Tock Instagram all the Articles and now you and now me all right waited about 30 minutes
it's like we're in an old school Diner right now I even like the cushions here got the rip seats
there used to be trolleys that pushed all the cards and food around but now it's paper menu
so it's covered friendly right at the shrimp shumai the shrimp dumplings the same spare ribs
shrimp rice rolls and pan fried pork dumplings but the prices are kind of high here yeah the
prices here are definitely much higher the tea at Kings is a dollar each person here is
three dollars per person what that's triple what I'm drinking water yeah looking around
it feels like we're in some long lost movie Set yeah back to the 50s very fun so vintage
yeah so it's more than a dollar each five bucks
fried that I'm used to I think it's intentional here it's like more doughy as well
so we got the shrimp steam rice roll this is one of your Staples when you go to a dim sum
spot right yep even at three o'clock three o'clock then some with John only happens
with John only happens with me at least some of that sauce in my life right there let's try this
probably beats the dumplings for me I
need to get that all down in one bite that's impressive were you impressed by that
and soy sauce all right let's show the shrimp shimai
this is my favorite thing so far shrimp is really tasty soy sauce drenched on top that works other
places that have shumai they're a little more plumper this is a little more skinnier it's very
but honestly eating in a place was very old school very photogenic very answer worthy makes it so
much better yeah places of vibe where you're paying for the experience to sit in the oldest
restaurant in Chinatown this is the best dim sum we've all Ever Had No would you two come back here
I would say the scene is a little too competitive for me to come back and the price and the weight
it's a way for me yeah I hate waiting in lines too 32 bucks for four people
and the line has not changed much it's still on
I think you talked to most New Yorkers and they'll say Joe Shanghai is the most famous
soup dumpling spot in the city I think so yeah most famous that's a key word is it the best
because there's always a line we're gonna find out 15 to 20 minutes we got our ticket if you want
I've eaten at the original Joe Shanghai I think it was on L Street and every table
was one of the communal circular tables here you actually have the private seats now I've
never been to the new one before you know it's something that didn't change cash only cash Zone
like two ATMs in front two I don't think this has changed since 1994. I remember this as the
old color scheme I think something changed a lot it's not the same as how I remembered it
back then now it's a lot more for tourists not very local definitely getting a tourist
lab here pretty finally I said I bet you it's free because it's not even on the
menu that's how it used to be and I'm glad it still is all right thank you thank you
Ben for anyone watching who's never eaten a soup dumpling before what's
your method pick it up it's super delicate so make sure you don't
break it if you break it it's game over I like to do it from the top
look how soupy it is already now I pour some vinegar inside
foreign
so good and this is when I get really impatient I just need the whole thing apparently I've been
doing it wrong all these years just take a bite from there right take a little bite yep
now get to the good stuff the first bite was just the appetizer just the skin I see all
the soup inside delicious pork okay and then kind of slurp it a little drink the food drink a soup
that broth is delicious with a vinegar it's so good now I'm
gonna do a bend it I'm kind of hungry right now so let's see what happens
that's how we do it I'd wait in line for this I would definitely wait in line for this first
time I had it in America was actually in Joe Shanghai it was really it was like mind-blown
I filmed the video three or four years ago with a girl visiting from China and we went to the
other Joe Shanghai the original and she said that this was better than the soup dumpling she had in
China it's just like how in New York Pizza could be so overboard quality could be so emphasized and
so overboard just like soup dumplings here so use your chopsticks hold it and play like this
now you put the vinegar in the hole that you fit
and this is actually really big so I'm going to kind of slurp it
a little bit and then you're gonna bite like half of it
it's like a little foreplay with your food that's a word for a play all right we can
go there what I was gonna say it was enjoying the process of eating this this is actually fun
you know usually you're just scarfing your food down you get to appreciate it a little
bit more exactly you get to go through the different layers for me it doesn't even need
the dumpling casing I I would just eat this as a soup period I'm a meat lover same thing
you're right you would wait here in line just to get the whole experience or the great customer
service I think it's pretty worth it and don't forget the free tea if you enjoy these videos
consider shopping my New York City Guides all price points from food to itineraries and more
see the link in the description take your trip to the next level from the most famous
soup dumplings the chinatown's most famous roast pork buns I have never not seen a line here and
you've got a little Insider trick the point of the kiosk is to speed up the process you
could just kind of walk in and pay cash they would never say no to you and actually pay less of cash
sold out of the pineapple roast pork bun this became a little late yeah great thing about
melee wah is that the line here moves quick because everything is you know pre-baked so
you're never waiting more than 5-10 minutes we've actually been in their kitchen they make them so
fast all the Grandpa's not back in there and of all the places in this video this is the one I've
been to the most it's just the easiest to stop by with people yeah all right let's talk more eat
this never fails ever eat fatty pork
a little bit of a barbecue flavor you know if you had to put head to head this or Dollar Pizza I
think I'm going for this every time I'm going for this every time bold statement coming one of the
best cheap eats in all New York City oh yeah this should be the first image on TV and it comes with
so much like Dollar Pizza doesn't have meat in there no we have covered other spots in the city
with pork buns that give you 50 less pork than this talked about eating at a spot like namwa
1950s Diner but if you ask me being on this street right now just as cool with all the lanterns oh
yes this tree is often towards first spot like a warm-up spot they'll warm up with this nothing
scary very tasty and then move up to something more challenging that's why buns and dumplings
very easy way to start all right Bing Buzz worth the wait in line or no especially the quick
weight yeah you'd wait longer I think oh yeah I would add I would wait an extra five minutes
for this maybe even 10. if you love Chinatown you should watch this video next where three of
us eat like kings for 100 for the day one of my favorite videos so far this year head here next