International Cuisine & Tipping
The World on a Plate
New York's true culinary strength is the incredible diversity — every cuisine in the world is represented here in its most authentic form outside the country of origin:
- Chinese: Flushing, Queens (dim sum, Peking duck, Xi'an noodles) and Manhattan Chinatown (Mott Street, Canal Street). The best dumplings: Joe's Shanghai (soup dumplings!).
- Indian: Jackson Heights, Queens — 74th Street is Little India. Thali menus from $8, dosa from $6. More authentic than anything in Manhattan.
- Italian: Arthur Avenue, Bronx (the real Little Italy) and the pasta restaurants in Greenwich Village and SoHo.
- Japanese: Ramen (Ichiran, Ippudo), sushi (Sushi Nakazawa, Sugarfish for budget) and the East Village izakayas.
- Mexican: Jackson Heights and Sunset Park (Brooklyn) — tacos for $2, tortas for $5.
- Ethiopian: Little Ethiopia in the East Village (Awash, Bunna Cafe).
- Korean: Koreatown (32nd Street, Midtown) — BBQ restaurants open 24 hours.
Tipping — What You MUST Know!
In the USA, tipping is not a voluntary addition — it is the main component of income for service workers. The minimum wage for tipped workers in New York is $10/hour — tips make up the rest. Not tipping is a serious offense against American social culture.
- Restaurant (table service): 18–20% of the bill (before taxes). For excellent service: 25%. Below 15%: You're saying the service was bad.
- Bar: $1–2 per drink or 15–20% for an open tab.
- Taxi/Uber: 15–20%.
- Hotel Housekeeping: $2–5 per night (left on the pillow).
- Hairdresser/Beauty: 15–20%.
- No tip: Fast food, takeaway, self-service, museums, cinemas.
Achtung
Tipping in New York is NOT optional! German visitors are often puzzled by the 18–20%, but service workers in the USA do not earn a living wage without tips. The bill in a restaurant does NOT include service — tips are always added on top. For groups of 6 or more, 18–20% "gratuity" is often automatically added.
