This place was really good! I forgot my light, and I didn’t take a lot of pics, but this Michelin starred Chinese joint really delivered the flavor! My favorite was the crispy fish filets (last pic), but over all everything was high quality. I would definitely go back for more.
CAFE CHINA
59 W 37th St
New York, NY 10018
My wife and I finally got over here to try the noodles.
But first, we put down some pork dumplings.
Despite being a little bit soupy, the dry hand-pulled noodles were awesome. We tried the spicy chicken and spicy oxtail. I give the edge to the chicken, mainly because the oxtail wasnt stewed or slow cooked long enough. The bones were cut very thin so that they cook faster, but that unfortunately means the meat will be a bit less tender. Still great though.
Will definitely be back to try the lamb noodles.
NEW SPICY VILLAGE
118 Eldridge St
New York, NY 10002
The new Times Square location of Brooklyn Chop House delivers everything you know and love about the downtown location. As such, this review is really just a piggyback on that with the same scoring, showing the new stuff I tried below.
Nice crisp martini from the smallish (for the location) but well appointed bar.
Great seafood “pac man” dumplings.
Dough was a little too thick on these philly cheese dumplings:
Perfet “crispy” filet.
Whatever this new crispy preparation is on the menu – I like it. 9/10.
Bacon a little underwhelming for the price point, but tasty.
Nice aged rib eye on the bone. 8/10. Definitely some steak improvement over the one downtown.
The sizzling plates will literally splatter all over the table, so watch your clothing!
Lobster fried rice was low on both lobster and fry. More like a steamed rice. A bit mushy.
Ultra rich “double height” chocolate cake, served on it’s side.
This was a comped meal in exchange for some posting on social media, but this is what the bill would have been. Pricey steaks!
TOTAL SCORE 81/100
BROOKLYN CHOP HOUSE
253 W 47th St
New York, NY 10036
This is really just a photo dump of the dim sum I tried here at Dim Sum Palace. Over all this is pretty good quality stuff, and I’d definitely come back again. Only down side is that they were slammed, so service was a little bit spotty. I recommend going at an off hour (for example, not at noon on Saturday).
DIM SUM PALACE
59 2nd Ave
New York, NY 10003
Jing Fong on the upper west side might be my new favorite place for dim sum. Yes, it’s a bit more expensive than the old, storied downtown haunts, but the food is markedly better. In addition, while the classic dim sum joint will have rolling carts of tasty goodness meandering throughout the floor of the restaurant (which is a big part of the fun), those carts often smell like sterno, chemical flame or leaking natural gas. That smell always ruins the experience for me.
This place brings everything out that you order, sans carts. No smell. I liked that change-up, though admittedly there was a little less fun and intrigue to the experience. But over all, I really loved this place. Some favorites below:
Peking Duck Dumplings – probably one of the best dumplings I’ve had.
I usually hate these pork buns. Always too “bready” and almost always too sweet. Not the case here.
Take a peek inside the vagina slit below. Great ratio of bun to meat, and the meat wasn’t too sweet. Perfect.
Always important to eat your veggies:
Especially when there’s minced pork inside.
Very nice steamed rice rolls (though I wish they offered the ones with fried crullers inside too).
This crispy fried chicken with roasted garlic (entree dish, not dim sum obviously) was really nice too.
I’ll definitely be back here again.
JING FONG
380 Amsterdam Ave
New York, NY 10024
I recently had a meal here when celebrating a friends birthday party. Here’s a quick rundown of everything I tried:
This chicken with peanuts dish was really tasty. Nicely fried morsels of dark meat.
These fried beef dumplings were better still. I could have eaten a dozen.
While I’m not a huge tofu guy, these fried cubes were pretty tasty. I’d eat them again, but definitely not over the other two apps above.
Next up, beef noodles. These were ultimately pretty middle-of-the-road. Nothing stand-out about them.
The star of the show, however, was this pork belly dish. So much nice quality belly, with some chiccharones and a great spicy bean curd dip to boot. Awesome.
The octopus was perfectly cooked and had a great crunchy texture on the outside, but there was just something about it that bugged me. It had a flavor that reminded me of the smell of dried fish food. Perhaps it was something added on top for seasoning.
Lastly, their pickles and kimchi items are superb here. Some of the best I’ve had.
I would definitely go back here again.
BARN JOO
35 Union Square W
New York, NY 10003
This joint was PACKED on a Friday evening when my wife and I came in for a quick bite. There’s another joint named Excellent Dumpling House in Chinatown. It has yet to be determined whether this is owned by the same folks.
Anyway, I was fighting off a cold, so I ordered a bowl of chicken dumpling noodle soup. It was pretty great, especially with some of their spicy chili oil.
I also tasted some of my wife’s soup dumplings, which were.. shall I say… excellent? Ha! Maybe. I mean they were constructed properly, cooked nicely… no ripping… But perhaps I haven’t had enough XLBs to really say what is excellent or just above average.
EXCELLENT DUMPLING HOUSE
165 W 23rd St
New York, NY 10011
NOTE: THIS PLACE IS NOW CLOSED
Restaurateur and food scene influencer Matt Bruck recently partnered with Chef Hong Thaimee to open Thaimee at the McCarren Hotel.
The restaurant is bright, spacious and gorgeous, with open-kitchen views into the back so you feel like you are part of the action.
The bar is a beautiful, orchid-spotted stretch with seating for about 10 people that boasts a flavorful and inspired cocktail menu, as well as some choice wines and sake.
From what I understand, the cocktail menu is currently expanding as well, so there will be even more to choose from.
The food menu is well-crafted: not too extensive, and not too small. And with Chef Hong back there doing her thing, each dish is executed with precision and perfection.
Since we tried a bunch of stuff here, I will get right down to business.
Caveat: this place has seen some buzz regarding their magic color-changing noodles.
Although I was interested to see them in action, I felt like those babies were all over Instagram already, so I wanted to try some stuff that no one else has reviewed.
Crab Cake: Beautifully presented and packed a lot of great flavor.
Tom Yum Soup: Easily one of the better versions of this Thai classic that I’ve ever tried. Tangy and robust.
Rabbit & Noodles: Perfectly cooked and tender. The batter is thick – puffy and soft on the inside, but crisp on the outside. A big winner.
Fried Ribs: Excellent. This is a must-have dish when you come here. They’re crispy, juicy and tasty. Also a big winner.
Squash Curry: As a meat man, I was surprised at how much I liked this squash dish. It was filling, satisfying, and packed with delicious Thai style curry flavors. It’s also incredibly beautiful.
Dumplings: These babies are so colorful and tasty. Veggie and peanut filling, topped with coconut and chili oil. Colors and fillings may change daily.
Thai Basil Scrambled Egg: So simple but so perfectly executed and delicious. I highly recommend this for the table.
Pumpkin Donuts: These are great for sharing at the table as well. They’re heavier than classic fried donuts, so they will chip away at your hunger and satisfy you.
Pomelo Salad: Tart, refreshing, and well balanced, this is a great way to open up your taste buds or cleanse your palette between courses.
Pad Thai Carbonara: This is hands-down the best Pad Thai I’ve ever had. There are chunks of thick cut bacon and a raw egg yolk to mix in. It really works! And the presentation is fun too. We picked shrimp as our main protein.
Chocolate Chili Souffle: I’m not a huge chocolate enthusiast, but I liked the hit of chili on top. It made this dessert pop.
Pumpkin Flan: Very smooth, and really nice flavors. I liked the candied pumpkin seeds and crispy squash on top as garnish.
I think that about does it. You should definitely get over here for the rabbit, the ribs, the squash, the soup, and especially the Pad Thai. You won’t be disappointed.
THAIMEE AT MCCARREN
160 N 12th St
Brooklyn, NY 11249
Flame is a pretty large hibachi joint on the upper west side. I was recently invited in for a hibachi meal with a bunch of lunatic foodies.
They put on a great show here, I must say.
We started off with a pair of shrimp.
Then some fried rice and veggies.
And then the steaks came out!
Very simply prepared, and nicely cooked.
As far as hibachi goes, this is one of the best I’ve experienced. But that’s not where the action stops. They also serve a variety of nice dumplings, sushi and other seafood.
Everything was great; especially that miso octopus tentacle. I highly recommend this joint. There’s a lot of space, really beautiful tables and decor, and even some really nice mixed cocktails.
FLAME
100 W 82nd St
New York, NY 10024
My buddy and I stopped into White Bear after a Charcuterie event in Flushing to try some dumplings / wontons in hot chili oil. The funny part is that the woman working there just brought out the plate of dumplings before we even ordered.
But I guess it kind of makes sense: Every white person that was in before and after us within the 20 minute span of time we were there ordered the same thing. She knew.
For $6 you get an order of 12. They were very tasty and well made.
WHITE BEAR
135-02 Roosevelt Ave
Flushing, NY 11354
