Jerry: "You walk over to that table, you pick up an eggroll, you don't say anything. You eat it, say thank you very much, wipe your mouth, walk away, I give you fifty bucks."
Elaine: "What are they gonna do?"
Jerry: "They won't do anything. In fact, you'll be giving them a story to tell for the rest of their lives."
- Seinfeld, "The Chinese Restaurant"

"To the ruler, the people are heaven; to the people, food is heaven."
Ancient Chinese proverb

At 17 Mott Street, Wo Hop-a legendary Chinese restaurant-has carried on that proverb since 1938. In the heart of Chinatown, it has endured by offering classic, comforting cuisine at practically all hours of the day and night. And it has been witness to the transformation of a neighborhood that got its start way back in the 18th century.

Go For The Gold!

The first Chinese immigrants started arriving in the U.S. in the mid-18th century. Many were lured west by California's promised "Gold Mountain," but some stayed in Manhattan, putting down the initial roots of a budding community. And after the heyday of the Gold Rush had passed (mid-1850s), many Chinese returned to join their compatriots back east. By 1880, between 300-1,000 Chinese were living in and around Mott Street, in today's Lower Manhattan.

Mott Street runs north-south and serves as the "Main Street" of Chinatown. It was named in the 18th century for a prominent local family that owned a tavern and butcher shop... talk about self-sustaining! The first Chinese establishment popped up on Mott Street in 1872, when a Cantonese gentleman named Ah Ken set up a grocery, and later, a cigar shop called Wo Kee.

Soon, and as the area's Chinese population grew, other shops catering to the community sprung up including general stores and barber shops. In the 1890s, Quong Yuen Shing opened at 32 Mott (and stayed in business until 2003; today a gift shop occupies the space). Quong Yuen Shing offered...