Travel video guide
Where to Eat in NY: Split Pea Soup From Jon Barr
This guide turns I Tried "Struggling" NYC Restaurants from Jon Barr into a practical restaurant map with 6 saved spots around Astoria, New York, and Brooklyn. The mapped places include a bank, a bar, and a restaurant stop. Use it to understand the places, dishes, and trip context before saving the map in Varedelo.
What the creator captured
Jon Barr discovered that empty restaurants often harbor incredible food, such as the best split pea soup he has ever tasted at a struggling New York diner. He was particularly moved by the emotional stories of small business owners fighting to stay open after the pandemic. His mission is to use his platform to drive new customers to these hidden gems through a surprise meetup and a ranking system.
What this map is good for
- Planning a chinese restaurant stop or short itinerary in Astoria.
- Comparing food stops from a creator or saved local map before you commit time in the city.
- Saving 6 mapped spots into Varedelo so the list stays usable on the ground.
- Using the original video as context, then turning it into a clean place-by-place map.
Featured spots on this map
- Shu Jiao Fu Zhou
Chinese Restaurant in 295 Grand St, New York, NY 10002, USA, Manhattan, New York, United States
Price level: Cheap
Hours: Hours available - Caravan Of Dreams
Vegan Restaurant in 405 E 6th St, New York, NY 10009, USA, New York, NY, United States
Price level: High
Hours: Hours available - Soup N Burger
Hamburger Restaurant in 1825 Emmons Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11235, USA, Brooklyn, NY, United States
Price level: High
Hours: Hours available - Bank of America Financial Center
Bank in 157 E 125th St, New York, NY 10035, New York, NY 10035 - Pranam Restaurant & Bar
Bar in 45-15 28th Ave, Astoria, NY 11103, Astoria, NY 11103
Price level: High - Fresco’s Grand Cantina
Restaurant in 28-50 31st St, Astoria, NY 11102, USA, Astoria, NY, United States
Hours: Hours available
Food notes from the video
- split pea soup
- gyro burger
- fried momos
- Indian mango lassi
- butter chicken mac and cheese
- General Tso's chicken
- Nepalese thali
Experiences captured
- visited a struggling 50-year-old diner
- interviewed the owner of Cozy Soup and Burger
- used Surfshark VPN on public Wi-Fi
- explored an Indo-Chinese Nepali fusion restaurant in Queens
- met the owner's son at Pranom
- ranked restaurants on a 1 to 10 scale
- announced a Phoenix Rising trophy for the winner
Planning notes for Chinatown Manhattan
Manhattan's Chinatown is an incredibly vibrant and resilient destination, representing one of the oldest and largest Chinese ethnic enclaves in the Western Hemisphere, with roots tracing back to the 19th century and the historic Five Points neighborhood. Its history is one of community.
Must-try foods nearby
- Baked Roast Pork Buns (Char Siu Bao)
An iconic Cantonese bakery staple, these are soft, slightly sweet baked buns filled with savory-sweet, diced barbecue roast pork (char siu). - Roast Pork Over Rice
A classic, cheap, and essential take-out dish, featuring Cantonese roast pork (Char Siu) or roast duck served over white rice, often drenched in a savory. - Pan-Fried Pork & Chive Dumplings
A quintessential Chinatown street-food eat, known for being incredibly cheap and satisfying. - Soup Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao)
Delicate, steamed Shanghainese dumplings filled with seasoned pork (and sometimes crab) and a rich, savory hot broth that bursts in your mouth. - Spicy Cumin Lamb Hand-Pulled Noodles
A nod to the broader Chinese regional influences, these are thick, hand-ripped Biang Biang noodles topped with a fiery, aromatic stir-fry of diced lamb, cumin, and chili oil.
When to go: The most unique time to visit is during the lively Chinese New Year parade, which typically occurs in February, though spring and fall offer the best mild weather for walking and outdoor vendors. Weather-wise.
Local tips
- Always carry cash, as many authentic and traditional establishments, including long-standing dim sum spots, remain cash-only.
- Wander the historic, curved Doyers Street, nicknamed the "Bloody Angle," to discover its unique charm and the oldest dim sum parlor, Nom Wah Tea Parlor.
- For the most authentic experience and the best-priced fresh produce, venture past Mott Street toward East Broadway, the heart of the Fujianese immigrant community.
What travelers are noticing
- The opening of Opera House, a new gilded subterranean bar on Doyers Street with a Chinese opera theme and baijiu-kissed cocktails.
- The launch of Nom Wah Test Kitchen, an interactive culinary space for dim sum workshops and modern takes on classic Chinese dishes.
- Major community-wide Lunar New Year (Year of the Snake) celebrations, including the annual Firecracker Ceremony and Parade/Festival.
Extra place context
- Shu Jiao FuZhou Cuisine
A true, cheap-eats hidden gem that locals consistently recommend for its incredible value and authentic Fujian flavors.
food
Planning questions
What is this video map?
It is a crawlable guide to the mapped places from I Tried "Struggling" NYC Restaurants, with the creator video, a static map preview, and selected spots from the trip.
Can I save these spots?
Yes. Open the map in Varedelo to save the places, keep planning notes, and revisit the guide from your phone.
Does this replace watching the video?
No. The video remains the source, and the map makes the places easier to scan, compare, and save while planning.
Use it on your trip
Save this restaurant map before you go
Keep the mapped spots, creator context, food notes, and planning details together. Varedelo turns the page into a phone-friendly map you can revisit when you are choosing where to go.