Tastes of the Lower East Side and Chinatown, NYC

One of the best ways to enjoy the pleasures of NYC is to stop for a bite to eat here and there, rather than sitting for a filling meal. On one day, I focused my walking, exploring and eating on the Lower East Side, which, conveniently, borders Chinatown. Here is a sampler of what I enjoyed:

Pork and Peanut Dumplings at 88 Palace, 88 East Broadway, NYC, NYC
I went here for one thing only: the pork dumplings. You enter this cavernous place that is hidden above a mini-mall. And there must be almost 100 choices for dim sum. But I chose these delicious bites. Each crystal clear wrapper enclosed a moist, tender filling. It includes crisp slivers of carrots, celery, little dried shrimp and bits of pork. But the secret: the peanuts! It is worth a trip.
Banh Mi Saigon 138 Mott, for under $4.00 you get a Vietnamese sandwich that is a wonderful filing meal: cilantro, cucumber, pickled carrot, jicama and sliced chilis, along with either pate, pork or chicken in a French roll. The sandwich is served in a paper bag to catch the shards of bread and juice that drip down.
Little Giant, 85 Orchard Street, Although I had wanted to eat my way through Chinatown, I couldn't resist a stop here when I heard about their biscuits. And these biscuits are as good as they get, and about the size of a plate. The best part? They are served with a decadent honey butter-creamy and sweet and perfect for a flaky biscuit.

For the next time I would love to try:

Shanghai Cuisine for their soup dumplings
Food Shing 2 for their Beef Soup with Hand-pulled Noodles
Grand Sichuan for Szechuan specialities
Hand Pulled Noodles for their homeade knife cut noodles