(New York) – There are probably hundreds of restaurants in Chinatown and to pick a place to eat is an arduous task when me and my travel buddies only allotted one meal to try this famously tumultuous New York area. I made a shortlist of food places and I let the locals pick the topmost. While my friends were shopping for souvenirs, I was busy and earnestly asking the Chinese merchants of Canal Street to compare the restaurants in my list. What emerged on top by a slim margin is Joe’s Shanghai.

The numerous dining options around is confusing enough but I am more baffled with how this restaurant is named: Joe’s Shanghai. “Joe” is apparently not Chinese and the last thing I would desire to eat is a blasphemous westernized Chinese food. I am Asian and it’s logical that I would prefer something genuine. But if the locals say Joe’s better than the others, well, who am I to contest.

Setting our doubts aside, we walked out following the instruction given by owner of the store where my friend got some magnets; but only to be confused further – there are 5 or 6 restaurants in the same area that has the word “Shanghai” in its signage. My friends were hungry and almost annoyed at my persistence to find the real Joe’s Shanghai. I’m not giving up. A couple more blocks and there we found the real deal.

The place is really small but contains mostly big round tables meant to be shared with multiple parties. Not used to communal setup, I am a little intrigued which is good I guess. Like in the usual Chinese restaurants in Hongkong where the pace of life is super quick, the dynamics inside Joe’s is equally fast but impressively efficient.  We were 6th in the list but it only took less than 15 minutes to get a space in the round table. It only took less than 12 minutes for the waiter to bring our orders out. And we’re paying our bill after the next 25 minutes. But how about the food?

We ordered the most typical entries in the menu. Some spring rolls, fried dumplings and steamed bun. These are some of the simplest Chinese food ever created.  However, Joe’s rendition of the typical burst in flavors that are atypical to the majority of Chinese restaurants in this country. Every bite made me feel like I was just eating in Binondo or Hongkong. And the generous juice inside the steamed bun is so deeply rich that it still lingers in my memory. In short, the food is amazingly good.

Spring Roll

Pork Fried Dumpling

Crab Meat with Pork Meat Steamed Bun

9 Pell St # 1,
New York, New York
(212) 233-8888
www.joeshanghairestaurants.com