Hi friends, welcome back! Jon and I recently joined another food tour and had such a great time! Scott from Ultimate Food Tours reached out to see if we’d be interested in joining one of his tours and it was an easy yes! He created Ultimate Food Tours in 2019 and now offers six tours including: Chinatown, Iconic Foods of the Lower East Side, Famous Jewish Foods of the Upper East Side, Broadway Bites and Famous Sites, Koreatown, and a Soho Desser Tour. The tours cost $90, going rate in NYC, and run about three hours. In addition to food tours they offer cooking classes that would be perfect for corporate team building or other larger groups. To learn more about Ultimate Food Tours and Scott’s story, you can check out his webisode of CNBC’s Making It. You never know where life will take you!
Jon and I chose to attend the Chinatown tour, and it was unique from other tours we’d joined because it featured one cuisine. We live about a twenty-minute walk from Chinatown, so we were looking forward to exploring more of the neighborhood too. We met at 11am on a Sunday and funnily enough the father daughter duo from a prior tour were also participants, but this time they brought the rest of the family. We had eight people total, including Scott, and it was the perfect amount. Our guide started the tour with a history of the neighborhood, and then before we had each dish, he explained the region of China it’s from and the unique flavors of the area.
Our first stop was at Shu Jiao Fu Zhou for some peanut noodles. It’s such a simple dish, but so delicious! We’ve heard this place is very popular so make sure you come early or there’ll be a decent line. We beat the lunch crowd so we didn’t have to wait for our food or a table for the whole group. Off to a great start!
We then headed to New Spicy Village and this stop was the favorite of the group. We had the most refreshing cucumbers that we all loved and wished we could recreate at home, and some soup dumplings. The dumplings were so flavorful especially with a little chili oil.
Scott said the next place was a hidden gem and he wasn’t joking. We went in the unassuming East Broadway Mall and in the basement was WZW (Fu Zhou Wei Zhong Wei Jia Xiang Feng We on Google Maps). I never would’ve known about this place if not for the tour. We had their perfectly fried dumplings and man were they good, especially with their special sauce!
We made a quick stop outside Dim Sum Go Go for a duck spring roll and it was so flavorful with a nice crunch. This restaurant is Michelin rated for having good quality, good value cooking.
Next we sat down at Szechuan Hot Pot Cuisine for some delicious green beans and the spiciest Fish Ma La Tang (fish soup). I think I’m going to order that the next time I’m congested ha!
We ended the tour on a sweet note at New Kam Hing trying a variety of sponge cakes. The butterscotch was my favorite of the ones we tried. They were so light and a perfect way to end the tour.
I liked it all, but my favorite stop is a tie between the peanut noodles and soup dumplings. Jon’s favorite was the soup dumplings then the peanut noodles. The tour lasted about three hours but felt like it flew by. Scott made the experience seamless, so we were never waiting around and always had plenty to eat. He said he has a problem overordering and that was music to our ears. I’d highly recommend joining a tour with Ultimate Food Tours! If you’re interested, you can use the code Lyssy10 to save 10% off on any tour taken through the end of August 😊
Food tours are the best, even in your own back yard. There is always some place new to try. Happy Wednesday Lyssy. Allan
I agree! I am also indecisive about where to eat so it’s nice having someone else do the choosing.
The peanut noodles and dumpling soup sound the yummiest to me! And I’m very full from reading this 😊 Maggie
Good choices! I forgot to put a hunger disclaimer haha
Yum! I grew up eating all of these dishes, and I’m so glad you got to try a lot of good eats in Chinatown NYC. I’ve not heard of Ultimate Food Tours, but it looks like a great company that gives tours to give a taste (literally and figuratively) of all that NYC has to offer. Thanks for sharing, Lyssy!
Sounds like. delicious childhood! I hadn’t heard of Ultimate Food Tours either but they seem to be thriving and are working on expanding across the country and internationally eventually. It sounds like all the paper work/legal aspects are a bit tricky.
Everything looks delicious!! 😋
It was a delicious tour for sure 🙂
It all looked delicious!
We had no complaints about any of the dishes!
That sounds and looks wonderful!
We really enjoyed the tour!
Such a yummy post, Lyssy. Meeting up with the best guides in the city and tasting your way through a stunning sampling of the delicious food scene and tantalising your taste buds is a fantastic way to spend a few hours, especially in such a big city as New York which offers countless places to visit and mouth-watering bites to try, because it can be challenging when it comes to choosing the right ones and really getting the best out of your time in the Big Apple. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
I absolutely agree! Food tours are a fun way to spend an afternoon learning about the city and eating some delicious bites. There’s so many restaurants in the city so even I get overwhelmed trying to figure out where to go to next. It’s nice not planning everything every once in a while 🙂
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That sounds wonderful. The next time I’m in New York without my granddaughter I’ll be booking this tour.
That would be such a fun outing for you and your granddaughter!
I’ve never been in a food tour before, but it sounds like a good way to sample new dishes and discover new places. This one sounds like a success! Yum!
You’d love a food tour! Our last tour left a little to be desired, but this one was excellent 🙂
Thanks for sharing such an insightful and mouth-watering post. 😋🌟
Glad you enjoyed it!
Sounds delicious!
We had a delicious time!
The food tour around Chinatown sounds great especially as it opened up some hidden gems for you. I think I would have enjoyed it all but in particular the peanut noodles and dumplings. A great review Lyssy.
We really enjoyed being shown around Chinatown and sampling the different bites. Now we’ve got some spots to head back too 🙂
ohhh this is a great idea! I’d love to do the China Town tour also. Next time I’m in the city for sure. thanks for sharing the experience!
Yes! A food tour is always a great idea 🙂
Great review! It sounds like you had an amazing time on the Chinatown food tour with Ultimate Food Tours. I love the idea of exploring a neighborhood through its food scene and learning about the history and culture behind each dish.
The peanut noodles and soup dumplings definitely sound like highlights. I’m also intrigued by the idea of trying the Fish Ma La Tang. It’s great to hear that the tour guide was knowledgeable and engaging, making the experience even more enjoyable.
I’ll definitely keep Ultimate Food Tours in mind for my next trip to New York City. Thanks for sharing your experience!
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Chinese food is always a great idea! Everything looks delicious, the peanut noodles and dumplings (both varieties) in particular. Scott sounds like a perfect food tour guide. He gets extra points for over-ordering.
I was fasting, but now I am hungry!!! 🙂
Now, those peanut noodles and that dim sum look divine. If I had a superpower, it would be the ability to grab scrumptious food off of one’s computer or TV screen. Thank you, by the way, for this lovely tour of Chinatown!
Looks so delicious. I have never done a food tours and it sounds such a good idea.
Ultimate food tours (and all food tours not led by Asian locals in the neighborhood) is a scam. This is no different from taking advantage of Asians in Chinatown to profit. If you want to know more about the ins and outs of Chinatown and its inhabitants, you find a local Asian tour guide knowledgeable in the community to educate you on their culture, not individuals who know nothing about the pains and struggles of another group.
Okay now I am hungry 😋
I would have to get doggie bags from each spot (for me). It looks good!
This looks like heaven 😍🤤
So yummy 😋..
Wish I could have a food tour around where I stay. Sadly I don’t think we do food tours over here.
Spicy hot pot is also known as Chengdu MAO CAI.