Mei Li Wah

Mei Lai Wah was a venerable Chinatown institution, serving baked and steamed pork buns and good coffee for a tiny price. Last year the health department mandated that this grimy little hole in the wall clean up and modernize; the elderly owners decided to just shut down. Thankfully, it reopened with new owners, fresh décor, and a slightly modified name. Mei Li Wah (64 Bayard Street Chinatown) is still the go-to place for delicious and inexpensive pork buns and coffee. They also serve bubble tea now too. If you have $3 in your pocket and want a delightful experience in Chinatown, grab a couple of pork buns (I like the baked) and a coffee, and go around the corner to Columbus Park.