Nom Wah Tea Parlor

Nom Wah Tea Parlor first opened at 13–15 Doyers Street in 1920 as a bakery and tea parlor. For most of the 20th century, Nom Wah served as neighborhood staple, offering fresh Chinese pastries, steamed buns, dim sum, and tea.

After it lost its lease at 15 Doyers in 1968, the restaurant moved into a brand new kitchen next door, occupying 11-13 Doyers Street ever since. Eventually, the restaurant became most famous for its almond cookie, lotus paste, and red bean filling, which is used for moon cake during the Chinese autumn festival.

The first known owners of Nom Wah Tea Parlor, the Choy family, date back to the 1940s. It was then sold to Mr. Wally Tang in 1974. Wally has worked at the restaurant since 1950; he began working there at the age of 16, and by the time he turned 20, he was managing the restaurant. Nom Wah Tea Parlor hasn’t gone through many changes throughout the years. Its vintage looks, good food and great value has kept generations of families coming back. Throughout the years, numerous movies and TV shows have been shot at Nom Wah Tea Parlor. A few include Reversal of Fortune, Premium Rush, All Good Things, and “Law and Order.”

Nom Wah Tea Parlor, exterior

Menu

Dim sum

House special roast pork bun 5.25
Shrimp and snow pea leaf dumplings 6.5
Shrimp siu mai 6.5
Chicken siu mai 6
Pork siu mai 6
Shrimp dumplings 6.5
Vegetarian dumplings 5.5
Shanghainese soup dumplings 6
Chicken soup dumplings 6
Chicken feet 5.5
Steamed spare ribs 5.5
Steamed bean curd skin roll 6.5

Dim sum

Sticky rice with Chinese sausage 6.95
Plain rice roll 3.5
Cilantro and scallion rice roll 4.25
Shrimp rice roll 6
Beef rice roll 5.5
Rice roll with spare ribs 7.75
Rice roll with fried dough 6.5
Pan-fried pork dumplings 5
House special pan-fried dumplings 6.25
Pan-fried chicken and cabbage dumplings 6.25
Pan-fried shrimp and chive dumplings 6.25

Dim sum

Turnip cakes 5.75
Scallion pancakes 5
Original “OG” egg roll 8.25
Spring rolls 5
Fried shrimp balls 6.5
Shrimp and bacon rolls 6.5
Fried shrimp with bean curd skin 6.5
Stuffed eggplant 6.5

Chef’s specials

House special dumplings in soup 6.95
Minced beef dumplings in soup 6.95
Chicken and cabbage dumplings in soup 6.95
Turnip cake with XO sauce 13
Salt and pepper shrimp 15.5
Salt and pepper pork chops 15.5
Sweet and sour pork chops 15.5
Pan-fried noodle in superior soy sauce 13
Egg-fried rice 12
Shrimp and egg-fried rice 14.5
Chinese broccoli in oyster sauce 12
Chinese greens in oyster sauce 12

Dessert

Fried sesame balls with lotus paste 4.95
Almond cookie 2.5
Steamed lotus buns 4.95
Steamed phoenix buns 4.95
Steamed red bean buns 4.95

Tea

Chrysanthemum
Bo-lay
Oolong
Tie guanyin (iron buddha tea)
Jasmine
Long jing (dragon well tea)
Earl Grey

Tea is $3 per person

Premium teas

Anxi Tie Guanyin (Iron Goddess of Mercy) 7
Roasted Anxi Tie Guanyin 7
Oolong with Hydrangea 8

Drinks

Sanzo Sparkling Water 3
Soda 2
Bottled water 3
Hot coffee 3
Hot milk tea 3
Iced tea 4
Iced coffee 4
Iced milk tea 4

Looking for a PDF version of the menu or would like to see which options are vegetarian or gluten-free? Download the food menu (which includes pictures) here and the drinks—alcoholic beverages included—menu here.

Images

 

Getting Here

If you’re ready to visit us, our address is 13 Doyers St., New York, NY 10013. For easy reference, our closest cross-streets are Doyers St. and Bowery (if your taxi isn’t sure of where that is, you can also reference Pell St.) Taking the subway? We are near two MTA subway stations: Canal Street Station (servicing the 6/N/Q/R/W/J/Z lines) and Grand Street Station (servicing the B/D lines).