Gem Bing Shop 好吃煎饼

3.5ish stars Gem Bing Shop is a micro-sized eatery on St. Marks. it’s a walkup from sidewalk to a small doorway that you just order from and your food is made in front of you. there’s no tables or seating inside. there might be a table or two on the sidewalk but takeout is the name of the game. basically there’s a menu explaining what a jianbing is and the menu options as well as some soft drinks. Gem Bing only accepts cash and venmo as payment. never had a jianbing before which is basically the only thing Gem Bing makes. i’d liken it to a crispy crepe sandwich for which you choose your fillings. apparently it’s a street food in China. the basic jianbing is the crispy crepe lined with a sauce and then stuffed with thin layer of egg, a crunchy wafer, lettuce + (any additional fillings like spam, duck, more egg, pork, etc. for an added cost). ordered the regular-sized jianbing ($8.99) with an add-on filling of crispy duck (+$3.99). your jianbing is made in front of you and take about 7-10 minutes. it’s boxed and bagged neatly. how was it? pretty good—nice amount of crunch, decent amounts of savory duck along with the crisp lettuce and egg. the mix of textures and flavors make for an interesting bite. wasn’t sure what to expect and i pretty much liked what i got. the price feels high bc the duck jianbing i got was like $12.98 + tax + tip. you can get a snack size jianbing which is a couple dollars less. overall, it’s worth a try if you have never had one. the service is pretty curt, outside of ordering.

This is such a lovely snack stop after a long day of walking around NY coming from LA! The owner was extremely hospitable and offered my 67 year old dad an extra seat when my mom and I were sitting on the bench outside to stay dry from the rain. Not only the owner was such hospitable, he was also a gentleman. Additionally, about halfway into our hot steamy JianBing, the owner gave me free oat milk on the house! He said that looking at my parents and I devouring the JianBing reminded him of his childhood when he was with his parents. That was extremely heartwarming coming from him and such a kind gesture as well. Please head to this humble JianBing store to try some authentic, quick Chinese crepe with good savory toppings in it! I wish you, your family and your business all the best! - Alice

Decided to stop by Gem Bing for a quick snack. Ordered a small JB, with crispy peking duck (extra $3.99) less spicy. It was cool to watch them make it, but not sure the value was there. They also accept card...when I went, they had a sign saying cash or venmo only so I paid with venmo. But the person behind me paid with card. Eating the bing was pretty messy, but it was good that it was piping hot. For $4, I don't think a whole lot of duck was put in. Good for a quick snack. If you add on, the total price can definitely add up. Follow the adventure @shoyuthebest on IG!

Shockingly delicious. I only remember having jian bing once before this (in Forest Hills), and it was just OK. Wow it was so much more interesting here. The flavors were delicious, and the crunchy piece across the middle (wonton?) was so texturally satisfying. True hole in the wall, the only indoor part is where the all-in-one host/server/chef makes this - - you order from a covered area outside. A pet peeve I had was that the worker had to give me my $5 change in quarters - - given it's cash-only, I'd expect them to have plenty of $5 & $1 bills to make change! In fairness they also take venmo and zelle (I didn't have my phone on me - - these photos were taken back home with another device). It was so good that I'm rating it 5 stars despite my pet peeve.

I was in the mood to try something new for lunch and wandered onto St. Marks st, and like always it did not disappoint. This hole in the wall place is a fantastic refuge from a breakfast turned in lunch work precessions or just a quick snack! The crepes are very thin and have a cracked egg on them which makes it filling and delicious. I tried the crispy Peking duck and it was delicious. I am definitely going back for their spicy ground beef. The bean sauce wasn’t much spicy. It almost felt like I was eating a Chinese rendition of a burrito or maybe burrito is a Chinese rendition of this 😉 either way definitely try this place out if your in the mood for some delicious street food!

Ive gotten Jiang Bing from this place a few months ago as per a friends recommendation and was wowed by the flavor explosion and variety of textures that all worked together so perfectly. I revisited this place today and experienced those same thoughts once again. I definitely recommend adding on either the spicy beef or pecking duck. Truly so delicious! And the regular size is the perfect amount of food to keep you full. I also tried the custard tart which has a wonderful coconuty after taste and a warm flakey crust. Also worth a try!

Gem Bing is the first jian bing shop that I’ve come across in NYC. Stopped by to grab lunch and wasn’t disappointed! The jian bing was prepared and packaged with care, and super tasty. I thought the price was reasonable at $9.79 for a regular-size classic jian bing with no toppings when compared to similar shops/restaurants in the area. It’s definitely worth trying if you’ve never had this Chinese street snack before! I would note that everything is to-go; payment options are cash, venmo, and zelle— no apple pay.

Amazing jian bing, I grew up in China eating these and miss them terribly. It’s nice to be able to have a little slice of nostalgia. Try it with the duck, so yummy!! Was able to have a nice conversation with one of the staff (owner?, will have to return to find out, and maybe have some more jian bings, while I’m there) who shared a little bit about the history of the business.