One weekend during summer, we were spending time around Financial District, and we wanted something quick, easy, and tasty. After a bit of research, I found this Chinese restaurant that offers kind of Dim Sum type dishes called 3 Times. I heard their dishes are more authentic and tasty, so we decided to go and try some of their dishes. They currently have three locations, maybe that is where the name of the restaurant “3 Times” comes from? We visited the one in Financial District.
They had both indoor and outdoor seating, and when we arrived, it was busy in the inside. As more customers arrived, they sat outside, but we managed to get a counter seating in the inside, where it was cool with AC. It was a hot summer day… They did have more seating outdoor, as they had nice open space around them. Even thought it was rather small in the inside, it was cozy and clean.
Since we didn’t really know the size of each dish, we started with three kinds. We ordered Fried Rice with Shredded Pork ($12.95), Shrimp Wontons in Chili Oil ($9.75), and Pan Fried Pork & Crab Roe Buns ($11.75).
Fried Rice is made with vegetables, egg, rice, pepper, and onion. You can choose between pork, chicken, beef, or seafood. It was a good amount, with nice amount of pork. It was not greasy, which was a plus.
Shrimp Wontons in Chili Oil (6/order) and Pan Fried Pork & Crab Roe Buns (4/order) are from their Dim Sum menu section. We do enjoy dim sum a lot, and they had a good amount of dim sum dishes on their menu.
Shrimp wonton is made with pork, shrimp, sesame oil, flour, and chili oil. It had one red hot chili pepper sign on the menu, but it was not too spicy, just right. The filling was plump, and the wonton was silky. We really liked this one.
The pork & crab buns are made with crab meat, pork, ginger, sesame oil, and flour. The wrap was doughy in a good way, packed with juicy meat. It had a really nice flavor. Simple yet satisfying.
As we were still slightly hungry, we decided to add one noodle dish and one vegetable dish. We ordered Shanghai Fried Noodles with Shrimp ($14.95) and Sautéed Eggplant with Garlic & Chili Sauce ($13.95).
Shanghai Fried Noodles are made with thick noodles, carrots, cabbages, and scallion. You can choose to add pork, chicken, beef, or shrimp. It was filling, and came with a good amount of shrimps. But the flavor was a-ok, I would say just typical fried noodles you can get at any Chinese fast-casual spots.
Eggplant dish was made with eggplant, green & red pepper, garlic, ginger, and vinegar. I must say, this one was the winner of all, which was surprising. It looked beautiful with that bright purple color, and they packed loads of them in the container. This dish also had one red hot chili pepper on the menu, but it was not too spicy. It had a great flavor, and eggplants just melt in your mouth. Delicious!
The female staff at the ordering counter was very friendly and polite. The price range for this spot is a bit pricier, but you have to consider the location… We do enjoy going to Flushing, Queens for more authentic and affordable dim sum dishes, such as Kung Fu Xiao Long Bao, and Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao. Even though the price point is higher at 3 Times, but I still think it is very affordable for Financial District location. Also, I thought it was great that they serve their food in takeout containers, so that if you don’t finish eating them, you can simply ask for some lids, and you are good to go!
3 Times @Financial District – 38 Water Street, New York, NY 10004