Insanely delicious gem in FiDi. Food and service were both excellent. The restaurant itself is beautiful as well. Ordered the half Peking duck, Berkshire pork, lobster sticky rice, okra with black garlic, and Dungeness crab typhoon style. The star of the meal for me was the lobster sticky rice. Will definitely be returning to order it again! read more

Excellent! We have come here fairly often including a previous wedding celebration. The food was uniformly outstanding. My favorite was peking duck with extra thin skin and crepes that were individually wrapped. Our other dishes such as lobster and dungeon's crab also delicious. The beef dishes such as short rib very tender with sauce. A less usual dish was organic mushroom with jasmine rice. Different and tasty! I probably would not order the oyster with noodle dish as the oysters were very small. Next visit, will try the tomahawk steak again. Cooked to perfection last time. I am a Cantonese person so I can attest to true Cantonese food. BTW, they have bubble tea! We have reservations for my birthday at years end. read more

Yao has a beautiful dining room, but the overall experience was disappointing. Service was disorganized. Water was spilled, it took three requests to get our wine, and they brought two of the same dish for a table of two. When we pointed it out, the staff initially pushed back before removing it from the bill. The food was underwhelming for the price. The vegetables were very salty, the noodles were just okay, and the dumplings were fine but not memorable. The entrance through the Marriott lobby also felt awkward. For the price, I expected much better. I would not return. read more

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Some dishes I love - Water Spinach Eel & Tofu Was excited for the Lobster Truffle Sticky Rice but it wasn't sticky rice just regular fried rice. Peking Duck was not bad but it was served right away feel like it was cut and prepped just sitting there? Very expensive overall though. read more

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I came here for a team dinner on a Thursday night and we had a wonderful time. We got a few bottles of wine, mocktails and a lot of food items to split amongst the table and the lazy Susan on the table was so helpful. The staff was a bit slow and confused at times but they eventually get themselves together. There was also two other large parties in the room so I can see how they were a bit frazzled. Nevertheless, the food was delicious. The soup dumplings were flavorful and had a good amount of broth in them, but the skin was thicker than what I'm used to for typical soup dumplings. The Peking duck was delicious and they carved it table side for you. However you had to make your wraps yourselves. The wrappers were a bit thinner than what I'm used to for these. As for the rest of the food was delicious. We also got the shrimp dumplings, lobster and noodles but it was so good we didn't even take a photo before we ate it. It's a great option for group dining if you want to experience some tasty traditional Chinese food that's not general tso or beef and broccoli. I will say that this place is a bit pricey and you can probably get better food for less price in Chinatown. But the upside here is that they accommodate large groups, has a full bar, and is very clean. read more

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This review is for a private event. We chose YAO to host a dinner in their PDR. We were looking for an elevated space that served family style Cantonese food. After working with Kitty via email for several months, we had a menu set up and plan ready to go for our event for a Friday 5-8pm. We showed up on event night at 4:45pm to finalize set-up, and NOTHING is set up. AFTER we showed up, a man showed up clearly looking like he just arrived at the restaurant (he had to take off his bag and jacket before he could start setting up). No apologies for running late - nothing. And they had to set up EVERYTHING, incl re-organizing chairs, laying out wrinkled table cloths, and placing out dishes and glasses. All said, we weren't able to let our guests in until close to 5:20pm even though nearly everyone showed up on time, and had to wait outside the whole time. The service during the rest of the meal was not much better - drinks and food both took forever. In fact, 6:15pm rolled around, people were waiting up to 30-45 mins for their drinks, and not a single dish had been brought out. I asked one of the waitstaff what was going on with the food, and he goes "Oh, you want the food to start coming out?" I was so baffled by his question - we were there for a dinner and no dinner was being served! I was beyond shocked and disappointed. Thankfully, the food was great. I love elevating the Cantonese food experience. My favorite dishes were the truffle duck and tea smoked chicken. The custard filled swan desserts were also beautiful and tasty. All in all, our private event for 25 people cost $3,500, which is inclusive of a 20% tip which is WILD given the shoddy service. I left feeling both great and terrible about our dinner at YAO. read more

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We went here for Christmas Eve. Long overdue review. Ambiance is very nice. Festive decor. We started with cocktails Ume Collins, Yao Old Fashioned and Yao Ice Tea all delicious. We started appetizers with scallion pancakes, Xiao Long Bao, Shumai, steamed scallops with garlic, and shrimp dumplings, all fantastic. My Daughter and I shared the Peking Duck which was amazing and a spectacle cooked table side. My Wife had the Szechuan chilli chicken which she loved. We also had the mayo tofu with lobster as well. Ton of excellent food. Would come here again for sure. Service was top notch. read more

Very nice restaurant that is a little hidden being on the 2nd floor of a hotel. We had the Scallion Pancakes, Xiao Long Bao, Half Peking Duck, Citrus Honey Mayo Glazed Tiger Shrimp and Fried Rice with Diced Angus Short Rib - all solid. Service was friendly and very attentive and nice decor. read more

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A really nice place, its simple yet giving fancy vibe. And i love how there is space between tables so we're not squeezed like chicken in a farm. Great service. 4 stars for the food, some of the dishes were really good, one was just alright. Oh, they have lunch special. But the regular menu is def better. Will i come back? Yeah! read more

Yao - Interior - Cantonese Near Me - New York, New York

Beautifully designed interior and excellent service, this spot offers fusion Cantonese cuisine right in the heart of Manhattan's Financial District. I'm so glad I discovered this place, it brings back memories of Hong Kong. read more

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We had Christmas dinner at Yao. While waiting for elevator two women got in and they got out first in line at the host. They didnt have a reservation and proceeded to push for one. We heard hostess said come back at 6:30 PM. Then it was our turn to check in the hostess immediately said your table is ready but can you finish your dinner at 6:30 PM! We thought it was abruptly rude and that gave the impression they were giving the table to those women in front of us. We ordered the peking duck and fish fin soup both almost $50 each for individual or half portions. The jellyfish was good but there was some sandy texture. The char siu was berkshire pork but it was not as tender as expected (we had Hayhay the previous night it was way better). My son enjoyed the shrimp and soup dumplings. We also had the sweet and sour pork with an elaborate presentation on dry ice it was ok would have been better with some taipoica coating gives it a different texture, we also had the okra and mushroom dish it was good. Overall we spent quite a bit for dinner and imagine a restaurant charging such price demanding you finish your dinner before you even sat down. The other service staff was good. read more

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Insanely delicious Chinese food in FiDi. We are so lucky to have this place. The Peking duck with ultra thin pancakes is amazing. The lobster and sticky rice (basically pan fried rice) was my favorite dish. The lobster had so much flavor and the rice was so good! The Dungeness crab was another winner. Overall, this was one of the best meals I've had in a while. read more

This place is located in a hotel, to get to it you access the hotel lobby and you take the elevator to the designated floor. The ambiance is chic and modern. The staff is super helpful and the food is delicious. I tried the lunch beef lo mein noodles and they were amazing. I would totally recommend this place whether it is for a quick lunch or for a date night. They have a vast menu with all the Cantonese classics combined with a great space. read more

Yao - Noodles with beef ribs (lunch). Sorry... I eat before the phone. - Cantonese Near Me - New York, New York

THIS WAS THE BEST BAKED PORK CHOP I EVER HAD I WOULD COME BACK EVERYDAY FOR THIS‼ the bowl was $32 for a very big portion, esp since it's in the middle of the financial district. 2 people could eat it and there would still be some leftovers for me to take home service is also very good and has a good view read more

Yao - baked pork chop rice - Cantonese Near Me - New York, New York

Absolutely amazing. One of the best Chinese restaurants in NYC. Great food and great service. My favorite dishes were the Peking duck (amazing), the steamed Dungeness crab with meat (pork), and the egg custard tart dessert. The salted chicken was also very good and quite unique. Everything else we got was also tasty, including the snow pea shoots with chanterelles, the cauliflower, the pork, the pumpkin dessert, and the swan custard dessert. The service is also amazing. They were constantly swapping out our plates and refilling our waters. There is also some fancy $350-some-odd meal per person you can preorder two days in advance. Not clear what it includes. And there's a beautiful inside as well as some private dining rooms, I believe. Highly recommend. Can't wait to return! read more

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Amazing food, yes it is not cheap compared to other Chinese restaurants but it is not more expensive than other cuisines at this class and finesse level where food, service and ambiance is part of the experience you are looking for! read more

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A nice place for group of people, a little bit fusion Chinese dishes, not limited to Cantonese at all. High recommend Mapo tofu and Peking duck is great! Specially it's hard to find a good Peking duck in the city. The environment also comfortable and quiet. The only downside is the elevator share with hotel, sometimes need a long waiting time! read more

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I had the cucumber salad, scallop fried rice and vegetable dumplings. Food is not bad but the service is horrible. They have full bar but tell folks they can't order drinks because they have no bartender. They have a side of pickled radish that comes with the meals that I wanted to take to go and was told I have to pay 6 dollars for it. Needless to say I left no tip. I was staying at the hotel and ate the same meal the day before and there was no bartender then and when I asked for the pickled radish they told me that it had been put up already because it was close to closing time and they didn't know where it was. So I do really like the fried rice but I do not recommend this place nor will I return! The ambiance and decor was is nice but not enough for me to go back! read more

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I'd heard good things about this place and decided to give it a try, but honestly, the food was just average. Some dishes tasted like they might have come from a central kitchen. The menu design, dish names, and even the presentations felt very similar to other Chinese restaurants like Blue Willow and Blue Blossom. Paying premium prices for what seems like centralized production is really questionable. I also tried to arrange a birthday lunch for a large group, but the experience was frustrating. No one was available to speak with us in person, and no manager ever followed up. I left my contact information, but never got a call back. When I called again, they told me to email -- I did, but days passed and there was still no response. read more

Welcome to Yao, where Cantonese cuisine gets a modern makeover and your taste buds embark on a Harold and Kumar flavor adventure. The decor is prettier than the Met on a first date, and your wallet will likely hate you at the end of the night, but at least you're in for a truly sumptuous meal. Let me take you on a culinary rollercoaster through some of their best dishes: - Marinated Jellyfish with Sesame: My litmus test for most Canto spots. Nothing wrong with Yao's, except that it's too small. - Grilled Berkshire Pork: Presentation much? This dish was meant to be 'grammed. Imagine pork so succulent it's like biting into a cloud of happiness. Char siu never looked so sexy. - Traditional Chinese Salt-Baked Free-Range Chicken: If chickens had a spa day, this is what they'd look like after. Tender, juicy, and bursting with flavor, this chicken is so good, it's probably the reason why the phrase "winner winner chicken dinner" was coined. - Fresh Whole Sea Perch with Bones with Dried Tangerine Peel and Douchi: Dive into a sea of flavors with this dish! Plus, picking through those delicate bones feels like a culinary treasure hunt. - Mapo Tofu with Lobster: I hate how much I loved this. Silky tofu meets crunchy lobster in an actually spicy sauce that doesn't skimp on flavor. $68 is painful, but it hurts more not trying this. - Beef Brisket with Turnip in Clear Broth: Like a warm hug on a cold day. The beef melts in your mouth, and the broth tastes like Fri evenings with mom. - Snow Pea Leaves with Chanterelle: Crisp, vibrant snow pea leaves paired with earthy chanterelle mushrooms--it's a green dream come true! - Stir-Fried String Bean with Minced Pork and Kale Borecole: A classic for a reason, and Yao's is generous. - Fried Rice with Scallops and XO Sauce: Flavorful and perfectly cooked. - Fried Rice with Diced Angus Short Rib: Also flavorful and perfectly cooked. I'm not sure which fried rice was my favorite, TBH. - Pumpkin Cake: Yes, we desserted. This cake oozed sweet egg yolk that made me want to cry, it was so tasty. - Sesame Ball with Red Bean Paste: Another classic for a reason. You get five balls in this order, so it's perfect for sharing. Not too oily either. - Custard Pastry in a Swan Shape: Get this just for the 'gram. But also, it's actually quite crispy and delightful. Fly, my pretties, fly right into my mouth! - Portuguese Egg Custard Tart: Yao's best dish, bar none, and quite possibly the best egg tart in all of NYC. Made fresh every day and already their most popular dessert. My Macanese grandma would not only have approved, she would've ordered 12 more to take home. I didn't want to love Yao because, let's face it, "elevated" Chinese food almost always subs presentation for flavor, but Yao managed to avoid that for the most part while providing a gorgeously modern dining experience. read more

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Beautiful location in Financial District. Attentive and fast service. Highly recommend: Oven Roasted Black Angus Short Ribs and Salt Baked Chicken. Also recommend assorted Mushrooms in Hot Stone Pot. read more

{Overall: 3.5; Food: 3.5} Service: 4; Ambiance: 3.5 Yao is an upscale rendition of Cantonese cuisine in the Financial District. It is located on the second floor of a hotel. The dishes bring a modern take to traditional Cantonese cuisine. Everything we ate was decent, but the dishes weren't that memorable and didn't really meet my expectation for Cantonese comfort food. The restaurant feels more like a place for a special occasion, and when you're interested in trying more of a unique flavor profile. read more

Embark on a culinary odyssey where the vibrant flavors of classic Cantonese cuisine collide with a modern twist, creating an explosion of taste sensations that linger long after the last bite. Within the exquisitely decorated dining room, blending Chinese and Western aesthetics seamlessly, each dish is a masterpiece. From the meticulously roasted Braised Cha siu to the tender Steam Lobster, alongside the Plum Duck, House signature Scallion Chicken, and the crispy, flavorful Mushroom Rice, every bite is a revelation. However, it's the Roasted Black Angus Short Rib that steals the spotlight, offering tender meat with a perfect balance of sweetness and saltiness, culminating in a satisfying crunch. For the price, the food seems to lack in flavors but the presentation and services were amazing. What we ordered: Braised Cha Siu Steamed Lobster and Chencun Noodles with XO sauce Plum Duck House Signature Free-Range Chicken Assorted Organic Mushrooms in Hot Stone Pot Roasted Black Angus Short Rib read more

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We were surprised to find Chinese food in Fidi, but we're glad we gave it a try! Yao served mostly traditional Cantonese dishes (some a little fusion) in a modern setting. We loved the beef with rice noodles and truffle lobster. There were a few dessert options, but I wouldn't recommend it if you're not used to traditional Cantonese flavors. The grapefruit ice cream had the salty Chinese dried tangerine peels in it, and the stewed milk was really strong in ginger. I loved them, but it's not for everyone. All the dishes were presented beautifully, which explains the price. It was a little confusing getting here being on the second floor of a hotel, but once inside, the restaurant was large. Service was great, and we would come back! read more

Yao - Ginger milk - Cantonese Near Me - New York, New York

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We booked a private room for a celebration. The food was good, and dishes like the cha siu, Peking duck, and smoked chicken were visually appealing and entertaining to watch as they were being served. read more

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Really solid modern Cantonese spot from the team that made August Gatherings. The restaurant is located on the second floor of a hotel and is fairly upscale, and the space is modern. Service was great and accommodating. Menu is predominantly Cantonese with lux ingredients. Think abalone with pork or mapo tofu with lobster. Lux or not, everything was executed will and tasted great. With that said, Yao will be on the pricier side with smaller portions. Yao also features an interesting tasting menu but I didn't try it. All in, I think Yao has the potential to be one of the more interesting restaurants in FiDi. If you're into Cantonese food, can't go wrong checking this out. read more

Yao - Fusilli with octopus and bone marrow - Cantonese Near Me - New York, New York

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The restaurant is near the world trade center, so it is very convenient for people to visit. The food is very delicious and authentic. I love Cantonese cuisine. The service is also very good. It is a good place to have Christmas dinner for Chinese people. read more

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I stumbled into this restaurant near Wall Street randomly, it's inside the hotel Courtyard on their 2nd floor. I ordered one of their lunch option, abalone with pork over noodles. It was delicious. read more

Yao - dining room - Cantonese Near Me - New York, New York

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Was craving peking duck and in the area. The restaurant is in a hotel, and you need to take the elevator up, which I didn't mind. Note that this place seemed much more like a business dinner place than a restuarant I would want to go with my friends. The interior was very gorgeous, it felt like an elegant place. The food, similarly was presented very well, but it didn't taste authentic nor very good, and was very expensive. I ordered the peking duck and some other dishes. The peking duck came out on a rack and they lit a fire under it, which was just for show. The duck itself didn't taste as authentic, it was more like roast duck. Still pretty good. The other dishes were not very notable and I felt overpriced. Would not come back here again unless I was desperately craving duck and unable to go anywhere else. read more

Yao - Peking duck - Cantonese Near Me - New York, New York

First time here On a Wednesday many seats open didn't have to wait service: 5/5 food: clay pot rice was great 5/5 dim sum 3/5 colorful but nothing special mas far as taste egg plant 5/5 dessert: apple sorbet 5/5 price was mosr definitely on the expensive side, 2 people over 200 read more

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Went there with a party of 8 and it was easy to make reservations through resy. Parking was tough so just give in and pay for the $25 parking downstairs at the restaurant. The restrooms were decently clean but the pink soap was a turn off. Not the biggest deal, but details matter. I liked that they have paper towels and seemed to keep the restroom well stocked. I looked at the menu in advance and knew what I wanted to get. We ordered 10 dishes for 8 people and the risk came out to around $680 including 20% gratuity. We ordered the following - fresh whole sea perch: a few of us thought it was good but my father thought it was overcooked. He's a fish connoisseur so I trust him, but I still enjoyed the fish. He also said the price for this dish is not bad compared to run of the mill Chinese places in Brooklyn. Considering this is an upper scale place pricing really wasn't bad. - oven roasted black Angus short rib: this was really soft and good, I highly recommend this dish. - stewed soup abalone, sea conch, cucumber: I liked the flavoring for this soup but not everyone gets abalone and we had 8 people. There were maybe 4 pieces of abalone? It was good but some people were disappointed they didn't get abalone and it was a relatively small bowl that everyone got. I would still recommend this dish. - traditional salt baked free range chicken: I thought this chicken was really good, soft, and flavorful. Most people thought it was too salty, but maybe it depends on which piece you get. I would recommend this dish. - spicy silken tofu with baked eel: this was very spicy. I enjoyed the flavoring but the spice is probably not something most elderly Asian are comfortable with especially if they're Cantonese Chinese. My dad was also disappointed with the lack of eel meat. The piece that I did get was good though. - whole Peking duck: I personally don't care for Peking duck but it came with nice presentation. The wrap was too thin for my dad's liking but I found no issue with it. Most people thought this was decent. I wouldn't say taste wise it's highly recommended but the presentation was good. - snow pea leaves with chantarelle: this dish wasn't presentable to me and wasn't that flavorful. Maybe opt for the snow pea leaves with broth? Or just get another veggie dish. - cauliflower: I thought it was good but it was also a tad spicy. It's not something that I would highly recommend but if you need veggies this is an option. My dad said this was expensive though. - steamed lobster with noodles: very underwhelming and not worth it. There was barely any flavoring. - fried rice with angus: not recommended, the fried rice didn't get influenced by any angus flavoring. My nephew enjoyed it though but I think he was the only one who enjoyed it. Overall this was a good time. It was a spacious place, clean bathrooms, and excellent service. Price isn't bad either imo, but of course you can always find cheaper in other than establishments. read more

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Wow to Yao! What an excellent restaurant that is hidden behind the Courtyard by Marriott/Residence Inn on Pearl Street! I sat at the bar and ordered a martini from Sergio, the excellent bartender, along with some still water. It was really delicious. I think a Japanese vodka was used. Then I ordered the Beef with Chencun Noodles in XO Sauce and I was in awe. It's absolutely and easily the best Chinese (Cantonese) food I have EVER had. The balance of beef, egg, mushrooms, spice, and amazing Chencun noodles was a tastebud tantalizer to the Nth degree! I have been to China and don't remember any meal like this one. Sergio's service was second to none. The bar was empty even though the restaurant was very busy. The bar has a wide array of spirits, wines, and beers. It was decorated nicely (especially the light fixtures) and, though it wasn't busy, had a great vibe. I hope I have time to return on this trip to enjoy another beverage and delicious dinner! Congrats Yao and Sergio for delivering the goods with unparalleled distinction! Seafood, Duck, Chicken, Beef...whatever your choice, I truly believe it will be a winner. read more

Yao - Beef with Chencun Noodles in XO Sauce - Cantonese Near Me - New York, New York

Although expensive it was a good experience eating at Yao. Beautiful decoration at the restaurant and great attentive service. read more

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Finally a fancy upscale Chinese restaurant with real Chinese (Cantonese) food! I know to expect good food at YAO given that its sister restaurant is August Gatherings (one of my favorite Chinese restaurants in Manhattan), but I'm still so amazed by the interior design! Compared to August Gatherings, YAO is definitely more spacious and offers much more seatings, including private dining rooms. Food was amazing as expected, with fancy presentations - making it the perfect place to entertain guests, or have celebration meals here. Given it being quite a new restaurant, some non-Chinese staff aren't very experienced with Chinese dining - they're not quite sure when to change plates etc but that's okay not big of a deal. He has a more experienced Chinese staff teaching him along the way. Overall a very nice dining experience, can't wait to be back! read more

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I really like the place! I've been to the original restaurant August Gathering but that restaurant was always chaotic and long wait. The new location is very modern and upscale. Food was amazing. It's more towards high end Cantonese food that you can only get in China. Service was excellent. All our waiters were very nice and they kept adding water to our tea. Highly recommend the place! read more

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The portions were generously sized!! Fair prices for delicious dishes at this place. The service makes good food better. The people working here elevate the experience significantly. Every aspect of this place impressed me. read more

The ambiance is really nice, though the food plus the ambiance was not quite worth the pricing. However, the service was excellent. The food was not as good as some other Cantonese restaurants like congee village and over 1.5x the price. With that being said, the best dish was the lamb chops, but each chop was really small and you only get 3. The ribeye was good, but many pieces either had tendons or were too fatty making the tender cut of beef chewy. The snow pea leaves were on par, but I asked them to use black garlic and for whatever reason they said they couldn't do it. I wouldn't go back given the price to quality isn't quite there. read more

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I had a flawless experience in this good-looking restaurant. Certain options impress more but all satisfy. The servers showed exceptional hospitality by ensuring our glasses stayed full and our experience remained enjoyable. The interior design works and the menu delivers. Friendly service, great food, and fun area! read more

My friends and I visited Yao (the newly opened sister restaurant to Chinatown spot August Gatherings) last Friday. The food was great and the décor was fantastic. Food We got the following items for the evening: · Oven roasted black angus short rib · Signature free-range chicken · Organic mushroom in stone pot rice · Lamb chops · Durian puff pastry First served was the signature chicken. This was probably the best dish of the evening. The chicken was tender, tasted very clean, and light. It was served with heaps of scallions that complimented extremely well with the chicken. Next was the angus short ribs. This was decent, although not as great as what we remember was served at August Gatherings. The soft and tender ribs were served on a dark thick sauce that was not only sweet but also savory. The only blemish to the ribs was that the meat felt a little dry. We then had the mushrooms in stone pot rice. Each bite of the rice had a strong mushroom parfum that really showcased the mushrooms in the dish. However, I did feel that the rice was slightly under seasoned. A little more salt would have gone a long way. The last dish of the night was the lamb chops. These were succulent, tender, and well-seasoned. The gamey taste was minimal. No complaints whatsoever. It was a good lamb chop. For desserts we got the durian puff pastry. We got mixed review of the puff pastry from our group. My friends suggested that the durian custard in the puff was not sweet and was rather bland, and puff pastry was dry and did not give the crunch factor one looks for when eating a puff pastry. I personally enjoyed it as I prefer light dessert with less sugar. Service The service was good albeit rather clumsy. The wait staff were very attentive but they also unintentionally spilled tea a couple times. I think the waiters were trying their best to take care of us but in doing so accidentally tripped up. Otherwise no complaints. Ambiance Ambiance is probably the highlight of the night. The restaurant is located on the 2nd floor so it had a good view of the street. The dining room was bright and elegantly decorated, presenting traditional Chinese elements with a modern take. They have a number of private rooms and large round tables for special occasions, perfect for hosting occasions such as birthdays. Overall, the restaurant was aesthetically pleasing that we are keeping this place as a potential location to host a number of our friends in the future. read more

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We had a group of 9 people and the owner Thomas and chef Kenny put together an amazing meal. We had food we never had before. Few of these dishes worth mentioning were lobsters with fresh galangal, Filet of turbot with scallions and truffle duck. The service were attentive and spot on. I have not seen this level of service in a Chinese restaurant in a long time. Even our guests from Hong Long were impressed. read more