During my trip to New York City a couple of weekends ago, I made sure to stop by Golden Unicorn in Chinatown for a dim sum lunch. I am always looking for great dim sum, so when I heard Mindy Kaling mention this restaurant in her show, The Mindy Project, obviously I had to see what it was all about! While some of the dishes arrived lukewarm, overall the ingredients tasted fresh. There was also a really great variety of dim sum dishes and desserts, which I always appreciate.

The restaurant was decorated in an authentic Asian style with tables very close to one another. Golden Unicorn has a pretty amazing system – as soon as we were finished eating, the table was cleared in seconds and another group was eating by the time we were at the elevators. Even though dim sum restaurants are typically noisy and crowded, I love the carts full of dim sum rolling by the tables – I find it not only charming in its own way, but it means you can have food within minutes of sitting down. And whenever I go for dim sum, I’m always ready to eat.

For all the time I have spent in New York City, it’s hard to believe I haven’t stumbled upon Golden Unicorn yet. I tried Dim Sum Go Go, which is right across the street, but I don’t recommend it because there are not as many options and there are no dim sum carts (again, one of the best parts of the whole experience). If you’re looking for good dim sum in New York City, give Golden Unicorn a shot. However, be warned of the fast pace and pushy crowds.

{Food photos by Lauren; The Mindy Project via}