Chinese Soul Food · NYC · Since 2004
The East Village spot that broke the internet. Family-run since 2004, serving Southern Chinese flavors with a New York edge. The hype is real — and the food proves it every single time.
Family recipes from the Liu family's Sichuan roots — blended with 20 years of East Village DNA. Every dish made fresh. The wait is worth it. The hype is justified.
Baji Baji has been on 1st Ave since 2004 — back when it was known as China Star. The Liu family, originally from Sichuan province, built something quiet and real in the East Village: authentic Southern Chinese home cooking that didn't need advertising to spread the word.
Then came Instagram. Then TikTok. And suddenly a neighborhood spot that locals had been quietly loving for two decades became NYC's most talked-about Chinese food destination. People drove from Buffalo. People missed flights. People turned around on their way to the airport. The food warranted every single detour.
The menu is built around bold flavors — Sichuan-influenced heat, homemade sauces, and signature creations like the Cheeseburger Eggroll and Chopped Cheese Eggroll that didn't exist anywhere else before Baji Baji invented them. No outside investors. No chain backing. Just a family, a kitchen, and twenty years of East Village loyalty backing every plate.
East Village's most talked-about Chinese food. Open 6 nights a week from 4:30PM.