Shu Jiao Fu Zhou

"The Fujianese, cash-only Shu Jiao Fu Zhou has a gravitational pull that attracts tourists, locals, and anyone looking for an experience so pure it feels like a pilgrimage. At the revered Chinatown spot, the floors are industrial sheet metal, the tables are communal, and the pork dumplings with chewy, vivid chives are smooth as silk and bursting with flavor. Get six for $3 or 10 for $4.50, and add some soup with wispy, delicate wontons or a plate of the elegantly plain and creamy peanut noodles for a few dollars more. Meals here rarely exceed $10, and yet, even if you’re a regular, they always exceed all expectations." - bryan kim, neha talreja, willa moore, will hartman, sonal shah

"Shu Jiao Fu Zhou has perfected the peanut noodle. For $3, the restaurant heaps a large portion of rice noodles onto a disposable plate with peanut sauce. It’s one of the most affordable meals in Chinatown, and videos of the dish have turned this small, cash-only establishment into a social media sensation. The pork and chive dumplings are good, too." - Robert Sietsema

"Shu Jiao Fu Zhou is located on the outside periphery of what most would consider Chinatown, which is a nice way of saying it’s not exactly in Chinatown, by like a block. But we’re including it in this guide because we reserve the right to reject labels and also because this place serves the best dumplings around. They only come steamed, but they’re incredibly juicy and chewy and always just right. The wheat noodles with peanut sauce are also not to be missed." - bryan kim, molly fitzpatrick, willa moore, neha talreja, will hartman

"Shu Ziao Fu Zhou is one of the main perks of living in New York City. The silky steamed dumplings are the main attraction at this counter-service, cash-only spot, starting at $3 for a plate of six. Get the ones with pork and cabbage, and, if you’re feeling optimistic about how much you can consume on this crawl, supplement your dumplings with a $3 plate of peanut noodles. Shu Ziao Fu Zhou has a good amount of seating, so this is a nice place to sit down and take a breather in the middle of your tour." - bryan kim

"Have you come across a $10 bill in the depths of that tote bag? Take it to Shu Jiao Fu Zhou. Order the saucy $3 peanut noodles, and 10 steamed pork-and-chive dumplings for $4.50, and use that extra $2.50 to buy yourself a soda. The counter-service Chinatown spot always has a line, and though you’ll see a lot of people getting takeout, we prefer eating in. Wait for your number to be called and then find a seat—asking a stranger for a space at their table is highly encouraged—before dousing your dumplings in communal chili oil." - neha talreja, bryan kim, will hartman, sonal shah, willa moore