This article is part of FT Globetrotter’s guide to New York
Ascending the subway steps at Roosevelt Avenue to the streets of my hometown, Flushing, Queens, feels like stepping through a portal into Asia. According to some estimates, Flushing is the largest and fastest-growing Chinatown outside Asia, with as many as 100,000 Chinese residents. It’s one of the rare places in America where having an Asian face doesn’t set you apart.
Flushing is also where you’ll find New York’s best east Asian food — from hand-pulled noodles to grilled Wagyu. In the supermarket, potato chip flavours include sushi, hotpot and roasted pork. Street vendors sell sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaves and dumplings stuffed with meat and chives.