Maybe throw a few golden dragon statues in and we’re good?ĭirectors will not like any of this. Or hey, what about this one up by Columbia? Sure it’s simple, but it at least has that intricate wallpaper (though not red). I love this restaurant, especially the enormous tree in the back.ĭitto this place, which has a lot of great character without descending into the orientalism-on-steroids restaurant I’m being asked to find. Having shown the reality of most Chinese restaurants, you move on to options that, while not entirely meeting their description, still have some really fantastic character. Some of the epic dim sum places sort of have the right decor we’re being asked for – but they’re ridiculously massive in size and very pricey to film in, if they’d even consider it. That isn’t to say that New York doesn’t have some really neat Chinese restaurants. This is a major problem you run into while scouting in New York – people assume NYC has EVERYTHING, and when you tell them it doesn’t, they think you’re 1) wrong, and 2) not doing your job. And if you don’t believe me, you’d probably have a heart attack if I told you a good number of New York Chinese restaurants look like this: “Are you SERIOUSLY telling me,” they will ask incredulously, “that there isn’t a single Chinese restaurant in all of Manhattan with red wallpaper and crazy ornamentation?” Seriously, this is the norm.īut try and convince a director of this, and they will look at you like you just moved to the city last week. White walls, a few bits of ornamentation on a wall or two, some chandeliers…and that’s it. There’s only one problem: this is what your average Chinatown restaurant looks like.Īnd another. You’ve probably never seen Mickey Blue Eyes, but wasn’t there something in that like what I’m describing? You know what I mean?” “But really, just go for that classic over-the-top look. You know, like in Glengarry Glen Ross? That’d be perfect.” With designs on the wallpaper too, maybe in gold.” “The key is red wallpaper,” our director will tell us. “Remember that one in Seinfeld? That’d be great.” “I want a place with really over-the-top Chinese decor,” our director will say. Literally every time I get asked to find a Chinese restaurant, it’s the same description. Why? Because this location does not exist in Manhattan. Throw in the hanging ducks in the window, and you’ve got every director’s ideal Chinese restaurant filming location.Īnd of course, I immediately knew that Wu’s was fake, built from scratch on a soundstage. …to the numerous fish tanks and detailed wallpaper. Located in Chinatown, Wu’s is THE Chinese restaurant all directors beg us to find.įrom the paper lanterns and intricate woodwork…
So the other day, I finally saw Men In Black III, and there was one location that stood out: I've said goodbye to NYC, but that doesn't mean the fun has to end! Follow all my latest scouting posts from the West Coast at: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | TikTok.