Chinatown & Little Italy Secret Food Tour 🇮🇹 🥟

Today was another hot 🥵 and humid New York day, and Chinatown felt more like a swamp than a city street. Funny about that, because it used to be a swamp, Canal Street was actually a Canal! Our meeting point was Tasty Dumpling, where a tiny fan stood sadly in the corner, doing little more than circulating the warm, humid air. It wasn’t exactly comfortable, but thankfully the food made up for it.

Our guide, Hannah — or “Hannah Banana” 🍌 as she introduced herself — was warm, friendly and enthusiastic from the outset.

Our first tasting was a serving of pork and chive dumplings 🥟. Soft, chewy and packed with flavour, they were a delicious introduction to Chinatown’s food scene and disappeared very quickly.

As we wandered through the bustling streets, Hannah explained some of the area’s history, including the Chinese Exclusion Act, which severely restricted Chinese immigration to the United States. Despite decades of discrimination and hardship, Chinatown endured and became one of the largest and most vibrant Chinese communities outside Asia.

Our second stop was for noodles, which packed considerably more heat than I was expecting! 🌶️ They were delicious, but by the end my lips were burning and I was reaching for every available sip of water.

The third stop was a wonderful pork bun filled with tender meat dripping in a sweet, sticky glaze. It was one of those bites that immediately silences conversation because everyone is too busy enjoying it.

Then we crossed into Little Italy 🇮🇹, which was undoubtedly my favourite part of the tour.

Our first stop was a charming little trattoria called Sofia’s of Little Italy. The atmosphere was delightful and felt as though it had been lifted straight from a small Tuscan village. We were served Italian-style pizza and arancini balls — both of which were readily and enthusiastically devoured. The food was simple, comforting and absolutely delicious. Mark and I also had a very strong espresso martini 🍸 and raised it for Faye, his late Mum, on her birthday x

Stepping back outside afterwards was like walking directly into a pizza oven. The humidity seemed to have somehow intensified while we were enjoying the air-conditioning indoors! 🥵

As we continued exploring, both Mark and I stopped and smiled when we walked past “Scout” the bar used as Aidan’s & Steve’s Bar in Sex and the City. Another Sex and the City location unexpectedly ticked ✅ off the list!

We also passed through the beautiful streets of SoHo, famous for its cast-iron architecture, huge industrial-style windows and classic fire escapes. Hannah explained that many of the buildings date back to the area’s manufacturing days, when the neighbourhood was a major centre for metalwork and industry.

Along the way we also walked past the former police station building that was once home to both Cindy Crawford and Calvin Klein.

The tour finished on a very sweet note with cannoli from the “Cannoli King”. Crunchy, creamy and sweet all at once, they were the perfect way to end an afternoon of eating our way through two of New York’s most famous neighbourhoods.

Despite the oppressive heat, this was a fantastic tour. Hannah was knowledgeable, entertaining and clearly passionate about the history and food of the area. Between the dumplings, noodles, pork bun, pizza, arancini and cannoli, we certainly didn’t leave hungry. Most importantly, we came away with a much greater appreciation for the stories, cultures and communities that have shaped this corner of Manhattan.

A very enjoyable afternoon and a very tip-worthy tour. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Read more