Family Feasting in Chinatown

After visiting the Bastille Day street fair, my cousin, parents, and I visited the Morgan Library for the Alice in Wonderland exhibition. We also explored other aspects of the Morgan. After a busy day, we worked up an appetite and decided to end our day of exploration in Chinatown. 
Such a huge crab!!!

Before heading over to dinner, we casually strolled the packed streets of Chinatown, trying to window shop, but spent most of the time dodging people. Rather than go directly to the restaurant, since it was still a bit early in the evening, we paused for a cool break --- iced bubble tea! Yum! My mother and I both enjoyed the lychee flavor tea, my dad had the melon tea, whilst my cousin had the strawberry. It was really tasty and refreshing, but because the teas were cold, the tapioca froze, which was an interesting crunchy texture. 
Yummy selection of iced bubble tea

For dinner, my family took E to our favorite restaurant in Chinatown: Hop Kee (21 Mott St). I've written about Hop Kee in the past, but just as a quick refresh, my dad has been going to this restaurant for 30+ years (since he was a medical student) and according to him, the food hasn't changed. 
My family and I tend to over-order, so this dinner was no different. We especially tend to order a lot of food when we haven't been to a restaurant in a while, so my dad went to town. He ordered some of our favorites --- Crabs Cantonese and Snails Cantonese --- as well as something new, fried oysters. The two Cantonese-style dishes were out of this world. The sauce is so flavorful, meaty, and addictive --- especially on rice. My mouth is just watering just thinking about this!
Snails Cantonese Style and Sautéed Squid
Crabs Cantonese Style
Chinese Broccoli
Fried Oysters

As predicted, we ate far too much, but every mouthful was a treat! It was wonderful being able to introduce E to New York City's Chinatown, and I think she had a great time. It was also fun to see the look of shear delight on my dad's face as he relived his medical school days with all of the delicious food. We really love Hop Kee and always leave feeling full and content. Never change Hop Kee, never change.

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