Mee Sum Cafe

Toisan-Style Joong

Located on one of the oldest streets of Chinatown is Mee Sum Cafe. Walking into this old-school cafe feels like stepping back in time – like its iconic stool chairs from the 1960s.

The Moy family opened Mee Sum in 1967. They left Guangzhou, China, and fled to Hong Kong in 1955 to escape persecution from the Communist Party. When their opportunity to chase the American dream came, they immigrated to America in 1963. The family worked in Chinatown’s three-pillar industries at the time — the garment, laundry, and restaurant industries. Four years later, they finally saved enough money to open up Mee Sum Cafe.

As the oldest of four children, Donald Moy never had a chance to receive a proper education after arriving in the US at 18 years old. Instead, he spent his days working alongside his father at the restaurant. In 2005, he finally took over Mee Sum from his aging father. Nowadays, Mee Sum Cafe is hugely popular among the Chinatown elderly, drawn to the diner’s old-school nostalgia and ridiculously low prices.

While Mee Sum is known for its dim sum, we recommend their Toisan-style joong (steamed sticky-rice wraps aka Chinese tamales). It is filled with pork, salted egg yolk, peanuts, and mung beans wrapped in bamboo leaves! They are usually eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival but are also the perfect meal when you’re on the go.

Tip: When reheating your joong, we recommend steaming it instead of microwaving it to prevent the rice from sticking to the bamboo leaves.

📍 Mee Sum Cafe
26 Pell St, New York, NY 10013