"Chinatown experienced more closures than openings this year; most of the (very few) openings were bubble tea shops. But this hot pot chain — which is based in China and has more than 1,000 locations worldwide, including in New York City — was a bright spot in a slow year. It opened in Chinatown in January 2019 and offers diners Chongqing-style hot pot, which is a spicy preparation made with Sichuan peppers. The presentation is notable for a wooden wheel of sorts that holds all the thinly sliced meats, ready for dunking in the pot in the center." - Rachel Leah Blumenthal, Terrence Doyle