Nom Wah Tea Parlor
The one that started it all. Opened in 1920, Nom Wah Tea Parlor can be found deep in Chinatown, down a winding, old-world curve of Doyers Street. Once you enter you’re immediately overcome by the charm and ancient ambiance of the place. The aroma of steaming tiny plates swirls around the room, and just minutes after you sit you find scrumptious baskets of fried dough in front of you.
The Dim Sum itself may be interchangeable with a dozen places in a two block radius, but it’s the history that adds the extra flavor. The news clippings on the walls hark back to another time, the aging ex-bohemians seem to have been transported from another era of New York, and if everything looks a tad familiar, maybe it’s not just deja vu: episodes of Law & Order, and films such as Premium Rush, and All Good Things were filmed inside Nom Wah. When you want to switch from tea to the harder stuff, stop by Apotheke, right next door, for one of the acclaimed out-there cocktails. Just remember, regardless of how authentically “old Chinatown” it looks, it’s a good seven decades younger than Nom Wah.
Photography Paul Wagtouicz
