Weiting H.

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.

Juliana T.

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.

Andrew L.

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.

Anggie B.

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!

Laura P.

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.

Nicole L.

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.

Pedro Z.

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.

Michael C.

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!

Tansy W.

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!

Erin H.

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!

Kim F.

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!

Josephine L.

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.

Irene D.

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