A private mahjong room just opened on the Lower East Side

Believe it or not mahjong—yes, the tile game that was developed in 19th century China—is making a comeback in New York. No one is more tapped into this trend than the Chop Suey Club, a Chinese-owned store in Downtown Manhattan that just opened its own mahjong room in the store’s lower level on Hester Street.

The vibey room, which includes two tables and an option to play with an instructor, seats two parties at a time, and every booking will include a copy of a mahjong for beginners pamphlet written and designed by the creative mind behind the Chop Suey Club, Ruoyi Jiang.

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In the past several years, the Chop Suey Club hosted mahjong nights at the Ace Hotel that were wildly successful and often sold out. As a response to growing demand, they decided to remodel the lower floor of their brick-and-mortar store, where they often hold parties and other social events, and turned it into their own sleek, almost clubby, contemporary mahjong room. 

There are two types of reservations available—one is a table reservation, which includes a mahjong table and seating for four players with the option to bring four additional guests, a mahjong set and accessories, as well as free soft drinks. It’s also BYOB if you feel like playing under the influence. If you really prefer a private party vibe, you can reserve the entire room, which would include mahjong tables and seating for eight players with the option of bringing an additional 12 guests, plus a karaoke setup. 

You should also check out the Chop Suey’s Club mahjong merch collection, which includes scented mahjong soaps, mahjong Rubik's cube, ceramic mugs and more here. 

If you’re totally new to mahjong and just want to learn how to play, there’s something for you, too—there are options to learn from an instructor for $160/hour. Once you learn, renting a table will cost you $100/hour, or $25 per person if you decide to play with three others. In celebration of their soft launch, everything will be 50% off this month, so make sure you book your table here.