BARS • First Round
Amid the mildly chaotic sidewalk seating of its wildly popular neighbor (and sibling restaurant) Mắm, it’s easy to miss Lai Rai. The Chinatown wine-and-snack bar is so unassuming, I had to peek through various doorways on the block until I found a blond wood interior with a large patinaed mirror that made the space look twice its size. That wasn’t the clue, though — it was only once I saw the chalkboard menu featuring fish sauce ice cream and giò thủ that I knew I’d found the place.
Lai Rai launched in September 2024 with only a vague Instagram account and no consistent menu. What’s on offer is Vietnamese-inspired ice cream — in addition to that fish sauce flavor, you might find banana leaf, avocado, or Laughing Cow cheese — plus a savory snack or two.
The bar also has one of the most exciting wine lists in town. Ice cream got me in the door, but the ability to get pours from impossible-to-find-stateside winemaker Shofang kept me coming back. I first tried Shofang’s pet-nats — produced using a muscat grape native to the Hefei province in China — at the Hong Kong Food and Wine Festival. They blew my mind. In general, I’ve found myself more excited to drink Chinese wines, which had a terroir I’d never tasted, than I am to swirl big Burgundies.
Lai Rai is one of the few places in New York City that imports bottles from up-and-coming winemaking regions around Asia. On one visit, you might have gelatinous head cheese paired with a glass of Sông Cái Distillery’s yellow flower sticky rice bubbly. On another night, it could be guava sorbet and makgeolli. This unpredictable bounty, combined with an aesthetic that’s the right blend of low-key and cute for a promising first date (but elevated enough for client drinks) makes this an optimal back-pocket option for any night out. –Carina Koeppicus
→ Lai Rai (Chinatown) • 76 Forsyth St • Mon-Thu 6-10p, Fri-Sat 5p-12a, Sun 5-10p • Walk-ins only.