Every time we come to NY this is definitely a must go to place. The food is amazing the service is…read moregreat as well. It can be a bit crowded but that expected from a place this good. We travel from California to New York as a family multiple times out the year and we always make it here before we head on back home. I love the Asian style ambiance that this place has. I would definitely recommend this place to any one traveling and has a thing for Asian cuisine

Shanghai 21 in three words: Flavorful. Filling. Affordable!…read more Note: They only accept cash! We only intended to come here for a couple share plates and then bounce around to a few other places however, it was so good we ended up ordering more than originally intended and were very satisfied with our meal! As a group of 5 we all ordered a plate and shared around the table. The two favorites were the Soup Dumplings w. Pork and the General Tso's Chicken! Definitely would return for these items! The restaurant is clean, service was quick, and it's a very casual place. The food is served hot and fresh, which is something so simple yet very standout. We are from the West Coast and this was easily some of the best Chinese Food we've ever had. If you're looking for a warm, delicious, and affordable meal this is your spot!

Ordered the pan fried buns, bok choy, Mongolian beef and the thick rice noodles…read more The rice noodles had a great texture with just the right amount of spring in the bite and the Mongolian beef had a really nice crispy skin. Would go here again.

Vibe/ambiance: casual Service: standard…read moreReservation: walked in Items ordered: soup dumplings, pork shumai, snow peak shoot, chinese sausage fried rice, spicy chicken - everything was pretty solid!

First off: Best soup dumplings we've had since we had some in Shanghai. If you're considering…read moregoing, I hope this is the gentle push you need. We wandered over here after visiting the Empire State Building; it was only a five minute walk away! We went after watching the sunset, so around 8-ish, and were pleasantly surprised we didn't have to wait for a table. The atmosphere was bright and lively, but not too much to bring our seven-year-old. We ordered: PORK DUMPLINGS-- best thing we ordered. My. Goodness. The broth was perfectly seasoned and silky. Was always a little sad after the last bit of soup from each dumpling was slurped. ;) Meat inside was tender and flavorful and the wrapper wasn't too thin or thick. Just the right thickness to keep the soup inside until you were ready, but not so thick that it was too chewy or distracting from the contents. Also ordered, the SPICY BEEF DUMPLINGS as recommended by our server. They were yummy. Tasty soup and beef had a deeper flavor. Not too spicy. Next time, we will probably just order extra pork dumplings or try something new. We ordered the SCALLION PANCAKES. I prefer my scallion pancakes thinner. These were a lot like the thickness of a dense pita. Still enjoyed them-- still a nice texture that was both soft and crispy, perfectly greasy, and flavorful. CRISPY CHILI CHICKEN (or something like that) was good but nothing special. Had some heat but not too spicy. CUCUMBER SALAD-- was a nice cold addition to the meal. Loved the sesame oil, just wish there was more, as well as more flavor. We ended up pouring a little soy sauce on top and that helped. I thought it was nice to chase a bite of crispy chili chicken with a bite of cucumber. WHITE RICE-- we ordered three orders of rice that was perfectly prepared, but way too much for three adults. Not complaining, but each bowl would have probably been enough for two adults. Can't wait to return!

We thought the food was delicious. We had: Crab, Meat &…read morePork Soup Dumplings Shrimp, Pork & Vegatble Wontons in Spicy Peanut Sauce Stir Fried Bok Choy w/ Garlic Vegetable Rice Cakes Stir-Fried A casual place w/ great food definitely worth visiting again if we find ourselves in that neighborhood of NYC. Our nits: one of the items we ordered got lost somehow, though they never admitted it; we had to keep asking for the item, and it finally came after we had finished all of our other items. There was no apology or offer to give us a discount for their misstep. Also, when we showed up for dinner there was a 30 minute wait and one had to stand in the hallway during that wait. Next time we'll swing by earlier to get the check-in code to find out how long the wait is in advance. The good news is that our first three items came out pretty quickly after ordering; and the place is very fast with the turnover.

Came in late in the evening on a Thursday while it was quite busy, but my party of 2 was seated in…read moreabout 10 mins. Service is super efficient, to order food you use a tablet at the table and order drinks from the servers. The dining room is beautiful and kind of peaceful. I saw quite a few large parties so this spot seems good for groups. We started with the truffle pork soup dumplings which might be the best I've ever had. The soup was the perfect temperature and so so flavorful. I would come back just for the dumplings. The mapo tofu and sauteed green beans came next, and we ordered two sides of plain white rice which came in a generously sized bowl. Portion sizes are large here, we had plenty of leftovers. We went for more familiar dishes, which were so well done, but all the different dishes flying through the dining room looked incredible. Will definitely be coming back to explore the rest of the menu.

Elevated Chinese food, Cheli is excellent for sit-down smaller/midsize parties. I appreciated…read moretheir quick service and ability to accommodate vegetarian options. And they also had enough room to seat us without a reservation. Their Mapo Tofu is the star, bridging affordability and savory. Like many of their dishes, it's very, very flavorful and spicy, with the traditional mapo numbing sensation. I'd strongly recommend ordering it with rice. Their mushroom rice dish was also succulent and tasty, and I'd also say it's a great alternative if you prefer less spicy entrees. I do think they're a bit on the pricey side, but their food is worth the cost. Be aware that, again, their dishes are quite rich in flavor.

I thought this place would be more trendy than tasty but I was wrong! We ordered a ton of items and…read moreeverything was delicious. Portions are also massive, and we had tons of leftovers. Service was friendly throughout, though they did forget our drink order and we had to follow up. Ambiance is great, prices are reasonable given quality, and food is delicious.

I dined here twice in a week since I didn't get to order much my first visit…read more Both times the restaurant was really busy whether we were there early or a hr before closing. The first time we ordered.. Wonton soup - 5 stars - we both loved the soup. The wonton skins were not thick and the meat was lightly flavored. Soup was light.. peppery. Beef tendon - 5 stars - delicious...lil spicy. The tendons were cooked so tender but they were so difficult to pick up with the chopsticks. $34 ..lil pricey for the amount but it's the city.. We got one white and one purple rice. Second visit.. Pork dumplings with chili oil - 3 stars - dumplings were okay, chili oil was good. Used the oil on other dishes.. we preferred the wonton soup. Lobster with ginger and scallions - 4 stars - Cantonese lobster dish that I've had countless of times. Ok. Mapo tofu - 4 stars - I don't care for tofu but L loved this dish.. even asked for a fork so he could pick up the tofu faster. Kung fu shrimp - 4 stars - fried shrimp in shell with a lot of chili peppers. Brought half of it home and added my own colossal shrimp to it and it was delicious. My shrimp was better but the chili peppers made them even more flavorful. My favorite dish was still the beef tendon and I should've ordered it again on my second visit but we wanted to try different things. Place was always packed but we never had to wait long for a table. Service was great. Refilled our waters and changed our plates when they noticed lobster shells were piling up. I didn't care for the cocktails much. Only tried one. Wasn't very strong.. too pricy for weak cocktails but they have other spirits available..

great food and service! the drinks are also tasty. we enjoyed our experience here. we had a private…read moreroom so ambiance was also nice.

Went back to check that this was one of our favorite Asian places, and yes- it still is. Food is…read moreflavorful, authentic, and service is great. Go at opening time and you will have no problem getting in. Dinner time on weekend without a reservation- almost impossible! The moody ambiance is great for brunch, lunch, or dinner vibes! Great for: Unique cocktails and great Asian food

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.

The scallion pancakes were tremendous--perfectly crispy on the outside, flaky on the inside, and…read morepacked with incredible flavor. Every bite was delicious. The service was just as fantastic: friendly, attentive, and efficient, making the entire dining experience even better. If you're in Chinatown, this is a must-visit. I'll definitely be coming back!

Love this Chinese Restaurant. I would get Sunday dinner every weekend after my daughter & I…read moreattended Chinese Mandarin class over on Mott Street. Wonton Soup, Fried Pork Dumplings, Chicken Lo Mein, & Kung Pao Chicken were our go to. We made a funny pair 6'5" Baba & adopted girl from China at just under 5 feet. Lol