Great N.Y. Noodletown

   My friends and I went out to support a friend DJ’ing at Bar Basque. I don’t know what the fuck was going on that night but I felt like I was in the middle of an episode of Jersey Shore, and not any of the episodes when they’re in Italy. This had to be the ugliest group of motherfuckers I’ve ever seen. It looked like the henchman line up from a Dick Tracey movie. My friend hadn't gone on yet and the DJ at the moment seemed to be playing music from a 16 year old iTunes play list, I felt had to medicate my momentary depression with vodka, lots of it. As the night went on the perfect storm was brewing. The mixture of vodka on the rocks and ugly girls with high self-esteem was making me hungry. I needed something to soak up this alcohol and that something was food from NY Noodletown in Chinatown.

Located on the corner of Bayard and Bowery, a big white sign glows against roasted meat hanging in the window. I’ve been to NY Noodletown once, after a late-night booty call, and luckily we only waited 10 minutes. This time we got a table right away but, as the night went on, the place filled up quickly. By the time we left, there was a line out the door.My friends and I decided to share a few small plates. A shrimp roll, an order of roasted duck lo mein, some roast pork and two soups with roast pork. Not only do I like to pork, but I like to eat it as well.

The Shrimp Roll: shrimp rolled into a batter and deep fried. Eh, nothing special.

The Duck Lo Mein: I suggested to my friend that we get the chow fun but he told me he was going to leave me on the Manhattan Bridge in my high top dunks if we didn’t get the duck lo mein. Roasted duck, served on what looked like Jewish egg noodles my mom used to put in her chicken soup. The duck was a little fatty but perfectly roasted. I can tell you one thing, I would not lose any sleep over this dish.

The Roast Pork: Sliced into long shreds and glazed like a donut. Bite after bite, the succulent pieces of pork made me wish I was born Asian. The flavors of soy, ginger, garlic and sesame had me eating until the point of where you would have to get a tow truck to bring me home.

The Soup: Chinatown style soup served in a huge white and blue bowl with a soup spoon and chopped sticks. A salty, sweet and meaty broth, served with shrimp dumplings that were so tender, had me whispering sweet nothings in it's ears. Long noodles that seemed to be the same as the ones in the lo mein, and topped with roast pork. I never order soup, simply because it’s not a meal, even if Jerry Seinfeld says it is. But I’d probably give up a steak dinner for this soup. Probably.

New York City is known for two things: being the city that never sleeps and being the culinary Mecca of food. With tons of late-night choice eats, NY Noodletown is the place to be, whether you need something to eat after an alcohol infused night or maybe some energy after a late-night booty call. Either way, head to NY Noodletown on the re-up.


Great N.Y. Noodletown

28 Bowery New York, NY 10013-5102
(212) 349-0923