Great New York Noodletown

It ain’t much to look at: The lighting’s too bright and the seats are crowded together, but there are few finer dining experiences to be had in this restaurant-crammed city. In fact, in the years I’ve been coming here, I’ve seen chefs from far pricier places, still in their chef’s whites, dining here after their shifts were over. I couldn’t see what they ordered, but I always go for the sautéed pea shoots, a delicate, very green taste sensation; the salt-baked squid, the seafood equivalent of potato chips, they’re that light and crunchy; some slices off one of the ducks that hang in macabre style in the window; and the heat-packing Singapore chow fun ($5.95), an al dente, spicy mix of thin, long pasta, diced vegetables, and pork. No reservations accepted.