7-9 Mott Street, undated postcard.

The restaurant here on Mott Street was once the most famous Chinese restaurant in the world (according to some). Port Arthur Chinese Restaurant, seen here on the second and third floors of no. 7-9, opened in 1897. One of the ethnic enclave's first eateries, it became a neighborhood landmark and an important cultural hub (Sun Yat-Sun may have eaten here while in New York). The ornate pagoda-styled facade hid an equally showy interior, replete with carved teakwood furniture, massive electric fans, and Chinese lanterns

The second floor operated as a space for American tourists looking for an "authentic" experience, while the third floor banquet halls were largely used for private parties, political entertaining, and wedding for the business's Chinese patrons.

The well-known and loved restaurant survived until 1974. Thousands of postcards of the restaurant still exist in archives, private collections, and on eBay. The postcards were produced and printed by the business itself as promotional material.