Jiang Diner

The next time you need a great dinner downtown and want to keep it in the $15-20 per person range, try Jiang Diner. This new East Village spot specializes in Northwestern Chinese food, and you’ll find things like wheat-based noodles, a crispy cumin pancake, and a lot of lamb on the menu. We’d recommend coming here with a group, sitting at one of the red circular tables, and ordering a bunch of noodle dishes, some really good buns with spicy paste on top, and the big plate chicken, which has spicy boiled potatoes, wide noodles, and tender pieces of meat. It’s our favorite thing here. (Just maybe bring a six-pack or some wine, since they’re BYOB for now.)