Bayard Street, New York

A simple street deeply rooted in its new-found Chinese heritage, Bayard is full of eateries and walk-ups above, looking pretty much like a typical restaurant street somewhere in Hong Kong. Odors of various fish and freshly-baked pastries waft through the air from the many markets, bakeries and restaurants located on the street level. Above them, the walk-up apartment buildings are home to multi-generation families who emigrated from southern China or Hong Kong.

As you walk down the street, you will see a line of people enjoying their ice cream in a cup or a cone. You have found the correct spot: the CHINATOWN ICE CREAM FACTORY (Daily: 11am–10pm) – a family-owned business serving ice cream for over 30 years in New York. Their product is fresh, rich, not too sweet, perfectly creamy and smooth, and with an Asian flair to it. If you're lucky enough to come right before a big crowd, you will get to sample several exotic flavors in the legendary little shop: Ginger, Durian, Green Tea, Egg Custard, Black Sesame, Lychee and many more (there's a reason why their Lychee flavor is so popular!).

While you're there, the bakery across the street, called MEI LI WAH (Daily: 7:30am–10:30pm) is great for cheap, tasty steamed buns (pork/chicken/pineapple/egg yolk/etc.) that come right of the oven and are mostly sold at the take-out counter. It's really easy to just buy some buns to go and eat while walking, but you can sit down and try their other items without breaking the bank; if you're not sure what to order, just point at the large pictures laid across the walls. Service is fast and to the point, but get ready to wait for a bit once the trays empty out, because sometimes customers order their buns by the dozens!

Stop for a little while on the corner of Bayard and Mott streets, too: SUN'S ORGANIC GARDEN (Tue-Sun: 12–6pm) has an excellent range of organic teas, with shopkeepers always helpful in finding what you're looking for: whether it's caffeine level, flavor, and/or price point.