TingTing's sits at the corner of Cherry and 11th in Chinatown, named after TingTing Wan, wife of founder Dan Tsao, who also owns EMei Restaurant and has long been active in the neighborhood. The cafe takes its cues from the casual, no-rules spirit of East Asian cafes, then layers in pasta, burgers, and rice plates alongside the more traditional Hong Kong-style menu.
The menu ranges wide: soy-glazed wings, creamy seafood udon topped with cod roe, BBQ unagi with scrambled egg, and a chicken cutlet finished with a curry-and-cheddar topping sit next to Kobe-style smashed burgers with tempura bacon, spicy kimchi bacon spaghetti, and char siu rice plates. Hong Kong-style milk tea rounds out the drink list.
It's a small, casual room — 40 seats — with a following that comes back for the food and the friendly pace of service, though the volume of orders on busy nights can make that pace uneven.
The menu ranges wide: soy-glazed wings, creamy seafood udon topped with cod roe, BBQ unagi with scrambled egg, and a chicken cutlet finished with a curry-and-cheddar topping sit next to Kobe-style smashed burgers with tempura bacon, spicy kimchi bacon spaghetti, and char siu rice plates. Hong Kong-style milk tea rounds out the drink list.
It's a small, casual room — 40 seats — with a following that comes back for the food and the friendly pace of service, though the volume of orders on busy nights can make that pace uneven.