Nom Wah Nolita

Nom Wah Tea Parlor has been around since 1920. Nom Wah Nolita has been around since 2016. And that says a lot about these two establishments. Nom Wah is one of Manhattan Chinatown’s classic dim sum spots, and it’s a place you arguably come for the atmosphere more than for the food. At Nom Wah Nolita, you arguably come for the food more than for the atmosphere. This is essentially a fast casual take on dim sum, with the appropriate 2016isms tossed in: you can order off an iPad, you can get your dumplings topped with a bacon XO sauce, and you can get a cup of vegan bone broth, which seems like an oxymoron, but tastes pretty good so we won’t even worry about it.

The dumplings we’ve had at this new location have actually been better in some cases than those we’ve had at the original, and it’s a convenient and easy move for lunch takeout or a quick and easy dinner. It just won’t be the same nostalgic, cultural experience, unless you yearn for a time when there were more fast casual options in Nolita. So, probably not.