Yuet Lee Seafood Restaurant

Yuet Lee in Chinatown has been around since the '70s, and is a Cantonese seafood institution—which is why you’ll see photos of people like Jackie Chan, Jacques Pepin, Guy Fieri, and even Joey Chestnut taped up on the walls. They’re serving excellent whole steamed fish, salt and pepper prawns, and sautéed crab. The showstopper is the clams with pepper and black bean sauce. More gravy-like, the sauce is thicker than a down quilt, and the right touch of sweetness balances out the brininess of the clams. It’s also never too packed, so it’s easy to walk in with friends and spend a couple of hours dissecting the day’s drama over refills of hot tea, chow fun, and tofu topped with fish cake.