When it comes to Chinatowns in New York, Manhattan gets all the love. But did you know that there are a whopping 9 Chinatowns scattered across Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan? Lower Manhattan’s Chinatown is the most famous. Queen’s Flushing Chinatown is the largest. But there’s one in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, that has been flying under the radar, especially amongst foodies.
I visited the neighborhood for the first time this year, and explored it via one of my favorite activities:
A Sunset Park food crawl!
But first, let’s set the scene with a bit of history.
Sunset Park became Brooklyn’s first Chinatown in the 1980s when the area experienced an influx of Cantonese immigrants. But it didn’t really start to boom until the 1990s due to two reasons (according to author Tarry Hum): the expansion of the Fujianese population and an influx of Chinese capital. As of 2023, the neighborhood itself had just over 117,000 residents with 25.3% identifying as Asian, and it’s one of the fastest growing Chinatowns in the city.
The Chinatown spans between 7th and 8th avenue between 65th and 45th street, give or take a couple blocks. You’ll find dim sum houses, Asian food markets, bubble tea shops, and dozens of street stalls selling everything from tofu pudding to live crabs. I called up my foodie pal Kate and we embarked on an 8th avenue, 4 stop Sunset Park food crawl.
Let’s dive in!
Stop 1: Rice Noodle Cart, 8th Ave &, 61st St, Brooklyn, NY 11220
Cheung Fun, which translates to steamed rice roll, is a classic Cantonese dish from the Guangdong Province in southern China. The dish is made from a mixture of rice flour and tapioca that is poured into a flat pan then stuck into a steamer to cook. Egg, roasted pork, and dried shrimp are all common fillings. But you can add in whatever your heart (and stomach) desire.
We kicked off the Sunset Park food crawl with a stop at a rice noodle cart on 8th and 61st. While there were an impress selection of options for under $3, we went for gold and got the house special for $7.25 which came with everything. I can’t say I know exactly what “everything” was, but corn, bean sprouts, bbq pork, dried shrimp, and perhaps some fish balls were involved.
The noodles themselves were super thin and light with just enough chew, and all the add-ins gave each bite crunch, saltiness, meatiness, a touch of fishiness, and umami. What really took these rice noodles over the edge was the perfect combination of peanut sauce, soy sauce, and sriracha which the lady running the stand so kindly added. (She likely took one look at us and knew we weren’t going to do the right ratios.)
These rice noodle rolls are top-tier, and a can’t miss in Sunset Park.
Check out 3 spots to get steamed rice rolls in Manhattan’s Chinatown HERE!
Stop 2: Kai Feng Fu Dumpling
Next, we headed to Kai Feng Fu Dumpling House. There were loads of impressively cheap eats on the menu, but we sprung for an order of 8 pan fried pork and chive dumplings for $4. The dough had a nice crispiness and the filling was surprisingly flavorful with plenty of chive as well as pops of garlic.
A key note is that the dough was extremely thick, and they clearly were not freshly pan-fried. However, for $4 you can’t be too mad!
Pro tip: be sure to bathe them in soy sauce and chili oil!
Stop 3: Hainan Chicken House
For stop 3, we switched things up with a Malaysian spot that’s known for it’s Hainanese chicken rice. This dish is comprised of poached chicken with seasoned rice along with various garnishes and sauces on the side. While it originated in the Hainan province in Southern China, it’s mega-popular throughout Asia. (I’ve had it in Singapore and Malaysia, which you can read about HERE and HERE!)
The serving at Hainan Chicken House boasted super tender chicken, plenty of rice, and a trio of soy sauce, chili sauce, and some sort of ginger mixture. I wish there would have been a bigger serve of the sauces. But over all, I was impressed with the dish and thought that $13.95 was a fair deal given the serving size.
Stop 4: VIP Kings Bakery
Any food crawl must end with dessert. The plan was to get egg tarts from Xin Fa Bakery. But alas… they were sold out. So we pivoted and hit up VIP Kings Bakery. VIP Kings Bakery is a classic Asian bakery with an overwhelming selection of options ranging from salt buns to mochi.
We got a custard cookie bun of sorts and a piece of mango mochi. The custard number was like a blend between a cookie and scone with a sweet egg custard filling in the middle. It wasn’t too sweet, a little too dry, but undoubtedly unique and tasty. The mango mochi was super stretchy and had a satisfying texture that was soft and chewy. Little chunks of mango in the middle were a delight to reveal.
I regret to admit that I didn’t take note of specific prices. But both treats along with a bottle of water were $5.50.
This Sunset Park food crawl was a wild success!
I’ve been in and out of New York for 10 years at this point, and this adventure reminded me that I have still have so much to explore. Cheers to another foodie adventure, and stay tuned for more to come!
