Chang Lai
Chinese restaurant · Chinatown ·
Curry fish balls, rice noodles, milk tea, beef tripe
Curry fish balls, rice noodles, milk tea, beef tripe
"Unlike the rice rolls at Yi Ji Shi Mo, which are thin and ripple-like sheets, Chang Lai’s rice noodles are more stubby and chewy — a buoyancy that’s joyful to eat the whole way through. Formerly a longtime rice roll street cart, in 2023, the married duo decided that they were getting too old to deal with the weather. They opened a storefront on Bayard Street where regulars have followed. It’s a must if you’re looking for an easy, affordable breakfast — a small with all the sauces and curry fish balls (around $5) is plenty for a filling meal. Sit at one of the few stools inside or do takeout." - Eater Staff
"On the same block where lines round down the block for a taste of Mei Lai Wah’s famous pork buns, is a breakfast option where there’s no wait. Chang Lai Fishballs Noodles, originally a locally beloved food cart, relocated to this permanent takeout spot last year — and it’s been a morning staple for us ever since. There are just a couple of counter stools here but it’s well worth your time and wallet. Go for the curry fishballs over rice noodles and ask for all the sauces." - Melissa McCart
"Earlier this summer, Chang Lai, another rice roll cart, retired its wheels due to the grueling conditions of street vendor work, and now the Chang Lai team has a permanent home at 55B Bayard Street at Elizabeth Street." - Emma Orlow
"Having moved from a Bowery cart to a permanent counter-service spot in Chinatown, Chang Lai Cheong Fun expanded its menu but kept its go-to: curry fish balls over rice noodles (small $5.75), which I recommend ordering 'smothered in everything' — soy, hoisin, sesame, peanut sauce, and sriracha — and bringing cash; it’s located right across from Mei Lai Wah." - Eater Staff
"What began almost eight years ago as a food cart on the northeast corner of Bowery and Grand Street specialized in cheung fun (rice rolls) topped with curry fish balls — Cantonese street-food staples. I learned the cart was run by Lai Sheng Zhang (also known as Leo), an immigrant from Guangdong who initially worked as a taxi driver, and that it evolved into a counter-seat restaurant, Chang Lai Fishballs Noodles, now located at 55B Bayard Street at Elizabeth Street in Chinatown (the cart has ceased operations). Zhang and his wife Li Qing Wu (Natalie) commute from Woodhaven, Queens and decided to open a restaurant after the cart became too stressful, weather-dependent, and less pleasant for customers. On a recent visit I found regular morning customers and newer fans who had discovered the green-and-white umbrella–topped cart on social media; the new space offers a couple of counter stools so people can sit and chat with the owners. The place continues to sell the stubby, chewy, unstuffed rice-roll style (likened to Korean rice cakes) as well as thinner folded rice rolls, and the signature loaded plastic containers of rice rolls with curry fish balls — ask for it smothered in everything (a creamy mix of soy sauce, hoisin, sesame, peanut sauce, and sriracha); small is $5.75 and large $9.25. The menu also lists pork skin with radish over rice noodles, fish balls with oyster sauce and rice noodles, beef tripe and spleen with radish over rice noodles, congee with pork and preserved egg ($3.25–$6), curry fish balls (10 for $4.25), fried pork dumplings ($6.25), tea eggs (three for $2.50), French fries ($3.75), and drinks including Hong Kong–style milk tea and kumquat-lemon juice (with an option to add boba). Chang Lai Fishballs Noodles is open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m." - Emma Orlow