Wilson Tang, Owner of Nom Wah Tea Parlor

Runners of NYC Podcast

February 19, 2020

“I was given this opportunity to save this historic place in New York and something that’s of old New York. New York is constantly changing. It’s changing by the minute. It was such a good feeling to come in and stop time a little bit. My uncle was a penny-pincher. He did not change anything in this restaurant and thank goodness for that. This is straight out of a time warp. It feels like a 1950s diner look. It’s such an honor to maintain something like this for the 10 years that I’ve done it.”


Our latest podcast episode brings us to 13 Doyers Street – which was historically one of the most dangerous streets in the neighborhood due to gang violence. It’s also the home to the city’s premier dim sum parlor that has been around since 1920. Wilson Tang’s parents immigrated from China and quickly settled in the restaurant and bakery industry. Wilson grew up helping out his family but attended college at Pace University. In 2011, he left his career in finance and took over for his uncle at Nom Wah. Ever since then, he has kept so much of the restaurant’s history in the Chinatown community alive. One step in there and you can immediately feel that history. The restaurant now has more locations in Manhattan, Philadelphia and China. When he’s not at his restaurants, Wilson is running for fun and frequently runs the @nycmarathon. He started off using the sport as a means to get healthy and lose weight. Now he’s just happy to be a part of it as one of the key members of @oldmanrunclub. Catch Wilson on a run and he’s likely smiling. We believe that his personality and care comes through in this episode.

Recommended Reads:

Chinese Restaurants Are Closing. That’s a Good Thing, the Owners Say | New York Times

New York’s Oldest Dim-Sum Restaurant Just Might Be the Future of Dumplings | GrubStreet

This is Runners of NYC. A biweekly podcast from CITIUS MAG. Hosts Leigh Anne Sharek and Chris Chavez look to bring you many of the untold stories behind luminaries and legends that make up New York City’s running culture. You can catch the latest episode of the podcast on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review. We are also on Spotify!

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Chris Chavez

Chris Chavez launched CITIUS MAG in 2016 as a passion project while working full-time for Sports Illustrated. He covered the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and grew his humble blog into a multi-pronged media company. He completed all six World Marathon Majors and is an aspiring sub-five-minute miler.