Historic Nom Wah Tea Parlor Shut by DOH Again

Around this time last year, a brief shiver was sent down New York's collective spine when the historic Chinatown dim sum palace Nom Wah Tea Parlor was shut down for nearly two months by the Department of Health. Thankfully, the grand old place—a fixture on crooked little Doyer Street since 1920, and the first dim sum parlor in Chinatown—rose to the challenge and corrected its 58 violations.

Now, a reader wrote in saying she had heard from "several people in Chinatown" that the famous tea parlor was closing for good. A call to the parlor on Sunday night, however, discovered that it's just another DOH shutdown. DOH files state that a new inspection was conducted on Oct. 3, with the parlor clocking in at 51 violations—almost as bad as last year. It was reinspected on Oct. 27 and earned only 16 violations. Not sure why it's still closed with only 16 points against it, but the owner said he's waiting for another inspector in order to reopen. Let's hope it's soon.