I saw how people complained about Yingtao being overpriced and doesn't taste good. It's not cheap for sure, but I was impressed by the things I ate. I also wanted to make an effort to try the first Michelin star Chinese restaurant in NYC. I'm a sucker for anything fusion too, so I appreciate how they apply international techniques to Chinese ingredients. I'm glad I was able to snag a spot during restaurant week, so I could test the waters whether this place is good enough to bring my parents (at full price). The answer is YES. I made a reservation for 5pm and arrived a few minutes early. They were still setting up for service, so I witnessed the moment they turned on their music. I didn't like it, and it was overly loud in the bathroom, but it was tolerable in the dining area. I overheard a server explaining how the owner chose it and was part of the production process. At least the dining room wasn't too dark, or maybe it will be once the sun sets. The lighting at the table was just right to highlight the dishes for photos. I appreciate how they offer the regular tasting menu during restaurant week. Even though you're supposed to choose the menu upon making the reservation, I heard how people were given the choice anyway. I wonder how they deal with the timing and ingredients prep when that's allowed. The RW menu is only 3 dishes vs 7 in the regular tasting menu, so I think it's a fair compromise given the price is basically in a similar ratio. I would say that I left wanting to eat more food, so for those with big appetites, order add-ons or be ready to have a second dinner. I was in and out of the restaurant in less than an hour which I totally loved but would be interested in even faster service in between dishes. I also wish they would refill my cup faster. Too many times did the water levels drop dangerously low that I was unsure about taking another sip at risk of emptying my cup. It did go empty twice. I ordered: scallop, branzino, and nian gao. Scallop seemed to be one scallop sliced into 3. It was soft and juicy, but I also wish it wasn't so thin. Even though this dish is called scallop, I felt like the focus was more on the skinless tomato and sour+spicy+sweet juice. It's great as a starter to freshen up the palate. I was definitely intrigued. I overheard from other tables that the beef pie is Chef Emily's favorite (or signature), but I wouldn't say those are my favorite components. Branzino was more interesting to me. The tipping point was "xo". I expected it to be referring to XO sauce not cognac. The fish was tender and juicy with a crunchy skin but not important imo, just like what happened with the scallop. My favorite part was the sauce. I almost licked the plate clean. I think the sauce blended in XO sauce or those ingredients. It's full of seafood umami while being creamy like crab roe without being cream forward like curry. I'm salivating thinking about it, and I remember not having any dryness in my mouth or lingering "stinkiness" afterwards. The noodles were the disappointing part of the dish. I wanted to try it by itself to see if I taste any strong scallion flavor. However I struggled to swirl a bite onto my fork which made the noodles swim around and naturally sweep up a lot of sauce on it. I didn't want to try too aggressively in case I splattered sauce on myself. I think the noodles don't have the right formulation in the first place, because it would taste sticky in my mouth. Side note I was surprised how they took away my chopsticks from the first course and swapped it out for a fork. I would've preferred eating the noodles with chopsticks or at least let me have both options. Nian gao tasted good but also again not because of the nian gao. The nian gao is presented in thin circles with toasted sugar on top. I like the crunchy sugar, but the nian gao itself didn't taste chewy enough and the sugar flavor wasn't deep enough. The lime ice cream (or gelato) on top was refreshing and creamy but not special. I liked the bottom cylinder white thing the most. I asked what it was at the end, and turns out it's coconut mousse made with coconut milk, frozen, then thawed before serving. The texture was interesting which is why I had to ask about it. It tasted light and airy while being creamy and not cold. It wasn't shiny and jiggly gelatin texture. I also like the walnut filling is inside because it gave earthiness. I wish the walnut filling was spread out more throughout the whole cylinder, doesn't need to be edge to edge as I enjoyed having just mousse bits too. read more

See all

I always make an effort to try at least one Michelin restaurant when I'm in a new city, and Yingtao stood out because it's one of the rare Chinese ones in NYC. I went with a friend, and honestly, for the first stretch of the meal we were both really impressed. The appetizers and first few courses were solid and well-rounded, and we kept telling each other how excited we were for the rest of it. And then... every dish after that was a letdown. The flavors in the main courses felt very off, and some of them didn't really taste like anything at all? I think they were going for a star anise-forward profile, but it came through so muted that it barely registered. We did pay an extra $68 for the Yingtao bowl (wagyu, black truffle, and quail egg), and while that was genuinely one of the only savory courses we enjoyed, it almost felt like it should have been part of the main menu rather than a paid add-on. I tried to find the exact menu from our visit to reference, but it looks like they change it pretty frequently. For $150 a person, I don't think it's worth it. I'll admit this experience left me thinking that most Chinese food shouldn't be elevated in the first place. It's usually inexpensive for a reason, and when the flavors and execution are this off, you're just left thinking that you could have had a much cheaper and much better executed meal in Chinatown LOL. Service and the space were both nice, but the food is the whole point at this price, and it didn't get there for us. read more

See all

Was "another rainy day in New York City", staff greeted and held open the door for us as we gathered ourselves from the rain. We were led down the hall past the bar at the entrance into the open kitchen and dining area and seated in one of four seats with a frontal view of the kitchen. The rest of the dining area is fairly small. The opener was grape tomato with slices of strawberries and dried plum over fluke. It was a fantastic start since we are at the height of the summer tomato season. But it was the staff's patience and skills where they individually removed each grape tomato skin. OK, it's certainly easy to remove the skin from a larger tomato, but to do so with a small sungold tomato?!! Without the skin, the flesh of the tomato was able to absorb the sauce that accompanied the dish, making it a delicate yet exquisite start. The third dish is essentially a homey take of the Chinese humble household congee. The dish was totally elevated by beating the salted duck egg yolk into the millet during cooking and then presented. Overall, this encapsulates the experience at Yingtao where a familiar (to a Chinese) dish is elevated to a totally different variation on the theme. At this point, I'll stop with the food review since one really need to try it out -- but I'll address a different issue. While others complain about the price point ($150/person for the tasting menu -- which is probably on the low end for NYC one Michelin star tasting menus ), one should seriously consider the stereotypical dominant view of Chinese food in the US. We are so colored by the notion of cheap and fast Chinese and Chinese American food that we are blinded by any other possibility. NOTE that while we have at least 12 Korean restaurants in NYC having various Michelin star level, and over 30 Japanese restaurants with Michelin star, this is the ONLY Chinese restaurant with a Michelin star!! That alone should prompt us to question the status quo and our assumptions. I do hope that others will begin to appreciate Yingtao and other similar Chinese restaurants that go about sourcing their ingredients from Chinatown vendors, thus creating an ecosystem that benefits the whole community. Enough preaching and more eating. The only weakness possible is perhaps with the cocktails. Other than that, service was friendly, great and not stuffy. Hoping the restaurant will continue its upward trajectory. Keep up the excellent work. read more

For the price, I don't think it was necessarily mind blowing. The fluke and uni dish were the best parts as well as the beef and noodle. I was definitely full by the end with how everything was paced read more

See all

The food was very nice. We came for restaurant week, and it seems like many other people did too. The service was great, our server was nice and friendly. There was a long wait in between the appetizer & the main entree. I ordered the scallop appetizer, which was a very interesting. The tomatoes were sweet, but the other parts of the dish were a little spicy, and the strawberries were a little bit sour. It was like all these different flavors coming together. Then, the entree came which was the short ribs. It was +$14 on top of the restaurant week course price. The portion size was very small for the price. The meat was tender, and a perfect amount of fatty. There was one flat noodle which was rolled, and there was sauce rolled inside. There was also a small piece of thinly sliced cucumber. Lastly, the dessert: Nian gao. On the bottom was a type of panna cotta. The consistency was creamy and delicious. It was topped with caramelized rice crepe, which was slightly chewy like mochi. Finished with a dollop of ice cream. The whole dish was sweet, creamy, light and refreshing. Everything came together nicely. I would love to come again and try the egg custard and Cornish hen. read more

See all

Desserts were definitely the highlight of the show- nian gao and sesame cake were superb. Service was great though wish the two person tables were bigger. We also really enjoyed the congee read more

See all

came for a thursday night dinner during restaurant week - shout out to Yingtao for having an amazing deal - $60 for a 3 course mischelin is great immediately upon entering the vibes were great. due to the hear wave in nyc it was hot so the ac was struggling but they had fans blowing which helped. we were about 45 min early for our reservation and were able to get seated early shoutout to the staff we ordered the egg appetizer and the cold chicken - both of which were pretty delicious - the egg especially was more like a soufflé and had amazing flavors and mushrooms inside entree i got the branzino - from the noodles to the fish this was exceptional and i highly recommend! the pot pie was actually was i originally ordered but thankfully mu friend and i were down to swap the pot pie came with the side of rice which paired well with the curry and beef. this is also the chefs main dish so we had to try it and it didnt disappoint but transparently i didn't care for it it just didn't do it for me dessert we did one of each. the coconut one was so good it was like a cream bottom and ice cream on the top - i like fruity dessert so this really hit. the sesame cake was also so excellent the ice cream on top paired with the cake fit in nicely together. left full but not incredibly impressed as this restaurant has a mischelin star was expecting faster service and the food to be a bit more tasty but it was still good overall and id come back/recommend read more

See all

We went after seeing them on TV on Sunday and we were not disappointed. We booked the restaurant week sitting and came right after work in the midst of a rain storm. They sat us immediately and we started with drinks and ordering our meal. We did a mix and match from the Restaurant week menu as well as adding a Wagu rice bowl. I must say nothing disappointed us from the appetizers to dessert every dish was amazing. I will post the pictures and menu since I can not do justice in explaining the deliciousness of these dishes. Will definitely be going back for the full tasting menu. I loved the dark colors of the interior and cozy ambiance. read more

See all

It was so moving to experience Chinese cuisine through this tasting menu. Almost a Ratatouille moment when I experienced my childhood favorite dessert, nian gao delicately plated on top of a lovely dessert. Our favorites were the won ton soup, the egg custard, and the strawberry dessert! read more

See all

Good food, generous portions for the tasting menu and very creative, also great service but it's definitely not Chinese. I am Chinese and I was excited to try but didn't taste any Chinese flavors and I would not come back. Good for if you wanted to try a new restaurant, but if you're expecting some great Chinese flavors you'll be totally disappointed, it's misleading by saying it's Chinese. read more

Celebrated my birthday at this small restaurant but careful curated dishes. Chinese fusion 1 Michelin star holder and they deserve it. They usually serve seasonal dishes and a pre-fixe menu. Drinks and tax and tip not included. Delicious treat. Description abound. Must reserve. read more

Yingtao - Extra good for 2 if you want more - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

See all

Came for dinner during the week, we had made a reservation in advance but they accept walk ins. When we arrived they were having some issues with the AC, so the main back dining room with the open kitchen was much warmer than the bar in the front, so we opted to sit at the bar. This is minor, but the seats at the bar are not terribly comfortable (you have to lean back for back support) and there is a foot railing under the bar. This means your knees are either smushed against the bar (if the chair leg goes over the railing) or you feel like you are sitting far away from the bar (if the chair leg goes behind the railing). We opted for the 7 course tasting menu ($150 per person). The service was friendly, they explained each dish in detail and the food came out at a nice pace (1.5hrs total). I will say that the presentation here is gorgeous, even the bowls they serve each course in are beautiful. For the food, I had wanted it to have a bit more Asian flavor. Because it is modern, some dishes almost felt French/European. That being said, I enjoyed all of the courses except 1 and really loved 3 of the courses. When we left, we were just satiated, so if you are starving, you will likely leave this meal feeling hungry. The scallop starter was fantastic and one of the three dishes I loved. Super fresh, sweet and spicy with a great mix of texture and flavor. The tomato fresno chile liquid they poured over the dish right when they served it was so good I would bottle it and drink it daily. The dish was just lovely and refreshing, I could have eaten 2 more of them. The egg custard course was the only one I would not eat again, but in their defense I don't like uni. I felt this dish only had one texture (squishy) and an unpleasant seafood flavor. However, the dish they served it in was beautiful and it came out piping hot. The wonton soup came with 3 wontons and was tasty and pleasant, but didn't taste particularly different or unique. It just tasted like wonton soup. The goji berries were a nice touch and the only thing that made the dish feel a bit elevated. It was simple and we enjoyed it, it just didn't feel like a Michelin star dish. The next two courses were my other favorites, the black cod and short rib. The cod was cooked perfectly with crispy skin and moist flesh. The sauce it came in was divine and had a nice bit of heat to it. Really great dish, I was lapping up every last bite of sauce with my spoon. It was a decent serving of fish, but certainly not large. The short rib noodle was sensational. The beef (like the fish,a decent serving but not large) was so flavorful and soft and the noodle (sadly there is only one) had a nice chew to it. I loved the vinegar and chili on the noodle, the dish went well together. Even the pickled veg it came with was a nice touch (a little sweet and sour) though the beef and noodle did not need it. Again, I just think this dish should have been a bit larger especially as it is the last savory course, they could easily add more noodles if nothing else. The next course was a palate cleanser, peach sorbet with an oolong sugar crisp, cubes of white peaches and gremolata. It served its purpose as a palate cleanser and was not too sweet (actually a little sour) but I would not feel strongly about eating it again. I would have preferred another savory course and skipped the palate cleanser entirely. The dessert was a sesame cake with red bean sorbet. The cake was somehow light but the black sesame frosting in between the layers of cake was dense. The red bean sorbet was good and I liked the sesame paste they served with the dish, frankly I think there should have been a little more of it. Again, not a sweet dessert at all and fairly unique. I enjoyed it but wouldn't feel the need to go back for it. The space itself is nicely decorated (all black) and modern with friendly and attentive staff. As I mentioned the presentation is excellent and they really pay attention to detail. The price is reasonable for a 7 course tasting menu, but I would have liked bigger portions as no one wants to pay that much and leave not feeling full. read more

See all

Went on a Saturday. Sat at a table but for those interested there were seats available at the bar where you can order à la carte. Seems like the tasting menu is a better deal though as each course is fairly small. The service was correct. Everything tasted very good but nothing that I'm going to dream about later. My favorites were the plum duck and the strawberry compote. I was looking forward to the black cod but wasn't a fan of putting it in a spring roll. read more

See all

We were looking for a place to celebrate an anniversary and decided to book for the Michelin star Yingtao. This contemporary Chinese fine-dining restaurant provides a 7 course tasting menu of $150pp. We had the Hamachi with watermelon radish; Lo Mai Gai with sticky rice, lap cheong, and salted duck yolk; Wonton with Berkshire pork, tiger prawn, goji, cordyceps, superior stock; Black Cod with siken tofu, doubanjiang, suan cai; Plum duck with kumquat, honey, jujube; Mardarin Jelly with puerh tea and osmanthus; and Nian Gao with walnut, coconut, and lime. Additionally, we ordered a Caviar Old Bejing ($32) which includes a double fried chicken, house made tortilla, pickled radish, and hoisin aioili. I was pleasantly surprised by the decent size portions for each course, as they allowed for multiple bites. Overall I was happy with the food and service. There were definitely creative combinations of Chinese flavors in each dish. Though my pallet may not be refined enough to appreciate, I can tell how high quality the ingredients are. And the star was definitely the Nian Gao dessert. Perfect combinations of crispy, chewy, crunch, softness sweetness, and slight bitterness. It was absolutely delicious. read more

Yingtao - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

See all

This restaurant has been on my radar as it is a contemporary Chinese Michelin star restaurant in New York City. We came for the restaurant week $60 3-course prefix. We started off with a cocktail each: basil breeze and yingtao sour. For appetizers, got the scallop and egg custard; for main entrée, got the Cornish hen and beef pie (came with their fatty rice); for dessert, got the nian gao and sesame cake. The air custard was very smooth and had a lot of umami - very similar to Japanese style chawamushi. The Cornish hen was soy-based and reminded me of hoisin sauce. The beef pie was extremely hearty and had good portion because of the side of rice. The pie crust was flaky and buttery, the bone marrow added more weight and heartiness, the stew had more meat than anticipated. From the desserts, the nian gao was light and gave off very southeast Asian flavors - strong on the coconut. The sesame cake was heavy - sauce caramel was very interesting as it was salty and savory yet sweet. Overall, great way to try their take on Chinese cuisine for a fraction of the price ($150 tasting menu). Overall, 4.2 out of five stars. read more

See all

Imaginary food, thoughtful designed interior and impeccable service. Truly a hidden gem of Michelin stared restaurants. Yes the portions are small but each one is impactful and quite amazing. The eight course menu is a journey and is not designed to fill you up but rather open your pallet and mind as to what fusion food really can be. We were extremely happy with our experience and hope to return again. read more

See all

A symphony of flavors and elegance, Yingtao defines innovation in NYC fine dining scene through its combination of Chinese classics with modern twists. I particularly liked the comforting taste of the wonton soup, which provided a familiar yet elevated taste! I also truly enjoyed the Black cod. Overall, the service and ambiance were impressive and the food, albeit tasty, did not all particularly blow me away. However, given the rotating menu options, I certainly will be back to sample some other interesting options! read more

See all

Yingtao absolutely delivered. This Michelin-star Chinese-French tasting menu was creative and so fun to experience. Every course felt thoughtful and the flavors were on point. The vibes were amazing. You can actually see straight into the kitchen and watch the chefs work, which made the whole night feel even more special. The servers were incredibly attentive and so sweet. They even surprised us with a Polaroid to remember the night. The tasting menu was stacked, but my top dishes were the duck toast, jiao zi, lamb, and nian gao. I loved the cocktails. Truly such a great, elevated experience. read more

See all

Food 5/10 Service 8/10 Ambiance 5/10 Not worth for the price point ($165/pp). Im not sure how they got their Michelin star. Most of the dishes were very one note and the non alcoholic pairing felt more like random non-alcoholic drinks than ones chosen specifically for the dish. If not for being on inkind I would not come back. read more

See all

Food 4.5/5.0 Service 3.5/5.0 Value 5.0/5.0 Decor 4.0/5.0 Overall 4.5/5.0 Really good food... I like the new chef and the more directly Chinese plates. Glad they held onto the star. The service was spotty... there were clear issues in the kitchen the day I went. Service while enthusiastic wasn't fully refined. Overall would go back. read more

4.5/5 for Bar A La Carte visit. Popped in for some bites and drinks at the bar, without expectations, left satisfied. Mushroom Toast - it was beautifully presented, mixed of texture (mushroom jam, mini rolled duck prosciutto, quail egg?) making each bite delicious. YingTao Burger - while it was specified with Mapo sauce, it wasn't very mapo. Douchi flavor was also mild, which i would hope it's used more. However overall balanced well and tasty. Also love the pickles were in subtle peppercorn flavor. Cocktails we tried were delicious as well. Would love to come back to try their tasting menu! read more

See all

NY Chinese meal with a female chef and a Michelin Star? Check. We wanted to end our New York eating tour strong. We had the Hamachi, Lo Mai Gai, Wonton, Black Cod, Plum Duck, Mandarin dessert starter, and Nina Gao. Every dish was exquisite. Favorites were the Lo Mai Gai and Mandarin. Best meal we had in New York ever. We will be back next trip. Happy Yelping! read more

See all

Overall I thought the experience was ok, but the service was a bit slow and I felt like at this price based on the size of the dishes, there should have been 1 extra savory dish or swap out the pre-dessert course with something bigger than 2 bites. My favorite dish was definitely the wontons, which were packed with flavor and meat, both in the broth and the wontons. Could have used 1 extra wonton also to make it even better since there were only 3 in the bowl. I thought the cod was too fishy and it really didn't stand out in a meaningful way as part of a tasting menu. I would only go back for the wontons and the dessert, but there wasn't enough value based on the size of each dish and that it was 2 hours to go through 7 dishes. read more

See all

My friend and I did the 7 course tasting menu and had booked a last minute reservation. Phenomenal food (especially flavors, textures), presentation, and plate ware. Flavor combinations I've never had before. Solid ambiance and vibe. The staff seemed a bit nervous, though were very friendly, approachable, and attentive. I appreciated that the chef thanked us for coming as we left. Love a lady executive chef! Stand out dishes: Black sesame cake with red bean ice cream- I cannot rave about this enough!! ALL the flavors and textures were spot on without being too sweet. Exceptional and Happy dance worthy. Wonton soup- I could happily eat it daily. The broth was outstanding and unforgettable. Braised beef: YUM! Tender, savory. It was my friend's favorite dish with all components of the beef, pickled vegetable, and wide noodle. Honorable mentions: egg custard with uni and fish. The Disappointment: 6th dish/ palette cleanser of white peaches, oolong green tea shaved ice (yum, best component), and a fruit ice cream. Sadly, peaches were not ripe and bland. Could have done with a bite size of the fruit ?paper that felt more style over substance and unnecessarily big for aesthetics. Easily paid with InKind app. Menu changes seasonally. I cannot wait to return in the coming months! HIGHLY recommend! read more

See all

We went to Yingtao for our cousin's birthday. It was a 165 tasting menu with a Chinese flare. We wanted to come as it would be our first Michelin one Chinese inspired tasting menu. The Korean ones definitely dominate the NYC scene currently. This was a few months ago so cannot recall all the details, but definitely the faves were the royal reds and the snapper. The desserts weren't as memorable. The menu was as below: Apps: 1) Tuna - small almost amuse bouche size dish about a quarter size with fresh tuna topped with caviar. Flavor was a touch sesame oil forward. 2) Toast - small toast topped with jam and duck 3) Royal reds - I forget what this was but it was the most unique of the 3 dishes so far and was super tasty Protein: 4) Wagyu - a good slice of raw Wagyu 5) Abalone - a very deliciously cooked abalone over a bed of congee/porridge like texture sticky rice. 6) Snapper - deliciously cooked in a milky broth. This was probably my favorite protein of the night 7) Duck - a good slice of well cooked duck with a delicious pomegranate sauce Desserts: 8) Rose 9) Pineapple 10) Mandarin Service was attentive and formal. Happy we tried once! A good place to celebrate a special occasion. read more

See all

The food was great, standouts for me were the trout and black sesame cake! 7 course meal and I was contently full at the end. All the staff were friendly and meticulous with the presentation. Great experience would reccomend! read more

One of the easiest five star reviews I've ever had to think of. Service was great, food was all so creative, fresh, and flavorful. The Toast add on was phenomenal, and the Jiao Zi dumpling dish was definitely my favorite. Presentation was top notch, and I loved the interior with small touches of sneakers and streetwear culture in the front. And most notable of all, this was such a good deal for the quality and what you were given. To leave here paying what I did with tip for this kind of amazing experience is legitimately unheard of. You must come here! read more

See all

Came to try out their Michelin "Happy Meal" collab with Pecking House so cant speak on their regular menu but i enjoyed it! The chicken was so juicy to the point where i was questioning if it was all the way cooked (it was!) and had a nice kick to it. The beer ice cream tasted strongly of beer so for people who like beer they would probably like it but i personally dont lol. I was seated at the bar and the service was really good (they explained each item in the meal), as expected of a michelin star restaurant read more

Yingtao - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

See all

My niece was visiting me during her Spring break, so I took her here as she requested to be fed only Chinese food for the duration of her visit (a break from her young Texan life). I wanted to include a Michelin-starred meal in the mix and this is the only Chinese restaurant with a Michelin star in NY (I was surprised to learn that there's only 2 Chinese restaurants in US that have a Michelin star - one here and one in SF). I am myself Chinese and have to admit I never tried this because I thought it was more hype than worth.... I'm bemused to report that both is true but it is a net favorable mix! The tasting menu was 7 course for $150, which is quite a value for Manhattan one M-star experience. The familiar Chinese tasting was infused with modern western innovation and presentation, which tasted both comforting and alien at the same time, in a really delightful way. It was such a novel experience for my lovely visiting niece and I think it was a great roundup of NYC adventure. read more

Yingtao - 7 course tasting menu. From top left: hamachi, chik leg stuffed with sticky rice, wonton, cod, duck 2 ways, last 2 were desert courses. - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

I'm pretty impressed by this spot. Yingtao is an interesting concept, combining French technique and Chinese ingredients to present you a high-end coursed menu that's both refreshing and not too heavy. I have a love-hate relationship with tasting menus. Sometimes they're overly heavy, leaving you in state of daze as you fight your way to finish. Others are a bit too experimental, as if the menu was a stroke to the chef's ego. I think Yingtao strikes a nice balance, by being inventive, inviting, and tasty (of course). Highlight includes the snapper, which had the perfect cook and rested in a delicious, creamy milk broth. Authentically Chinese? Probably not. Delicious? Absolutely. Service was great, the servers were kind and attentive. The menu was explained well and they seemed excited to be there. Michelin star well deserved. Highly recommended. read more

See all

TLDR: so excited to have contemporary Chinese in nyc Been here a few times since they opened and it was one of my favorite openings last year! I can't think of other contemporary Chinese places in nyc - I've tried some places in Asia, London, and the west coasts but none here so I was pretty excited about it. My favorites are always the starter snacks, squab, the Nian gao dessert, ube dessert. If they have it, the crab noodle. Some dishes are only available at the bar or tasting menu but I've never had a bad bite. Service has always been attentive and fun. Great place to celebrate birthdays or special occasions. Overall: highly recommend read more

See all

Single Michelin-starred modern-day fusion Chinese / French / other cuisine deconstructed in some ways, with a lot of smoked and aged meats, price fixe tasting menu, and you get to try a small bite of all sizes. Music is a hiphop/classic Chinese/K-pop mix in the background, just loud enough to keep tables from hearing each other but not overwhelming. The bathroom has a little table shaped like a pile of US bills, fun design that almost made me want to pick up the whole corner table to see if it was real! Entry has a bar, friendly bartender and a hallway with the aging meat and some collectibles in glass displays. I do like the little name card with the table reservation name and party guest, good attention to detail. The dishes are a mix of tastes and flavors, textures - some a little too salty or not to my taste, but others were very good. Service excellent - folding napkins when you leave your seat, explaining all the dishes well, and serving up new drinks and replacing cutlery between every one of the courses. Bartender was super helpful in picking wine for combination, too, and both our server Lila and the bartender (didn't catch her name) and I think the manager who also came over to check in on us were very good at explaining the dishes that came our way... here we go to try to explain them! The tasting menu - Appetizers: - Aged Tuna was smokey, with black vinegar, ginger and kumquat in a mini crust - Toast with mushroom jam and aged duck was not balanced for me, with no flavor of duck to add, perhaps cut too thin to have any impact with the overly salty toast; the mushroom jam was there but little rich flavor imparted likely again impacted by the saltiness; others did not have this issue so likely mine was just hit with the salt too much - Mussels with daikon, crunchy millet on top, and preserved tomato and creamy broth was rich with great textures, spicy was a bit overwhelming, but in a presentation that reminded me of an oatmeal / cereal bowl - very good spooning 100% of this up and wanting more, probably my favorite dish of the night Mains: - Waygu with mizuna, carrot and doubanjiang was nutty and love the meat but oddly incomplete; the carrot felt like a bit of afterthought on top (no additional flavor or marination that I was able to taste) - Abalone with sticky rice, oyster sauce, daikon was similar to the dimsum sticky rice dish in a banana leaf, but more creative as a liquid-y soft version with the Abalone cooked perfectly, not chewy at all - Shumai was deconstructed, with royal reds, cured pork and tobiko - a great bite with little citrus and spicy drops with the prawns; the cured pork was barely there (could've used a bit more), though aged cure comes through nicely still, the wonton skin draped over the dish - this I liked probably second best of the night - Lamb two ways - once with poblano, cumin, pickled onions - rich, not gamey and perfectly cooked piece- slightly spicy powder balanced by the poblano, pickled onions could've used some more time marinating to get some flavor, though and were two small pieces; the second part with ground lamb skewers themselves with the sambal was spicy and soft but not as flavorful as the grilled piece was; a little lettuce wrap to pick it up and eat it by Dessert included - Rose, greek yogurt and lychee sorbet which was sour and in a bowl like with the rose ice powder, which I'm not a fan of - The honey dessert with yuzu and chrysanthemum was a delightfully crisp and refreshing dessert, though I didn't like the meringue-like hard cookie bowl it was in; the honeycomb was the key A special dessert from the chef came, little spiced chocolate churros (good), mango bonbons (ok). Overall great service, no rush dining spaced out just about right on timing, all the attention to detail from seating, water refills, explanations, directions, folded napkins, change of plates/cutlery, and more were on-point. Portions were small but varied in textures and tastes, with a recurring cured/smokey theme throughout. While only strongly enjoyed two of the selections in the tasting menu we had, they were all interesting in different ways, and the company was great! Great spot for a foodie date night, clear menu and if you sit close to the kitchen, you'll get a great view of their prep for your meal. I'm not the same kind of expert to appreciate it, but they made me feel warmly welcome as if I was enjoying a meal being cooked by loving family that spent a lot of time preparing it... almost like grandma checking if you eat your food. read more

See all

Such a delicious special experience with elevated Chinese dishes! I grew up with a few of these dishes and it was so interesting to see the chefs interpretation of them. We got the tasting menu at $165 and a few drinks. Many of the dishes from the menu were so yummy! The toast from the amuse bouche, tofu, congee, duck and the dessert. We got the uni addition for the congee (+15) and it was well worth it! They recommended eating it with the congee but I enjoyed it more eating it separately to really get the freshness and flavor of the uni by itself. The only dishes that were kinda meh were the roe (a little overseasoned) and the snapper (overcooked!). But overall, great flavors and beautiful presentation. I also really enjoyed sitting at the counter bc we got to see everything the chefs were making. You can see their attention to detail from the way they cut all the pieces to the same size. (Thank you culinary class wars) read more

See all

I had such a wonderful experience dining here. The food was truly special every dish was delicious-and I felt so well taken care of by my server, Patricia. She walked me through the menu, made sure I was comfortable dining solo, and even introduced me to the chef. Meeting a woman chef who leads with both strength and kindness was such a highlight. The service was excellent, the food was fantastic (and I'm very picky!), and the portions were generous without being overwhelming. It's absolutely worth the price, and I left feeling full and happy. I can't wait to come back with a friend. Thank you for such a unique and memorable meal. read more

All the dishes were very unique, well balanced and tasty! We were very satisfied with the quality of the food. But given how small the quantities were, it was definitely overpriced and we left feeling pretty hungry. Highlights were the mushroom toast, king crab, trout, and duck (but the skin was unfortunately not crispy). The congee was disappointing but the uni supplement was high quality. Service was good and friendly but wish they didn't take so long between courses (we were there for almost 3 hours). I will add that we also loved the cocktails they had. Overall, really glad we tried this place. Money aside, the food was quite good. And you can always grab empanada after when you are still hungry! read more

See all

overpriced. The food was over the top "just because we can" type of food, nothing memorable. I did not appreciate the layering of flavors. Stop saying it's Chinese or Chinese influenced. It's just fancy food. Portions were small. Ingredients were cheap. I don't drink alcohol, it seems I missed out on something. read more

With more than 40 Michelin restaurant visits across NYC, todays visit at YingTao was a huge disappointment and by far the worst restaurant experience I have ever had in NYC. For my main course I ordered the short rib to 45 dollars. The meat was almost cold and I literally could finish the dish in 3 bites. For dessert I had the Nian Gao (18 dollars). Again the size of the protion was extremely modest. Alltogether I payed 69,58 dollars for something that was not even close to a decent meal. After visiting YingTao I was so hungry that went to another restaurant for a proper meal. YingTao's unreasonable small portions are a downright insult to their customers. With YingTao's lack of quality awareness, I'm absolutely sure that the restaurant will lose their Michelin star soon - and for a very good reason. I'm NEVER coming back to YingTao!! read more

This new spot does not deliver on the Michelin star experience it seeks to emulate. The space is beautiful and mostly in line with a high end open kitchen layout. There could be more space between tables. I opted for the wine pairing at $90. I did enjoy most of the wines served and the temperatures were just perfect but I have a few gripes. There were only 2 different types of glasses, only one red wine served, and the wines were often served well before the accompanying dish reached the table. As for the tasting menu, I feel that most of the dishes were overexplained for what they were. The tasting menu is advertised as 8 courses. Note that the first 3 come together as a trio of amuse bouche and only one wine from the pairing menu accompanies. The best dish was the congee. We opted for the uni supplement at $15. I have to admit this was possibly the best uni I have had in months especially given Hokkaido has been out of season. I did feel that the congee would have fallen flat without it and at $165 with a dearth of serious proteins, this tasting menu should include the uni by default. The squab was impeccably cooked but the other components of the dish were just okay. The other dishes were all mediocre with odd choices of texture (like the nearly raw minced celery root completely ruining the silky tofu doubanjiang). Dessert was not good. Overall, I appreciate the effort but there is a significant gap to bridge in meeting the vision here. read more

See all

Came here for my boyfriends birthday, and I've never been to Chinese fine dining but I enjoyed the flavors! I was surprised by how Chinese some of the dishes tasted and appreciated that. I really enjoyed the tuna, toast, wagyu and lamb. Their flavors didn't feel particularly complex but they tasted good to me anyways. They also gave us a card (with his name) and an extra little ice cream dessert with a candle for my boyfriend's birthday. Many fine dining restaurants give out an extra dessert for birthdays and special occasions so that didn't feel as different, but I appreciated the personalized card. Not giving them 5 stars though because I thought all their desserts were exceedingly sweet. I thought all the savory food tasted honestly really good but was unfortunately let down by the desserts. Overall a good experience, would recommend for Chinese fine dining! read more

See all

Imagine this: a 26 year old, medium height and very gay man stumbles into the Columbus Circle station - menu in hand - with a look of utter bliss on his face A random middle aged man (who probably lives at one of the West 57th street skyscrapers and is getting on the C to visit friends at some grossly overpriced Italian place in the 80s and 90s) asks why I have this blissful smirk and looks at the menu in my hand. He was shocked I was not holding a Per Se menu based on my level of satisfaction and the fact that I was at Columbus Circle. Thomas Keller may come and personally kick me in the balls for saying this - but Per Se may have a competitor for the best tasting menu north of 50th street. Yingtao is the most poetic fine dining experience I have ever had. For starters, Yingtao is the only modernist fine dining restaurant that's rooted in Chinese cuisine. It's shocking to me that this place is THE ONE - despite the influence Chinese cuisine has had on the United States in the past 80-90 years. Yingtao leans into contemporary Chinese flavors and leverages traditional French technique in order to create something that is truly magical. The amuse left me gobsmacked. That toast with egg yolk had me on the brink of a culinary orgasm after the first bite. The cold fish course (trout with local tomatoes) had me gasping for more. The squab (which despite my fine dining curriculum vitae I've never had before) made me want to buy a hunting ranch in order to kill and eat these things daily. The dessert courses were all standouts, especially the walnut Nian Gao. Yingtao affirms why Hells Kitchen is the best neighborhood in the city for new food experiences in Manhattan. That dumb, contended stare I wore at the station clung to my face until I was sitting at the Newark Airport the next day downing expresso martinis at the airport bar and forgetting that I booked Delta and was stuck in zone 6 and surely had to check my bags at the gate (WHY!! I HAVE UNITED STATUS). I am making a habit to come to Yingtao every season, and I urge you to add this to your rotation. read more

See all