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    Cheli

    4.2 (488 reviews)
    Open 11:30 am - 11:00 pm

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    CHELI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Good for groups
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Cheli

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    Reviews With Photos

    Soup dumplings
    Sonya H.

    One of my favorite spots for Chinese food in NYC! I was honestly a bit dubious when my friend first recommended this spot to me since the dishes seemed a bit too Instagrammable, but Che Li was beyond ready to prove that gimmicky food can be authentic and delicious. We started our meal with the xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), and they were genuinely some of the best soup dumplings I've had in the US -- the skin was remarkably thin, yet sturdy and managed to defend the ultra-flavorful soup from my manhandling and multiple failed attempts to pick one up. We also had the pu'er tea rice with uni, which was a great way to whet our appetite for the rest of the meal; the rice was cooked well and soaked up all of the goodness from the pu'er, and the uni gave the whole dish a great hit of umami. While this was a great and well-executed starter, it was also really small and not the most earth-shattering, so I'll probably opt to skip it for next time; even so, it was great preparation for the next round of dishes, including the full steamed yellow croaker, stir-fried water spinach, and crab and tofu. The steamed yellow croaker was fantastic; the sauce was subtly salty, umami, and tangy, and the fermented rice offered a little pop of sweetness. The fish itself was remarkably tender and easily slid off the bones; the dish was simple, yet executed perfectly. The same could be said of the crab and tofu, which went perfectly with their freshly steamed rice. The crab offered a bit of brininess and saltiness, which the silken tofu just soaked up like a sponge. The stir-fried water spinach was a great pop of green in our otherwise very protein-heavy meal. The veggies were well-cooked and not too oily, but also had a ton of flavor from the verifiable mountain of garlic they threw in there. All in all, this was an absolutely wonderful meal -- the dishes we chose were relatively simple, but crafted expertly and authentically. While a few others definitely felt a bit gimmicky (i.e., the longjiang prawns), the tables around us still had rave reviews for those dishes' authenticity and taste. Will absolutely be stopping by here again the next time I'm in NYC.

    Cathy L.

    Came to dinner for 5 and we, as always, ordered way too much. We got the soup dumplings, Flaming Beggar's chicken, crab meat tofu stew, che li pork belly, sweet sour fish, lotus pond stir fry, brown sugar sticky rice cakes and pear desserts. The desserts tasted better than the meal. The meal was ok but I'm not sure if it was what we had ordered but most of the meal was a bit forgettable. I thought the chicken or the crab tofu would be a standout but both were pretty tasteless. The decor was stunning, it made me feel like I was in China. I do want to return and try other dishes. Hoping we just ordered wrong.

    Fried Rice Cakes W.shredded Pork&Geechoi 荠菜肉丝炒年糕
    Hanna F.

    Very cool place - vibey and seating was great. You order off an iPad, and everything comes out pretty quickly. My favorite dish was the rice cakes - a must get. Not super impressed with the pork belly or duck. The AC was also broken so it was super hot while we were eating, which made it a little less enjoyable.

    Young Master Neon City Pale Ale, made in Hong Kong.
    David J.

    I have been eating Chinese food for 50 years, and I've never had Chinese food like this! I mean that in a good way. There are so many flavors it was intoxicating without even drinking alcohol. Speaking of no alcohol, the "Milk tea with yellow wine" is delicious, and (I'm pretty sure) alcohol-free. If you do like alcohol, they had a nice ale from Hong Kong I never heard of before, but it was very tasty. We started with black truffle soup dumplings, which were amazing. Then, pickled cabbage fish stew, which was also unlike anything I had ever tasted before, an "explosion of flavors," my dinner companion said. We got a side of some garlicky "water spinach," which in Chinese is called "hollow heart vegetable" because the stem is a tube. Our server was as nice as can be, and was fluent in both English and Chinese. It's easy to see why this place is always crowded.

    Sandar S.

    Quick dinner to catch up with my friend. The place is nicely decorated like old Chinese village vibes. Food is good, not too overwhelming yet tasty. Service is okay. The only thing is they keep asking if we finish or want to take left over food home. Feels like a little rushed when there was o people waiting and definitely not peak hours.

    House Special Fish Stew 浙里也有酸菜鱼 eggplant
    Jessica C.

    My friend from NY kept raving about this place and said it was one of the few chinese places that his family likes for chinese food in the city. The ambiance was great, I liked the aesthetic and felt that it was well decorated. Service was good, they checked in on us and confirmed our order after we places it through the ipad. I liked the eggplant dish a lot, one of the better versions that I've had. The fish stew had tons of fish and was enjoyable. I thought the braised pork belly was decent but too fatty for me personally.

    Lava volcano dessert.
    Steve G.

    We were lucky enough to be in a party that got the private table in the back. It made for a cozy and fun lunch. We tried about ten items on the menu. All were good. Standouts were tofu puffs; soup dumplings; string beans and shrimp in a delicious glaze. Beware: like in Asia, you need to eat the shrimp shell for the full flavor. It was great. For dessert we each had a lava volcano; hot custard inside a very unusual dough. See photo. Prices very reasonable for the city. Service was good.

    water spinach, pork belly, longjing shrimp
    Angelina L.

    i got the golden fried rice, longjing shrimp, pork belly, and water spinach! absolutely no misses with any of the dishes. the pork belly was a flavor explosion pairing perfectly with the umami fried rice, and the longjing shrimp tasted as impressive as its presentation. the water spinach balanced out the meal with a lighter, but still delicious flavor profile. the decoration inside is stunning & transports you to shanghai. i'd definitely recommend booking a reservation here -- the restaurant was packed for dinner on a random weekday! in a city where i don't often repeat restaurants, i want to come back here to try every dish on their menu.

    Lizzy L.

    Cheli is always a hit - it's been my go to recently for amazing Shanghainese cuisine. Can't go wrong with anything on the menu but my favorites are the pork belly, longjing shrimp, water spinach, string beans, and hunan spicy beef. I wasn't a huge fan of the flaming chicken, it was a bit dry. The ambiance is great; I love the "Chinese garden" feel. I also really like how the ordering system is on an iPad with photos of the dishes. I went with a big group of 9 recently and there was a secluded long table they reserved for us which was more private. For larger groups they have a minimum spend - I think it's about $60 per person.

    Spicy Tender Beef With Silken Tofu 豆花嫩牛肉
    Hellen N.

    I came for dinner with some friends when I was in the area and really enjoyed the vibes. The restaurant is decorated to give a traditional Chinese, ancient-time vibe. We had a reservation so the wait was not too bad. We ordered the Longjing Shrimp, braised pork belly, crab meat soup dumplings, and the white pepper beef with soft tofu. The food was delicious. My favorite was the white pepper beef with soft tofu eaten with white rice. It was a perfect mix of spicy, meating and smooth. The Longjing shrimp presentation was beautiful, the shrimps tasted fresh, but the taste didn't stand out too much for me. We also got the pear dessert, which ended up being one for those "look better than it tastes" situation. The pear was a panna cotta texture with pear flavored fillings served in a mildly sweet snow fungus goji berry soup. It was worth a try, but I wouldn't order again. Overall, very nicely decorated restaurant with delicious traditional Chinese food. I would come back to try more other dishes.

    Wine Soaked Chicken
    Justin C.

    Visited Cheli with 3 friends on a Saturday night, wait was a bit long (1.5 hours) so I highly recommend a recommendation! Once we were seated however, things were pretty great. Our waitress was incredibly accommodating and everything we ordered came out very quickly. Wine Soaked Chicken: Not something I've ever tried, but I thought it was excellent. The chicken was juicy, flavored perfectly with the wine. 4/5 Soup Dumplings: Solid soup dumplings, not particularly stand out but definitely not a bad a choice if you're feeling soup dumplings. 3.5/5 Crab Mapo Tofu: Super good! Really flavorful, generous with the crab, and it went perfectly with rice. 5/5. Eggplant in Garlic Sauce: Always a classic and Cheli's take is great! Highly recommend getting one as a vegetable dish. 5/5 Overall, it was a great dining experience! The food was good, service was quick, and the place is perfect for dates or groups (although once again, get a reservation!)

    Qianlongs Favorite Eel
    Jason W.

    Really good Chinese restaurant that focuses on regional cuisine from the Shanghai area. Cheli brings on all the big hits from Shanghainese cooking: soup dumplings, smoked fish and braised pork belly. The execution of all the dishes were consistently good. Service was great. We were sat down and ordered off an iPad. Food came out quickly and service was attentive.

    Qi G.

    My husband and I had a wonderful experience dining here. The waitstaff were super attentive from start to finish and helpful in answering our questions about the dishes. Unfortunately they ran out of the beggar's chicken, but we were advised to call in advance to reserve a chicken for our next visit. Everything we ordered was exceptional and piping hot! The ham sizzling rice and the acorn fish were my favorite dishes. I look forwarding to coming back again to try the beggar's chicken!

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    Page 1 of 13

    Cheli Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Cheli

    Going with my elderly mom and want to make sure they take checking COVID vaccine status seriously. Do they do a good job of making sure only vaccinated people are admitted for indoor dining?

    They check but it's not the most stringent. They didn't check ID. And they don't check you again after your waitlist is up.

    Is it byob?

    No they serve alcohol

    How can I order take out? Is there a menu or site?

    Order thru Uber or grub.

    Is there delivery?

    Yes! Uber eats and grub.

    Do they take reservation?

    no. only walk in

    View All 10 Questions

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    Shanghai 21 - D2. Soup Dumpling with Pork

    Shanghai 21

    4.2(2.1k reviews)
    1.2 miChinatown, Civic Center
    $$

    Yummmmm. With an abundance of restaurants to choose from in Chinatown, I am so happy we stumbled…read moreupon this one on a hot day in the city. With dozens and dozens of items on the menu, we were a bit overwhelmed but looked around at other tables to see what looked good and our server helped us identify the dishes and give suggestions. We ultimately went with the Szechuan potstickers and pork soup dumplings. Both were so flavorful and we ate every last bite. I loved the ginger ponzu mixture that came with the soup dumplings and will be dreaming about these dumplings for weeks to come! Would love to go back to try other items and see the super friendly staff again.

    These guys claim to have the best soup dumplings, and I have to say, they might be right. Their…read moresoup dumplings have thin skins and juicy centers, exactly what you're looking for. They're definitely one of the best I've had. Even their scallion pancakes are good. Thin and crispy with enough substance to hold its shape after a soy sauce dunk. We also ordered the salt and pepper squid, the Szechuan style bean curd (basically mapo tofu), and the watercress with enoki mushrooms. Everything was very delicious. Service however, was just adequate. But it's what you would expect from a delicious Chinese restaurant. The waitstaff will get you what you want when you ask it, but clearly doesn't want to be there. Also the place is cash only. But there's a reason they're always busy on the weekends, this place is good.

    Photos
    Shanghai 21 - The inside

    The inside

    Shanghai 21 - D13. Szechuan Style Wonton

    D13. Szechuan Style Wonton

    Shanghai 21 - O7. Double Sauteed Pork over Rice

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    O7. Double Sauteed Pork over Rice

    Joe's Home of Soup Dumplings

    Joe's Home of Soup Dumplings

    4.5(877 reviews)
    2.0 miMidtown East
    $$

    Great overall assortment. Central location. Staff was warm and inviting. Went with the pan fried…read morenoodles, shrimp, fried rice, chicken, soup, dumplings, the Chinese pancakes, and orange chicken. Great quality food. Fresh ingredients that were prepared well. Everything from plating to presentation was on point. Don't miss out on this great option for Chinese food.

    Chose this spot for a late lunch since it was close to our next stop. I wasn't quite sure what to…read moreexpect, especially being in Midtown rather than Chinatown. But it turned out to be a fantastic meal and fully satisfied my endless craving for well-made soup dumplings. The scallion pancakes were excellent, too, crispy without being greasy and packed with scallions. I had seen a lot of reviews praising the General Tso's chicken, but I've honestly avoided the Chinese-American dish for years. Too often it's overly sweet with a heavy batter. Still, after seeing plate after plate come out to nearby tables, I decided to give it a try. What a surprise. It was a huge portion of fresh white meat chicken with a light coating and a perfectly balanced sauce, served piping hot. We couldn't finish it (knowing we had a big dinner later), but I kept going back for "just one more piece" more times than I'd like to admit. Reservations aren't accepted for parties of two, but in the late afternoon it wasn't busy at all, we walked right in with no wait. Would absolutely come back.

    Photos
    Joe's Home of Soup Dumplings
    Joe's Home of Soup Dumplings - Young Chow Fried Rice

    Young Chow Fried Rice

    Joe's Home of Soup Dumplings - Hong Kong Hot and Sour Soup

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    Hong Kong Hot and Sour Soup

    Shanghai time - Soup dumplings

    Shanghai time

    4.1(156 reviews)
    1.8 miMidtown West
    $$

    I stumbled upon a new years until lunar new year dine in promotion (on social media) for either…read moretheir pork soup dumplings or pork pan fried buns for 1$ each. 4 dumplings for 4$ (1 promo per person). The food was incredible and made super fresh to order. My favorite was the pan fried buns - they fry the top of the bun instead of the bottom with an amazing crisp. Hot soup is prone to gushing out of the bun, so consume with caution so you avoid burning your tongue. 100% recommend getting those pan fried buns. The soup dumplings were also good, but not as memorable as the pan fried buns (shengjianbao). They do the noodles pretty well as well - the only disappointment was the tofu crab sauce dish that I ordered. The tofu/sauce felt bland and lacked flavor. Despite that, the pan fried buns just rocked it outta the park for me so much I still say it's 5 stars in my book. The interior was also very comfy for dine in - they started using ipads for customers to order from - and the pictures helped a lot in the ordering process. Love the deals, love the flavors and price - especially in this part of town!

    Decided to give this place another try and man....its just consistently mediocre…read more Service is much much better this time. Very attentive but the food is still lacking. Pork soup dumplings: 3.5/5 these aren't bad. A little bland, strong msg taste. The vinegar improves it a lot. Pan fried soup buns: 3/5 just ok. Also strong msg flavor. The vinegar also helps with flavor. Pepper beef stir fry: 1.5/5 this has no beef flavor at all. It's so bland. It tastes only of soy sauce and oyster sauce. Basil chicken: 1.5/5 this is the same as the beef dish. It's hardly any discernible flavor. I don't taste the basil and it only tastes like soy sauce and oyster sauce. Crab roe noodles: 4/5 this saved the meal for me. Not the best crab noodles I've ever eaten but it's decent compared to everything else. This restaurant closes a little later than other Chinese restaurants around the area. Otherwise, I would have avoided.

    Photos
    Shanghai time - Interior

    Interior

    Shanghai time - Shanghai Time Special Panfried Pork Soup Dumplings 4Pcs

    Shanghai Time Special Panfried Pork Soup Dumplings 4Pcs

    Shanghai time - Salted Crispy Chicken(N) (N)

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    Salted Crispy Chicken(N) (N)

    Tri Dim Shanghai - Steamed shrimp dumplings.

    Tri Dim Shanghai

    4.0(628 reviews)
    3.5 miUpper East Side, Yorkville
    $$
    Full bar
    Fine dining

    Love love the food ! The crispy rice soup and design your entree are always terrific !…read moreThe service is always excellent Its my fav restaurant on the upper eastside

    I generally gravitate to Chinatown-type restaurants, but with InKind credits to redeem, we ended up…read moreat Tri Dim Shanghai. And I'm glad. We'll certainly return! Shredded crispy duck is lean, crisp (living up to its name) and in my estimation, perfect! A half order is $33 and comes with crepes and what I guess is thin-cut celery and hoisin sauce. Our other two dishes merit maybe four stars. I had high hopes for prawns with black bean sauce and minced pork, but there was little pork and the dish was under-seasoned. Beaten egg white, a component of the sauce, was almost raw and when separated from the black beans, runny and unappealing. When I inquired about 'vegetarian delight,' our server suggested creating our own dish. Four sautéed vegetables for $16. I went with bok choy, broccoli, mushrooms and fried tofu. I asked for a flavorful sauce. I believe we got garlic, but it was too subtle, not garlicky enough.. Service is on-the-ball. Ambience is lovely. And Saturday night, hours before the dreaded snowstorm, the restaurant was busy. Reservations recommended.

    Photos
    Tri Dim Shanghai - Red cooked short ribs pumpkin casserole

    Red cooked short ribs pumpkin casserole

    Tri Dim Shanghai - Shanghai braised duck appetizer is a perfect way to start the weekend!

    Shanghai braised duck appetizer is a perfect way to start the weekend!

    Tri Dim Shanghai - Red Cooked Short Ribs in Hang Chow Style 红烧牛仔骨

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    Red Cooked Short Ribs in Hang Chow Style 红烧牛仔骨

    Cheli - shanghainese - Updated May 2026

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