Fold, Stuff & Devour: The Ultimate Chinatown Dumpling Crawl

A legendary Grand Street Fujianese counter where pork-and-chive dumplings stuffed with garlicky chives come out steaming fast for under $6 — the kind of place that makes you wonder why you ever paid more.

A tiny Essex Street institution where $4.50 buys you 10 ginger-forward, slippery pork-and-chive dumplings — open until 10:30pm and beloved by skaters, locals, and dumpling obsessives alike.

A classic Chinatown spot with graffiti-style dumpling art on the walls and thick-skinned, crispy-bottomed pan-fried pork dumplings that hit every right note for $4.50 a pop — cash only, no frills, pure satisfaction.

A cash-only Chinatown institution on Bayard Street where the xiao long bao are simple and proper, the hot-and-spicy wontons drenched in peanut sauce are addictive, and the round tables are perfect for groups ready to feast.

A no-nonsense Eldridge Street hole-in-the-wall where handmade noodles and fried pork-and-chive dumplings earn a cult following — bring cash, pile on the chili oil, and don't be surprised if the line is out the door.

NYC's oldest dim sum restaurant (est. 1920), tucked down the iconic crooked alley of Doyers Street — come for the shrimp dumplings, har gow, and old-school Hong Kong atmosphere that no amount of gentrification can replicate.

A Food Network-featured Doyers Street gem where the dumplings are yummy and juicy and the hand-pulled noodles are made to order — sit outside at dusk when the narrow alley lights up and the whole block feels like old New York.