News flash, people. That gloopy, salty, MSG-laden stuff we were raised on? That’s not real Chinese food. With the city’s choice kitchens churning out authentic delights like salt-baked crab, cumin lamb ribs, and pork crab soup dumplings, we’ve got a clutch shortlist of spots ensuring Chinese grub will never be synonymous with that starchy, syrupy — but still tasty! — stuff ever again. Whether you’re trolling for great finds in Flushing’s Golden Shopping Mall or craving twice-cooked pork on your Midtown lunch break, trust: We’ve got you covered.

Queens is filled with some spicy wonders, Brooklyn's got a dim sum hall ready to please any crowd, and, of course, Manhattan’s own Chinatown is stocked with semi-secret key players — and we’ve got the best of ‘em all right, here. Take a look through our choice picks of sit-down Szechuan spots, late-night Chinese mainstays, and downtown tea parlors — and leave the decision-making where it belongs: the menu!

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