Some dinners are about the food. Some are about the people. And every once in a while, you get one that is very much about both.

That was the case when Dame Grace Young brought Dames together to celebrate Manhattan’s Chinatown—a neighborhood whose history, resilience and future are deeply intertwined with the food on our tables.

Dames, as you may know, are members of Les Dames d’Escoffier, the philanthropic organization of women leaders in food, beverage and hospitality.

Hop Lee itself is part of that history. The restaurant came close to closing during the pandemic, but made a remarkable comeback, landing on The New York Times’ list of New York’s 100 Best Restaurants in both 2023 and 2026.

Sitting there on a sold-out evening, surrounded by good food and good company, it was hard not to feel a little grateful that this Chinatown institution is still with us.

Grace, a James Beard Humanitarian of the Year and Julia Child Award recipient, has spent years championing America’s Chinatowns and the people and businesses that make them so special.

On this evening, she reminded us why these communities matter and why supporting them means so much more than simply showing up for dinner.

Happily, though, there was lots for dinner — a nine-course fabulous traditional Cantonese dinner.

Cantonese Style Lobster with Longevity Noodles
Crispy Chicken with Garlic Sauce
Stuffed Triple Treasure
Stir-Fried Clams with Black Bean Sauce
Stir-Fried String Beans with Minced Pork
Stir-Fried Flounder with Vegetables
Stir-Fried Pickled Mustard Greens with Fish Cake Slices
Singapore Chow Mai Fun
Steamed Scrambled Egg with Shrimp

What made the evening so memorable was celebrating what is easily taken for granted: a surviving restaurant, multi-generational food traditions, a resilient family business and sharing the stories behind our meal.

I recommend a visit to Hop Lee.

 

Hop Lee
Chinatown
16 Mott Street
New York, NYC 10013
hopleenyc.com/