NYC Wine Bar Lei Is the Best Snack and Wine Restaurant in Chinatown | Eater NY

"Tucked away on Chinatown’s historic Doyers Street, this Chinese American wine bar from Annie Shi (of King and Jupiter) opened this summer and is so picturesque that on a late fall evening I saw three wedding photoshoots outside, with one couple posing in front of the red-tiled entrance. The chilled celtuce ($15) is a textural work of art with alternating slices of the vegetable and kombu jelly, and the plate of cat’s ear noodles ($27) is hearty — the cumin-laced, tomato-stewed lamb was absolutely juicy and the little pastas were chewy, though I could’ve used some bread and/or rice to soak up the extra bits. I was taken by the eight-treasure pudding ($16): the server poured sticky toffee sauce onto vanilla ice cream and a mound of sweets — I identified black rice, bits of ginger, beans, and some sort of citrus peels — melding into a sweet but not sugary concoction that was both warm and cold. The team knows their wine, so trust their glass recommendations; I enjoyed a Porfia Tinto 2024 from Spanish winery Agricola Calcarea ($19) with the noodles and a Pentecoastal Block Riesling 2024 from Apollo’s Praise in the Finger Lakes with dessert. Best for solo dinners or small group hangs where people aren’t mega-hungry — most of the menu is portioned on the smaller side — it’s a tiny space with good vibes and music spanning Chinese pop to R&B to jazz, and the crane wallpaper in the bathroom rewards a closer look at the mayhem the birds are wreaking." - Nadia Chaudhury