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All the United States New York State New York City Manhattan Nom Wah Tea Parlor
AO Edited Gastro Obscura

Nom Wah Tea Parlor

Dine on dumplings at the oldest dim sum restaurant in New York.

New York, New York

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Diana Hubbell
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The entrance on Doyers Street.   Diana Hubbell for Atlas Obscura
Dim sum at Nom Wah’s Nolita branch.   @incrediblyian used with permission
The vintage red vinyl booth.   Diana Hubbell for Atlas Obscura
Inside Nom Wah Tea Parlor.   Diana Hubbell for Atlas Obscura
Shrimp siu mai.   Diana Hubbell for Atlas Obscura
A plate of Chinese broccoli.   Diana Hubbell for Atlas Obscura
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About

When Ed and May Choy opened a tea parlor and bakery in 1920, Manhattan’s Chinatown was a different world. Back then, the surrounding nook of Doyers Street still had a reputation for street battles breaking out between the local tongs that earned it the nickname “the Bloody Angle.” As the violence subsided, Nom Wah Tea Parlor began doing a brisk business. In 1974, Choy retired and sold his business to Wally Tang, an immigrant from mainland China who worked his way up in the restaurant's kitchen.

Decades later, Nom Wah Tea Parlor is very much emblematic of the history of the neighborhood, as well as the ways in which it has evolved. Wilson Tang, Wally’s nephew, left a career in finance to take over the business in 2010.

By then, the restaurant had lost much of its original luster. A number of New York critics dismissed it as a bygone relic. But Wilson, sensing untapped potential, vowed to inject new life into the space without sacrificing its distinctly retro charm. The Art Deco touches and red vinyl booths look much the same as they did a century ago, but the dim sum parlor’s branding has the decidedly more modern sensibilities of a new generation.

The restaurant and its owners have remained pillars of the local Chinatown community, working to advocate for other small business-owners in the area.Nowadays, Nom Wah Tea Parlor boasts several locations, as well as a national delivery business. Nevertheless, it’s well-worth visiting this atmospheric timewarp for steamer baskets of siu mai, char siu bao, and cheung fun.

Know Before You Go

Bring cash and be prepared to wait in line.  

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Added By

Diana Hubbell

Published

March 24, 2023

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Nom Wah Tea Parlor
13 Doyers St
New York, New York, 10013
United States
40.714179, -73.997861
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