this place is so fun there a free elevator to get in! you can go for a quick nibble of a steamed pig bun or a bigger meal to congratulate your family for knowing you i would come again especially for duck! ( *w*)b read more

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We showed up at 11:30 on Saturday, party of two and we got in within 15 minutes. It was a little confusing standing around in the basement area of this building but I was honestly happy being indoors. I doubt the other tenants of the building appreciate all these people standing around. Anyway, the system works seamlessly, we were called by our. I bet, told what floor to go to, and the person on the floor greeted us right away. This is where I encountered the best honey walnut shrimp of my life. The walnuts weren't too candied, the shrimp was succulent, lightly fried, the sauce was flavorful and not overdone, just the right amount of it too. Really happy with the perfectly done steamed broccoli. The cart service was really efficient , a party could eat immediately and leave in a very short amount of time. I asked about one dish and they put it on my table, I was like "woahhh, wait a minute"... perhaps they get commission on pushing the food. We had two dim sum items, rhe honey walnut shrimp, and the sesame balls (also the best I've ever had... not too greasy, large, delicious. This was the best steamed bbq pork bun of my life as well. I definitely want to return. Down a star for the no frills and no smiles waitstaff. I could be too delicate, maybe it flows so well because they are all business. Without eating any other Chinese food in New York I already know this is my favorite. read more

Golden Unicorn - Honey walnut shrimp - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

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This is a year ago or so. I've been itching to go for the dim sum. So, for my birthday we arrived and...no reservation, no din, din...me bad. I didn't think I needed a reservation (oops, wrong) - I apologized to the family, we went elsewhere. Made reservation for a party of four in two weeks.... We arrive, get seated and are presented with a menu, hmmmm? This is Dim Sum. We are told that there is wedding reception going on so only menu items are available. Really? You could have called (had phone #) or said when I was booking the reservation that there was a wedding and Dim Sum was not going to be available. We ordered what we ordered - stirfry...mediocre at best At the end I recieved the best compliment from the family - "dad, yours is better" and yes I'm proficient in Asian cooking If you're going to the Golen Unicorn check before you arrive what type of menu is available Disappointed read more

Nothing was necessarily bad, but everything felt extremely average, especially for the price. We tried the soup dumplings and noodles, and honestly I've had frozen dim sum from Costco that tasted just as good or better. The xiao long bao lacked flavor and did not have much soup inside, while the noodles were fine but nothing memorable. Service was standard and the restaurant itself was busy, but with so many food options in the city, this did not feel worth going out of the way for. Did not travel all the way here just to eat average food. read more

Golden Unicorn - Xiao Long Bao, Noodles - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

First, make sure you sort the reviews by newest first. Yelp's default shows reviews from 15+ years ago! Five stars! The food, ambiance and service at Golden Unicorn are all fantastic. Extra spotlight on the service -- the staff are super attentive and friendly. We arrived 15 minutes after opening and there was already a line and the third floor was full. We waited about 15 minutes and were seated on the 4th floor. The ambiance and decor are really nice and it's a great option in general and for taking family/friends who want dim sum in NYC. Great variety of food being pushed on dim sum carts and the prices are really reasonable. 10/10 recommend Golden Unicorn! read more

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Golden Unicorn is a classic Cantonese spot with multiple floors and the rare fun dim sum cart experience! It's around for a while so it's definitely well known! When you arrive, it's usually extremely packed in a building entryway, but make your way to the middle and there should be couple staff members to give you a number. If you're a group of 2, even at peak times there may be tables, so don't be intimidated and ask. They surprisingly have a lot of small tables for 2. For large groups you may have to wait a bit. To order, they have an English menu on each table to assist, but the carts will be walked around offering various dishes to your table. You can simply look and point if you're unsure. When they hand you a dish, simply give them your check on the table as they just stamp it. Most of the staff speaks English as well. Everything is pretty good here but my favs are the pai guat (steamed spare ribs) and the baked roast pork buns (char siu bao). Definitely try the sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaf ( lo mai gai) and the pan fried turnip cake (lo bak go) as well! read more

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This review is for the takeout section on the first floor. As I was walking by their storefront on the first floor I noticed a few items in steamers/warmers that looked pretty good. My gut said I should just try one dish first before trying many more. Thankfully I was right as I'm not sure how dumplings supposed coming from hot steamers/warmers right in front of me can be cool. I was expecting piping hot to be honest or at minimum warm. These dumplings were cool at best, and not the best way to enjoy. Most notably I was also quickly harassed by two staff members for taking a bites of my plate of shrimp dumplings which is astounding to me. If you know anything about shrimp dumplings, you'll know you want to eat these asap right away. I had paid that at point, there were no other customers in the store and I wasn't in anyone's way. I also am not one to take my time to eat either. I had already eaten two by the time I was asked to leave. Golden Unicorn has been a mainstay in Chinatown, so this experience was a major disappointment. read more

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look how much we ordered!! it's by far the best dim sum i've ever had. was recommended by a hong kong friend and they just lived across the street saying this one is the best. also it's very crowded and busy in the morning so better get your numbers in earlier. all of them are great read more

Golden Unicorn - dim sum - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

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Consistently high quality dimsum parlour that's able to cater to locals as well as tourists. I recommended this place to my friend for her birthday, as she wanted to do a dimsum party, and I was surprised at the decor (it seemed really done up, like something in China) as well as the many many floors. To be fair, I hadn't been here in many years, so it was a new experience coming back. They still have the dimsum cart ladies, which are half the experience -- they were sweet, but just be wary because they WILL push any and everything onto you; don't be a pushover! The staff are well versed in Hoisan/Canto/Mando/English, so don't worry if you're self-conscious about your language skills. They also weren't very pushy after it seemed like we were done eating, which is the point of dimsum -- in Cantonese, we ask if others would like to go "yum cha" which means "drink tea", so dimsum is an experience to sit and commune with friends, family, and gossip. read more

Golden Unicorn - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

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Awesome experience on New Year's Day. No reservations accepted when I called, so I had to wait for about 30-45 min. It was totally packed, but the lady managing it was locked in. Food was amazing as usual. Service is fast because they move around with the dim sum trolleys. Decor is great. Vibes are good. read more

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I've been dining at Golden Unicorn for as long as I can remember--for business meals, fundraisers, celebrations, and family gatherings--and it remains one of Chinatown's most enduring institutions. Established in 1989, Golden Unicorn helped pioneer upscale Cantonese-style banquet dining and dim sum service in New York City. From the moment you walk in, the traditional red-and-gold décor, bustling energy, and multi-level dining rooms make it feel like a true classic. The logo itself, featuring the Qilin (often referred to as a unicorn), is a fitting symbol of good fortune and longevity for a restaurant that has stood the test of time. Even though I've never been to Hong Kong, Golden Unicorn feels authentically Cantonese, especially during dim sum service when the roaming carts fill the room. The selection is extensive and consistently satisfying. Standouts include har gow with delicate, translucent wrappers, shrimp shumai, chicken feet in black bean sauce, sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaf, pineapple buns, and the charming pig-shaped custard buns. Fried taro dumplings, turnip cake, and sesame mochi balls are also reliable favorites. Everything tastes fresh and prepared with care, which is why the crowds keep coming back. The atmosphere is loud, lively, and unapologetically garish--more banquet hall than trendy dining room--which makes it ideal for large groups and special occasions. Weekend and holiday dim sum can involve a wait, as reservations generally aren't taken during peak hours, but dinner reservations are accepted, especially for larger parties. For classic Cantonese dim sum in a festive setting with decades of history behind it, Golden Unicorn continues to deliver and remains a Chinatown staple worth revisiting. read more

THE GOOD ---------------- + Every single Dim Sum item (rice rolls, shrimp dumplings, pork dumplings, spring rolls, chive dumplings, braised chicken feet) that you can order is pretty much on par with some of the best Dim Sum at any restaurant in Chinatown. + Traditional carts go around serving Dim Sum so you can see what you're about to order. + Dining rooms on multiple floors. THE NOT SO GOOD ---------------------------- - The weekend WAIT! If you don't arrive by 10 AM, be prepared to easily wait 1-2 hours for a table. - Extremely touristy crowd. Most of the customer base (especially on weekends) is made up of large groups of tourists, which makes the wait even greater since they occupy multiple tables. - Waiting area in the lobby gets packed, so it's sometimes best to wait outside. - Come here via public transportation as parking is an absolute sh*tshow in all of the surrounding blocks. MIXED THOUGHTS --------------------------- = Food is predominantly good. I do want to mention that the Coconut pudding/jelly has actual pieces of gelatin inside, which doesn't make it terrible, but is interesting. I prefer mine without it. RANDOM OBSERVATIONS -------------------------------------- = Hadn't been to Golden Unicorn in probably 6-7 years and the Dim Sum food is as good as it ever was. read more

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Was in the mood for classic banquet-style dim sum and found myself taking the subway to Golden Unicorn. It was a busy day (any holiday or weekend is quite busy), but they are used to the chaos. If you are a party of 2, you will be seated relatively quickly. Big parties (6+ especially) will have to wait a bit longer. We sat along the perimeter of the upstairs floor, so getting to the carts was tough. The servers made sure to check in if we wanted to come see the cart and pick anything out. The food: shrimp dumplings were fantastic, egg custard pig buns were whimsical and delicious. My companion doesn't eat meat, so her options were a bit limited given many things have pork pieces. The variety of options in general was not the best given how busy the room was, but you could always order additional noodles, veggies, etc if interested. Overall I will definitely be back, but will try to avoid peak hours! read more

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Went to Golden Unicorn because of their size and Dim Sum cart service - we were only in NYC for a few days and did not want to wait on line at other Dim Sums. Golden Unicorn is huge - spans multiple floors. You wait in the lobby where they give you a number, and call it when your table is ready. The food was delicious, but we expected more variety and a better service. Same carts kept passing by us, offering same plates. Next time we will look for a dim sum where we get to order from a menu. read more

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a very fun and maximalist space for getting dimsum. it's a great spot for big groups (think large banquet tables, lazy susan's), and i recommend making a reservation in advance. I came with a large group for dinner, and it was a fun vibe, the food was good (not great), but the price is pretty fair for nyc. the service is fast and friendly, and you can get by with just English. I recommend the stir fried noodles and crispy beef. read more

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Excellent dim sum experience complete with surly wait staff, dim sum carts and excellent food. Bright, clean and updated too. Everything was also very reasonably priced. So much food and $25 per person only. Great selection of dim sum, they have just about everything. read more

My friends and I realized we were all going to be in NYC without husbands or fathers this past Sunday (for Father's Day), so we went to Chinatown early to dim sum! Yummy and authentic Canto-style cart service and ambiance. If you want traditional HK dim sum, this is where all the locals go. read more

Golden Unicorn - Dim Sum - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

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Was hesitant because of the mixed reviews but I had an amazing experience! Not only was the food amazing but I also really enjoyed the setting. 10/10 would definitely return read more

My go to dim sum in the city Authentic and lots of options Line was long on a Sunday but we were still able to get a table for two pretty quickly within 30 minutes read more

Golden Unicorn - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

Great place for large groups, a bit of a walk on bowery street until you hit this hidden gem. On the second floor of a building you may miss it going by the restaurant. The prices are pretty on the pricier side, with large appetizers around $8 to $12 and we got a pan fried seafood noodle that was $26-$27 but it was for sharing. The lighting is super cheerful and bright, and great for large groups. The workers do have a command of English if need be. They do sell dim sum at night but you won't get the push cart experience. They will cut up the dishes if you're trying to share so definitely ask. A wonderful place to have a celebration, or welcome people to the city. It's very photogenic on the second. There's at least 20 large circular tables. read more

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We came here for a wedding banquet dinner and were on the private 2nd floor. The food was great. Favorites were the mixed platter with jelly fish and roast pig, the roast duck buns and the steak. The service was average as the staff seemed rushed to bring out the food to serve for a large group. read more

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Came here for my aunt's wedding and left absolutely stuffed. The food was solid across the board - slightly on the oily side, but nothing my digestive system couldn't handle. But let's address the unicorn in the room: the server's attitude. Not the vibe. Our server tossed plates onto the table like they were frisbees and practically shouted over the entire meal. It wasn't just "busy restaurant energy" but straight-up hostile. My sisters and I all clocked it within minutes. At one point, we were just silently exchanging help me glances. read more

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I don't know why anyone wouldn't give this restaurant 5 stars. Came here years ago and decided to bring my friends and family back here for a large birthday dinner. The food was even better than I remembered!! I missed the carts, but the staff was so attentive and accommodating, taking our order in piece meal the entire time and the food was top notch. The staff was wonderful and even paged down to the woman downstairs b/c we left someones bag there! My ONLY complaint is that there are giant tv screens and, when we were there, they were showing the news. Nobody wants to see that as they eat (or ever for some of us). Would literally rather watch anything else (or ideally not have a giant tv screen at all). Something happy would be nice! Outside of that, we loved our experience here and can't wait to come back!! read more

- EXTREMELY long wait for a party of six on a Sunday (may have felt longer bc of the two littles constantly reminding me of how hungry they were)--we got our number at 11:55a and weren't seated until 1:05p; smaller groups (2-4 people) were seated much faster - Lobby that served as the waiting area was packed during peak dim sum hours: standing shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers made for a very uncomfortable wait; two staff members managing the list were visibly overwhelmed and curt with guests asking for updates; very noisy--hard to hear the numbers being called over the constant chatter - Dining room is large and spacious: we did notice several empty tables, so it was unclear why the wait was so long - Service was efficient and attentive once seated: pushcart staff delivered hot dishes promptly; waiters/waitresses responded quickly to requests for extra plates, utensils, and napkins - Food was solid and fresh: flavors delivered on expectations for traditional dim sum; not amazing, but satisfying - Parking is an absolute nightmare on Sundays: nearly impossible to find a spot within a ten block radius; fighting all of Chinatown for limited street parking, while dodging double-parked cars and constant jaywalkers - Bottom line: decent dim sum experience, but not worth the long wait; we'd only come back if someone in our group is willing to arrive an hour early and grab a number read more

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Golden Unicorn survived COVID intact. The ambience is a bit improved and the service is still very good. The food has become a bit limited in scope as compared to 5 years ago, but still is a fun place to eat. Not sure I would wait on a huge line, but great to drop by to East Broadway neighborhood, which needs more non- Chinatown customers. read more

One thing I like about Golden Unicorn is how reliable it is. I mean, I've been coming here occasionally for 15+ years, and I never had an experience that was less than good. This bi-level Chinatown classic is located in the less touristic side of Chinatown east of Bowery. Because of that, lines here may be less crazy than at other dim sum places. It doesn't mean that there won't be a line, but if you arrive here no later than 12 noon your chances of scoring a table in a reasonable timeframe are higher than at other places. On a recent visit on a Saturday we arrived at 12 noon and our party of 3 was seated immediately As always, part of the fun of dim sum is ordering like there's no tomorrow and sampling as many different things as your stomach can handle. All the dim sum dishes were delicious. The only dish I did not particularly like were the xiao long bao/soup dumplings; then again, maybe this is not a dish you necessary order at a dim sum place. Being on the fancier side of dim sum, prices are higher than at other dim sum places, but still very affordable. Unlike most dim sum restaurants, dim sum here is also served at dinner, although I've only been here for lunch. read more

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My friend's son had his wedding banquet at this restaurant. The renovations on the third floor were very nice. The service was amazing. The staff was very attentive to our needs. Most importantly, the portions of the courses were huge and all of the food tasted delicious! I enjoyed the whole experience at this restaurant. Hope to be back for more! read more

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We came here for a family tea ceremony on a Sunday night. They gave us a section of the room. There was ample floor space in the center for the ceremony and photography. The food was good, especially the roast chicken, sautéed lobster, and herbal chicken soup. I liked the banquet food here more than a few other restaurants I've tried in this Chinatown. Space wasn't too tight either. The waiters helped to serve to each person at the table and consolidate when there was too much food. Cocktails were $20. read more

Golden Unicorn - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

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It is rare for me to drop a rating from 5 stars down to 3 for any place, but sometimes the greater the love, the greater the heartbreak. The three stars are for decor, cleanliness and food quality - but that's it. I want to be clear, I have a deep affection for Golden Unicron. While my first ever visit back in 2009 was not spectacular, over the last 10+ years they have earned my loyalty with good service, a clean space and excellent food (though their ever inflating prices are a bit of a concern). Unfortunately my last two visits simply were not up to par and I am very sad to say Golden Unicorn has some serious work to do. First, the food is still great. If you don't care about gruff service (or lack of service altogether) then you're solid. Enjoy! However if you do care about service, read on. When you go to a cart Dim Sum place, there are essentially three types of servers. You have a "floor manager" who watches over operations of the entire floor (usually a guy in a suit). Then you have waiters (who are in uniforms with blazers featuring colors like a bright blue) and then the cart servers who push the carts around, call out dishes and transfer the food from the carts to your table. Generally, no Dim Sum place nails all three of these roles. Inevitably, one of these roles will be either not particularly well trained or just kind of bad at their job, so other staff members fill in the gap to balance out the service. The problem is when each layer of this service fails. On my most recent visit, things started well. My friend and I were seated and we had a cart come over to us with some limited offerings. We got some food. Keep in mind at the time we were one of three-ish tables there, so paying attention to us was easy. I then asked a waiter over to get some water, spicy oil sauce and order a noodle dish (all Dim Sum mainstays). The *face* this waiter made when I motioned for her had some serious FML energy. Still I tried to stay chipper and asked for the noodle dish. She looked at her watch (with some impressive nose raising in the process) and informed us it was too early to get a noodle dish. Okay, fair enough. I asked for the water and spicy oil and she acknowledged it curtly and came back a few minutes later with the items. What's important to note is that her actual service (bringing us stuff) was fine, but her *attitude* was terrible. Lest you think I am singling her out, every waiter I asked for something from after that seemed to have the same attitude. It's like they were all trained to frown. You have to understand, this is SO FAR from my previous experiences it was jarring. After a while I stopped calling waiters over because I was tired of the attitude. Now let's get to the cart ladies. My friend and I were seated against a wall (next to the windows). I've sat there plenty of times without a problem. But after the initial round of food, ALL, and I mean EVERY cart essentially dodged out entire row. They would come close, serve the table between us and the main aisle and leave. After this happened about four times my friend actually took our order card and chased after a lady to get food. That's what it took for her to come to our row - it should NEVER take that. I include the manager as a point of failure because they should be keeping an eye on the flow of their staff and how their staff is interacting with the customers, but they clearly were not doing this. It is important to note that I am not holding this place up to some high, unattainable standard. I am comparing Golden Unicorn of November 2025 to Golden Unicorn of say, December 2024 and by their own standards they have failed and I am very disappointed. read more

Went around 10am and surprisingly no crowd on a Sunday, able to grab a table for 2 instantly. Ordered those 4 items from the photo, pork and century egg congee which was salty. Lastly a pan fried turnip cake that was on the mushy and soft side, I prefer firmer type. Overall, Staffs were friendly and attentive. Price reasonable. But I wasn't sure if I would return because I had much better dim sum elsewhere in nyc and flushing. read more

Golden Unicorn - Steamed Pork Shumai 干蒸燒賣 Steamed Chicken Feet in Black Bean Sauce 豉汁鳳爪 Steamed Bean Curd Skin Rolls 鮮竹卷 Steamed Spare Ribs 豉汁排骨 - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

Pretty restaurant.The service was good the food was ok. The price was fair .The good is if it's not on th menu ask most time they'll make it. The con is the food was average read more

I finally came to try their dim sum sit down restaurant with my daughter on my day off. I missed the entrance of this place the first time I came. The restaurant is on the second floor of the building. A woman waited downstairs in front of elevators and asked how many people. Then she directed you to go to upstairs. Once there you are greeted by a waiter and led to a table where the asked for your tea preference. I choose my favorite which is black tea with chrysanthemum. Then the ladies with the dim sum carts came around. We ordered what we wanted. There was a lot of variety and service was attentive. The dim sum however were hit or miss. Some of it was fresh and tasted great ( the baos, siu mai, dofu fa, chicken feet). Some were bland (beef rice roll, tripe, tofu skin wrapped dumpling). I've had better but it's starting to be harder to find good dim sum places. So this place isn't bad if you're craving some old fashioned dim sum. read more

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Large space (with multiple floors available to rent for private events) with a classy vibe. There is a BYOB option with a $35 corkage fee. The menu has images which is helpful for those who are not as familiar with dim sum options - but would recommend the Beef Chow Fun: had great flavor and was a large portion, so plan to pack leftovers! read more

I had a really disappointing experience here and ended up leaving because of how poor the service was. Our server never came to greet us  and we were ignored for a long time we asked two guest for sauces and was told that they are not our waiter the younger guys are the ones that give out the sauce until we had to flag him down ourselves. When we finally got his attention, he told us certain items couldn't be made until later, but gave no explanation, no timeframe, and didn't offer any alternatives. At that point, it felt like we weren't being taken seriously as customers. Between the lack of attention and the poor communication, the whole experience was frustrating and unprofessional. Customers shouldn't have to chase down their server just to get basic service. Definitely not a place I'd return to unless things improve. read more

Good service, love that they had the dim sum carts going around. I went with my Chinese-American friends, and they said it was just pretty ok quality, but I was happy enough with it! I really loved the pineapple buns too. read more

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It was my first time here (Lunar New Year weekend, Sunday 2PM). It was quite past lunchtime but there was long line. You have to go past the line and talk to the hostess in front of the elevator to receive a numbered ticket. She told us that the wait for 2 people could be 30 mins, but we got seated in about 15 mins. This place is extremely busy and loud. The staff with the dumpling carts try to offer you the items in their cart, which makes me believe that they might be working on commission (which is fine). I'm not sure if the place was recently renovated but it was very beautifully and thematically decorated. The food was very very good. My only gripe was that the beef ribs we got was kind of undercooked (we took it for takeout and cooked it further so no issue there). Frankly, an adult male will be full with 3-4 orders, with items generally costing around $7. The complimentary (?) tea that they served when we sat was good too. The wait for cooking items ordered after the carts are gone (3PM ish, 2nd floor in my experience) was about 20 mins so take this into account when trying to go after peak time. I would recommend this place and plan to visit again. read more

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Amazing dim sum!! We got there right when it opened on a weekday morning, so it wasn't crowded at all, but all the food was fresh. They had so many carts with lots of variety, and we happily tried a decent selection. We really enjoyed the shu mai, shrimp dumplings, and piggy buns. They have lots of tables, and it feels just like a traditional dim sum place. read more

Golden Unicorn - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

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In search of authentic cuisine, the heart of Chinatown was the only place I considered. I was recommended the Duck, Soup Dumplings and Shrimp Dumplings which all were unique and quenched my exploratory desire. Although it was not a meal that will be raved about (at least not like 1997 when Golden Unicorn won top 5 restaurant in NYC), it was a great trip to immerse myself in a foreign culture. The restaurant was up an elevator which opened into an open room with plenty of seating and decorative Chinese furnishings. If you're in search of DimSum, I'd recommend going during lunch as they stop pushing the cart options at some point in the evening, although the menu stays the same. read more

Heard great reviews for the golden unicorn so I had to come check it out myself. Even with a reservation, we had to wait. The dim sum was plentiful and there are multiple different carts roaming around, so you could truly find the best option for you. The dim sum was pretty good, all a bit on the oily side. There are multiple floors of seating, and luckily they're a round table so it's easy to share. read more

Golden Unicorn - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

Golden unicorn is what dim sum is all about. Endless carts of dumplings and delicious food! They even have a table side cart with a chef that prepares shu Mai right in front of you! Major points for that! We had a really nice brunch experience. The only negatives for me would be that the carts do not come around as frequently as they should and some of the dumplings were rather cold. read more

Golden Unicorn - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

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