Chinatown

The story

Manhattan's Chinatown runs roughly between Lafayette, Worth, Grand and East Broadway. The shopping sits on Canal Street, Mott Street and Grand Street, with Bayard, Doyers and Pell Streets in between. This is a district for eating and browsing more than for clothes: porcelain, tea, pork buns and ice cream rather than designer labels.

Mott Street is the spine, with porcelain, tea, bakeries and dim sum, and Bayard Street is for ice cream. It suits a slow afternoon with people who like to snack, and anyone looking for teaware or a small gift.

What to Expect

Start at the south end of Mott Street. Wing On Wo & Co. sells dinnerware and teaware, Guangcai and artist-line pieces, vases and planters. Wo Hop, Ping's and Peking Duck House are a few doors away. Cut over to Doyers Street, the 200-yard alley with a 90-degree bend nicknamed the Bloody Angle, where Nom Wah Tea Parlor makes dumplings, buns and noodles to order.

Back on Mott, Mei Lai Wah is known for baked barbecued pork buns and the pineapple roast pork bun, named for its sugar topping, not fruit. Ten Ren Tea sells tea, its sister Ten Ren Tea Time at 79 Mott pours bubble tea, and Fay Da Bakery is at 83. On Bayard Street, Chinatown Ice Cream Factory scoops flavors like red bean and lychee, and Soft Swerve does soft serve in ube, black sesame and hojicha. For something offbeat, Magic Jewelry is an occult shop where Time Out says you can have your aura photographed.

Best Time to Visit

Bakeries start early. Fay Da opens at 7am every day and closes at 7pm on weekdays and 8pm on weekends. Nom Wah is open daily 11am to 9pm, and Peking Duck House runs until 10:30pm Sunday to Thursday and 11pm on Friday and Saturday. The shop to plan around is Wing On Wo & Co.: it is closed Monday and Tuesday, open noon to 5pm Wednesday to Friday and 1pm to 5pm on weekends. A Wednesday-to-Sunday afternoon is when every shop with posted hours is open. Many others don't post hours, so call ahead.

If You Only Have an Hour

Start with a pork bun at Mei Lai Wah. Walk down Mott to Wing On Wo & Co. for teaware, then cut over to Doyers Street and walk the bend past Nom Wah Tea Parlor. Finish on Bayard Street with a cone from Chinatown Ice Cream Factory and eat it in Columbus Park.

Where to Eat

All four picks are in the MICHELIN Guide. Dim Sum Go Go makes dim sum to order; the rice rolls with roast duck and the soup dumplings stand out. Bridges is Sam Lawrence's warm, bistro-like room. Corima serves Fidel Caballero's modern Mexican cooking, starting with sourdough tortillas. Cervo's is a snug Iberian seafood spot for clams in vinho verde and fried squid.