Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Slovenia mushroom foraging
Slovenia • 6 days, 5 nights
Forest to Table in Alpine Slovenia
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The exterior of STRAAT.
STRAAT
The front of the St. Charles’ Church
St. Charles’ Church
The miniature theatre’s 200-seat capacity is slowly being filled with tiny figurines of beloved film characters, from classic movie stars to Muppets. Statler and Waldorf are perched in their usual spot at the front-right balcony. There’s even an ongoing call for visitors and locals to add their own favorite characters to the growing crowd.
East Van Vodville Cinema
Gombe mountains seen from Lake Tanganyika.
Gombe National Park
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è pasta... E pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Tripe is fried to a crisp.
L’Osteria della Trippa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The rocky Revere Beach coast in Revere, Massachusetts, just outside Boston.
Which Places With Bad Raps Are Actually Worth Visiting?
about 24 hours ago
A dugong displays the telltale “smile.”
Saving the Sea Cows of Vanuatu
1 day ago
The first photo of the “woolly devil” made a stir among botanists when Deb Manley uploaded it to iNaturalist in March 2024.
How the Woolly Devil, Member of a New Plant Genus, Was Discovered on a Hike in Big Bend
2 days ago
You don’t need to go to Turkey to see hundreds of hot air balloons rising.
Dear Atlas: Where Can I Find the Most Unusual Festivals in the U.S.?
3 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States New York State New York City Manhattan Nom Wah Tea Parlor
AO Edited Gastro Obscura

Nom Wah Tea Parlor

Dine on dumplings at the oldest dim sum restaurant in New York.

New York, New York

Added By
Diana Hubbell
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The entrance on Doyers Street.   Diana Hubbell for Atlas Obscura
The entrance on Doyers Street.   Diana Hubbell for Atlas Obscura
Dim sum at Nom Wah’s Nolita branch.   @incrediblyian used with permission
The vintage red vinyl booth.   Diana Hubbell for Atlas Obscura
Inside Nom Wah Tea Parlor.   Diana Hubbell for Atlas Obscura
Shrimp siu mai.   Diana Hubbell for Atlas Obscura
A plate of Chinese broccoli.   Diana Hubbell for Atlas Obscura
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

When Ed and May Choy opened a tea parlor and bakery in 1920, Manhattan’s Chinatown was a different world. Back then, the surrounding nook of Doyers Street still had a reputation for street battles breaking out between the local tongs that earned it the nickname “the Bloody Angle.” As the violence subsided, Nom Wah Tea Parlor began doing a brisk business. In 1974, Choy retired and sold his business to Wally Tang, an immigrant from mainland China who worked his way up in the restaurant's kitchen.

Decades later, Nom Wah Tea Parlor is very much emblematic of the history of the neighborhood, as well as the ways in which it has evolved. Wilson Tang, Wally’s nephew, left a career in finance to take over the business in 2010.

By then, the restaurant had lost much of its original luster. A number of New York critics dismissed it as a bygone relic. But Wilson, sensing untapped potential, vowed to inject new life into the space without sacrificing its distinctly retro charm. The Art Deco touches and red vinyl booths look much the same as they did a century ago, but the dim sum parlor’s branding has the decidedly more modern sensibilities of a new generation.

The restaurant and its owners have remained pillars of the local Chinatown community, working to advocate for other small business-owners in the area.Nowadays, Nom Wah Tea Parlor boasts several locations, as well as a national delivery business. Nevertheless, it’s well-worth visiting this atmospheric timewarp for steamer baskets of siu mai, char siu bao, and cheung fun.

Know Before You Go

Bring cash and be prepared to wait in line.  

Community Contributors

Added By

Diana Hubbell

Published

March 24, 2023

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Nom Wah Tea Parlor
13 Doyers St
New York, New York, 10013
United States
40.714179, -73.997861
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Chinatown's Bloody Angle

New York, New York

miles away

Edward Mooney House

New York, New York

miles away

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory

New York, New York

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of New York

New York

New York

Places 405
Stories 89

Nearby Places

Chinatown's Bloody Angle

New York, New York

miles away

Edward Mooney House

New York, New York

miles away

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory

New York, New York

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of New York

New York

New York

Places 405
Stories 89

Related Stories and Lists

20 Places to Eat Dumplings and Noodles for Lunar New Year

List

By Diana Hubbell

Try Historical Food at These 52 Culinary Timewarps

List

By Diana Hubbell

Gastro Obscura's 7 Essential Stops in Manhattan Chinatown

List

By Diana Hubbell
Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.