Another Of Chinatown’s Best Restaurants To Close


First, it was Nan Zhou Hand Drawn Noodle House, which did some of the best noodles in town, in addition to some of the best little snacks (like fried dumplings and cold pig’s ear), in it’s original Race Street location. It moved and, for some reason, I just don’t like it as much now. No real reason other than a vague kind of longing for the original and for the meals I had there before the entire place packed it in and moved down the block.

Now the Insider has gotten word that Ting Wong (which may be my most favorite restaurant in Chinatown) is planning on going dark as well–just un-hitching the ducks from the window, turning out the lights and walking away.

I love this place for more reasons than I can properly count, but let’s start with the delicious duck, the scallion noodles doused in vinegar, the bottomless pots of tea, the open kitchen always alive with fire and shouting and plates moving in and out. Let’s start with the fact that you had to work hard to drop more than twenty bucks here, and that what some people saw as rudeness among the staff, I always saw as the brusqueness of professionals doing their jobs with the minimum amount of fuss. Despite all this, I look back now and realize its been months since the last time I was there. Three at least. Maybe four. So many restaurants, so little time. And Ting Wong, I figured, would always just be there whenever I got the time to go back.

But anyway, it now looks as though the place is going to close. Not until the end of October, according to the Insider, but that’s still too soon for me. Especially considering there doesn’t yet appear to be any plan in place for a resurgent, fall-back location. It was difficult enough getting comfortable with the new Nan Zhou, but Chinatown without Ting Wong?

That’s something I don’t think I’ll ever get used to.

Ting Wong [f8b8z]

Chinatown’s Ting Wong To Close [Insider]