The neighborhood of Sunset Park is so-called for the park of the same name, a green, hilly spot offering a community pool built in the 1930s and spectacular views of the harbor and the Statue of Liberty.
Until World War II, the area was mainly home to Eastern European and Norwegian immigrants, but in the 20th century, it became a hub of New York’s Latin community. Up on Eighth Avenue, a Chinatown grew, built first by Cantonese immigrants, and now, increasingly, folks from Fujian. It all adds up to one of the greatest eating neighborhoods in the city.
There are two main drags: Fifth Avenue is chock-a-block with Latin American eateries, and Eighth Avenue is full of East and Southeast Asian spots. For our purposes, we’ve defined the neighborhood as 24th Street to 65th Street, between Fourth and Ninth Avenues.
Ready to chow on lechon, dim sum, banh mi, knife-shaved noodles, Sichuan cold tongue, chorizo huaraches, and Dominican hamburgers? Come with us to Sunset Park.
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Presented in no particular order, our nine runners up:
Wong Wong Noodle Shop (Lan Zhou noodles/Fujianese) 5410 Eighth Avenue, 718-633-5633; Tacos Matamoros (Mexican) 4508 Fifth Avenue, 718-871-7627; Lanzhou Hand Pull Noodle (Lan Zhou noodles/Fujianese) 5924 Eigth Avenue, 718-492-7568; Pacificana (Dim Sum, Cantonese) 813 55th Street, 718-871-2880; Deli and Grocery (Mexican, tacos) 780 Fourth Avenue; Red Apple Fast Food (Fujianese, oyster cakes, soup, over-rice combos) 4817 Eighth Avenue, 718-853-8811; Jugeria and Taqueria El Comal (Mexican, antojitos, juices) 4711 Fifth Avenue, 718-438-3060; Prosperity Dumpling (Chinese, dumplings, sesame pancakes) 4317 Eighth Avenue, 718-436-2516; El Bohio Restaurant #3 (Dominican, Puerto Rican, Lechonera) 4523 Fifth Avenue, 718-686-0079
Solider on to see which restaurants made our 10 best list.
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Winners 10 through six:
10. Tortas a la Plancha Don Pepe (Tortas) Puebla Mini Market, 3908 Fifth Avenue 718-435-3326
9. Rico’s Tacos (Mexican, antojitos) 505 51st Street, 718-633-4816
8. Than Da I (Vietnamese, pho, bun, banh mi) 6008 Seventh Avenue, 718-492-3253
7. Ba Xuyen (Vietnamese, banh mi) 4222 Eighth Avenue, 718-633-6601
6. Yu Nan Flavor Snack (Yunnanese, noodles) 774 49th Street, 718-633-3090
The top five is just around the corner…
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5. Yissel’s 71 Chimichurri truck (Dominican hamburgers, tacos) Corner of Fourth Avenue and 36th Street, dusk till dawn
4. Tacos Xochimilco (Mexican, Pueblan, tacos) 4501 Fifth Avenue, Sunset Park, Brooklyn, 718-435-7600)
3. New Belachan (Malaysian only, Japanese not recommended) 5918 Eighth Avenue, 718-492-9088
2. East Harbor Seafood Palace (Dim Sum, Cantonese) 726 65th Street, 718-765-0098
1. Metro Cafe (Sichuan) 4924 Eighth Avenue, 718-437-7980
As always, crowning the 10 best is an impossible task, and we’re bound to have forgotten some excellent eateries. Did we miss your favorite? Tell us about it in the comments.