Lei
Wine bar · Chinatown ·
Intimate wine bar w/ global selections & Chinese small plates
Intimate wine bar w/ global selections & Chinese small plates
"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
"Chinatown’s Chinese American wine bar from Annie Shi with chef Patty Lee, featured among the guide’s latest inclusions." - Nadia Chaudhury
"Tucked on Doyers Street in the beating heart of Chinatown, Annie Shi’s little wine bar is overflowing with rare bottles and atmosphere, with wines lining the room and boxes stacked to the ceiling while diners sit elbow to elbow. The kitchen wastes no space and turns out smart, thoughtful modern Chinese dishes: chilled celtuce with shallots and red wine vinegar is an essential starter, and I enjoyed fried whiting with seaweed, scallops with lily buds and ginger, and hand‑rolled noodles with braised lamb." - The MICHELIN Guide
"Doyers Street winds its way through Chinatown, revealing beloved noodle shops and old-school dumpling houses, and now Lei , the new wine bar from King’s Annie Shi. Lit by long taper candles, with a darling window perch looking out onto the quaint pedestrian-only street, the bar feels like it has a history even though it just opened in June. Maybe that’s because it’s a labor of love; it’s named after Shi’s late sister and works as an ode to the Chinese cooking that the Queens native grew up with. Chef Patty Lee, an alum of Mission Chinese , turns out hand-rolled cat’s ear noodles in a lamb ragu that’s rich with tomatoes, cumin, and chiles. The dog days are made for the Couples’ Delight beef carpaccio, where ribbons of ruby red beef are wreathed in soft herbs, or the buttery Montauk scallop crudo garnished with ginger and lily buds. I’m not a wine nerd, but if you are, chatting with wine director and Heroes alum Matt Turner about his 25-page wine list — full of both legendary producers and youngins from Italy, Greece, and China — is the best way to figure out what to drink." - Andrea Strong
"I’m in love with the space — extremely photogenic, as if it’s a stage set for an intimate downtown drink in New York — and the staff is super-welcoming, introducing my table to a slew of pours including a Catalan wine made from the less-common Malvasia de Sitges (Pardas Blau Cru). I like the tight menu of simple snacks like the funky Lady Edison Jin Hua ham with Asian pears ($21), perfect for a warm night, with more substantive options like the cat’s ear noodle with lamb, cumin, and tomato ($27)." - Bettina Makalintal