Noodles no More: 88 Lan Zhou Closes on October 31
Photo: Sara Graham
For Chinatown favorite, 88 Lan Zhou, the brief reprieve is up. Closure is happening at month’s end. Despite a recent surge in sales and support.
“With a heavy heart, we’re announcing that our final day of operations will be October 31,” the handwritten sign at 40 Bowery reads.
The closure was also announced on Instagram – “We tried everything we could to stay afloat, but in the end, it was just too difficult to just survive in these current conditions.”
Ownership blamed the coronavirus pandemic for destroying the hand-pulled noodle business, and originally announced an August end date. However, they worked with the landlord of 40 Bowery to remain for these intervening months. The local group Send Chinatown Love reported that the restaurant had been a one-woman operation of late, with an outstanding rent balance dating back to February.
Meanwhile, dumplings will be sold until the bitter end. So, it’s probably wise to start stockpiling. Winter is coming.
Recent Stories
Bialystoker Tower Tops out at 30 Stories on East Broadway
One month is an eternity when covering the rising real estate in the neighborhood. In that time since our last follow-up, the tower flanking the Bialystoker Nursing Home finally reached the top. The shadow-casting luxury development at 232 East Broadway reached its thirty-story pinnacle late last week. Token stars-and-stripes affixed to the top. Round Square […]
Patti Smith Rallies with Supporters for Elizabeth Street Garden as City Terminates Lease
The legal and political battle to save Elizabeth Street Garden from redevelopment intensified last week as the city sent the beloved urban oasis in Little Italy a notice terminating its month-to-month lease at the end of October. News of the potential eviction broke over social media in the midst of garden plans to host a […]
Late Photographer Corky Lee Gets Mural Treatment on Doyers Street
There is a new tribute mural in Chinatown that honors the memory of beloved photographer Corky Lee. The nascent Chinatown Mural Project is behind the new artwork, which stretches along a 35-foot wall on Doyers Street, the nerve center of Chinatown. The mural is two-toned – blue and off-white – and meant to resemble “Ming” […]
One Year Later, ‘Fiore Escape’ COVID Sessions Still Captivate
One year after first captivating passersby at Essex and Grand Streets, the free fire escape concert series is back for another. Indeed, musician Jill Fiore will perform anew from the second floor of her Essex Street tenement (above Delancey Car Service). The next so-called “Fiore Escape” show is slated for October 15, as announced on […]
Parks Department Installs Fence at Allen Mall Bathhouse in Response to Nadja Rose Madder
The Parks Department is upping the ante on deterring a homeless artist from painting and gathering at the Allen Street Bathhouse. Earlier this week, the city began assembling an eight-foot chain-link enclosure to (partially) fence in the sidewalk plaza. It is on this spot that transgender artist Nadja Rose Madder has been transforming the brickwork […]
