Restaurant in New York City, United States
Chinatown's OAD-ranked Cantonese workhorse.
Big Wong is an OAD-recognised Cantonese canteen on Mott Street — ranked #207 on Cheap Eats North America in 2024 — that delivers roast meats, congee, and noodle soups at low prices with no reservations required. Walk in, order quickly, and eat well. It is one of the few serious breakfast options in Chinatown and a reliable call for any budget-conscious food explorer.
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.
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.
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.
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.
| Venue | Price | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Wong | Easy | — | |
| Le Bernardin | $$$$ | Unknown | — |
| Atomix | $$$$ | Unknown | — |
| Per Se | $$$$ | Unknown | — |
| Masa | $$$$ | Unknown | — |
| Eleven Madison Park | $$$$ | Unknown | — |
Comparing your options in New York City for this tier.
Go in knowing this is a cash-and-efficiency operation with no reservations and shared tables during busy periods. The draw is consistent Cantonese cooking that earned OAD Cheap Eats rankings in 2023, 2024, and 2025 — rising from Recommended to #207 to #329, so come with realistic expectations about the setting. Order quickly, eat well, and turn the table. That is the format here at 67 Mott Street.
Big Wong does not operate a bar in the conventional sense — there is no cocktail counter or bar seating. Seating is at tables, often shared during peak hours, which is standard for Chinatown spots at this price point. If bar-seat dining is your preference, this is not the venue.
Whatever you would wear to walk around Chinatown. Big Wong is a casual, high-turnover Cantonese restaurant — dress codes are irrelevant here. Comfort over appearance is the practical call, especially if you are coming straight from exploring the neighbourhood around Mott Street.
For Cantonese roast meats and similar no-frills Chinatown value, Hop Kee on Mott and Wo Hop on Mott Street are nearby alternatives with comparable formats. If you want to step up in formality and price within Chinese cuisine, Cafe China in Midtown offers a different register entirely. Big Wong's back-to-back OAD Cheap Eats recognition from 2023 through 2025 puts it ahead of most direct Chinatown competitors on third-party credentialing.
Not in the traditional sense. There is no private dining, no event coordinator, and the atmosphere is functional rather than celebratory. If the occasion is specifically about great-value Cantonese food in Chinatown with a group who appreciates that context, it works — but for a birthday dinner with atmosphere or a milestone celebration, look elsewhere in New York City.
Lunch is the stronger call for most visitors. Big Wong opens at 8am daily and the midday window typically means shorter waits and a full kitchen. Dinner on weekdays closes at 9pm, with a 9:30pm close Friday through Sunday, which gives you slightly more flexibility on the weekend — but the food and format are consistent across service. Arriving before the lunch rush or early in dinner service keeps wait times down.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
