Big Wong

Should You Book Big Wong in Chinatown?

Yes — if you want a no-frills Cantonese meal in Chinatown that has earned back-to-back recognition from Opinionated About Dining's Cheap Eats list (ranked #207 in 2024, rising from Recommended in 2023, and holding at #329 in 2025), Big Wong is worth the trip. This is a cash-and-chopsticks institution on Mott Street where the focus is on the food, the pace is fast, and the price point keeps it accessible to almost any budget. If you need white tablecloths or a cocktail list, go elsewhere. If you want Cantonese done honestly in the heart of Chinatown, this is a reliable call.

What Big Wong Actually Delivers

Big Wong sits at 67 Mott Street, the central artery of Manhattan's Chinatown, and it operates with the efficiency of a place that has been feeding the neighbourhood for decades. The room is utilitarian — formica tables, fluorescent lighting, the visual language of a working canteen rather than a designed dining room. That's the point. What you see when you walk in tells you exactly what you're getting: a functional space built around throughput and value, not atmosphere.

The kitchen is under Judy Chan, and the menu anchors on Cantonese staples. Roast meats , the kind hung in the window , are the draw for regulars, alongside congee and noodle soups that make it one of the few spots in the city worth visiting at breakfast. Big Wong opens at 8 am every day of the week, which is genuinely useful in a city where serious food before 11 am takes planning. For explorers who want to eat well on a Chinatown morning, that early open is a practical advantage over most comparable spots in the neighbourhood.

Google reviewers give it a 3.9 across 2,302 ratings , a score that reflects the honest trade-off here: the food earns it, the room and service don't lose it, and the experience is what it is. OAD's recognition two years running places Big Wong in the top tier of value dining in North America, which is a meaningful credential for a spot that likely charges less than a sandwich at midtown lunch counters.

Groups and Shared Tables

Big Wong is not set up for private dining or group bookings in the conventional sense. There is no private room, no event coordinator, and no reserved section. Tables seat small parties and shared seating is normal at busy times. For groups coming to Chinatown together, the format works well for four to six people who can pull a table or two and work through a spread of roast meats, rice dishes, and soups. For anything requiring exclusivity or separation from the main room , a celebration dinner with speeches, a corporate event, a proposal , Big Wong is the wrong venue. Consider [Asian Jewel Seafood Restaurant](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/asian-jewel-seafood-restaurant-new-york-city-restaurant) or [Blue Willow](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/blue-willow-new-york-city-restaurant) if a more formal group setup matters to your party.

For food-focused groups who simply want to eat well and spend efficiently, the shared-table format at Big Wong is part of the experience rather than a limitation. Order broadly, pass dishes, and expect the meal to move at Chinatown pace , which is to say, quickly.

How It Compares

Know Before You Go

• Address: 67 Mott St, New York, NY 10013
• Hours: Monday to Thursday 8 am–9 pm; Friday to Sunday 8 am–9:30 pm
• Booking: Walk-in only , no reservations required or typically offered
• Booking difficulty: Easy; show up and expect a short wait at peak lunch and dinner hours
• Awards: OAD Cheap Eats North America , Recommended (2023), #207 (2024), #329 (2025)
• Google rating: 3.9 (2,302 reviews)
• Leading time to visit: Early morning for congee; mid-morning or off-peak lunch to avoid the longest waits
• Dress code: None , come as you are
• Group suitability: Good for 2–6; shared tables are the norm; no private dining

Frequently Asked Questions

• What should a first-timer know about Big Wong? Walk in, expect no frills, and order the roast meats. Big Wong is an OAD-recognised Cantonese canteen on Mott Street , not a sit-down restaurant with a long menu to explore at leisure. The pace is fast, the prices are low, and the food is the reason to go. Come hungry, bring cash (confirm on arrival), and don't expect the server to walk you through the menu.
• Can I eat at the bar at Big Wong? Big Wong does not operate a bar in the traditional sense , this is a Cantonese canteen, not a cocktail venue. Seating is at standard tables, and the format is order, eat, turn the table. There is no bar counter or drink-focused seating area. For Chinese dining with a proper drinks setup, look at other options in the neighbourhood.
• What should I wear to Big Wong? Anything. Big Wong has no dress code and no expectation beyond showing up. The room is casual to the point where arriving in work clothes or weekend gear makes no difference. This is not a place where presentation signals anything.
• What are alternatives to Big Wong in New York City? For Cantonese and Chinese dining in the same neighbourhood, [Alley 41](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/alley-41-new-york-city-restaurant), [Chongqing Lao Zao](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/chongqing-lao-zao-new-york-city-restaurant), and [Chuan Tian Xia](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/chuan-tian-xia-new-york-city-restaurant) are worth comparing depending on what regional style you want. For Chinese dining with more serious ambitions, [Mister Jiu's in San Francisco](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/mister-jius-san-francisco-restaurant) shows what the cuisine looks like with a tasting-menu format, though that's a very different proposition at a very different price point.
• Is Big Wong good for a special occasion? Only if the occasion is about the food and not the room. Big Wong's OAD recognition makes it a credible choice for a food-focused celebration , eating at one of North America's recognised cheap eats spots is a legitimate experience in itself. But the setting is a canteen, the service is functional, and there is no private space. If the occasion requires atmosphere or exclusivity, this is not the right venue. If the occasion is about eating Cantonese well without spending much, it works.
• Is lunch or dinner better at Big Wong? Breakfast or early lunch is the strongest case for going. Big Wong opens at 8 am, and Cantonese congee and roast meats in the morning hours are genuinely hard to find at this quality in Manhattan. Dinner is fine but the room is busier and the wait longer on Friday through Sunday, when closing time extends to 9:30 pm. If you have flexibility, get there before noon.

Explore More in New York City

Planning a broader trip? Pearl covers the full range: our full New York City restaurants guide, hotels, bars, wineries, and experiences. For Chinese dining at the other end of the price spectrum, Restaurant Tim Raue in Berlin is worth a look if you're travelling further afield. And if Chinatown is just one stop on a wider food itinerary, Pearl's picks across the US include Lazy Bear in San Francisco, Smyth in Chicago, Providence in Los Angeles, Emeril's in New Orleans, The French Laundry in Napa, and Single Thread Farm in Healdsburg.