Uncle Lou

Manhattan’s Chinatown suffered a tremendous loss of business during the pandemic, and Uncle Lou made it a mission to help the community recover. Louis Wong, a longtime neighborhood entrepreneur, came out of retirement to open his first restaurant in late 2021, sourcing ingredients from surrounding produce stands, fishmongers and butchers. The brick-walled space is hung with paper lanterns and packed day and night; booking a reservation is advised. Order by number—more than 100 dishes are on the Cantonese-style menu—with favorites being pork wontons in fiery chili oil, delicate vegetable fried rice, chicken in garlic sauce and braised duck with mixed mushrooms.