Bronx-born Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor judges famed Chinese eatery

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Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor leaves Joe’s Shanghai in Chinatown

BY Rich Schapiro

Â*DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Â* The verdict is in: Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor is more than happy to rule on the city's tastiest Chinese restaurant - but just don't ask her about Lindsay Lohan.

The Daily News caught up with the Bronx-born Sotomayor outside Joe's Shanghai restaurant in Chinatown on Wednesday after she noshed on soup dumplings, scallion pancakes, braised bean curd with spinach and a host of other Chinese treats.

"I had a great lunch," crowed Sotomayor. "It's my favorite Chinese restaurant in the city."

Sotomayor breezed into the Pell St. eatery about 1:45 p.m., surrounded by a handful of her pals and two security guards.

Seated at a circular table in the back of the restaurant, the nation's first Latina Supreme Court justice and her friends dined for more than an hour. Sotomayor washed down her meal with jasmine tea and water.

The bill, split between her group, totaled $98 - and Sotomayor tipped her usual 30%, said manager Jigang Zhang.

"She's a nice person and very friendly," added Zhang. "We're very proud to serve our food to such an important person."

Sotomayor raved about the dumplings.

"That's what they're famous for," she said.

Although she was full of praise for Joe's Shanghai's delights, Sotomayor was far more reluctant to tackle the turbulent subject that is LiLo.

Asked if she would have given the troubled starlet a 90-day jail sentence, Sotomayor chuckled.

"You know I wouldn't answer that question," a grinning Sotomayor said. "But I really admire your chutzpah."

She then paused, before adding, "That's a New York word."

rschapiro@nydailynews.com

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