Mr Chow

Food was better than I expected based on what the reviews I read. With that said, it certainly was not a little over $ 200 meal (for 2 incl tip and 1 glass of wine each). We chose the Mr. Chow price fixed meal. We ordered the Walnut Shrimp & Me. Chow Noodle (fresh noodles with ground pork ragu) apps. The walnut shrimp was the best thing out of all the food. The noodles were pretty good despite the reviews I read. We ordered the Fiery Beef (chunks of filet mignon in a sweet sauce and Sea Bass which had absolutely no taste. The steak was good but I think I’ve had better similar beef dishes for half of what it cost there. We chose shrimp fried rice which barely had any shrimp and the shrimp that was in the rice didn’t have much flavor. The rice though was pretty light for fried rice which overall was very good. The Bok Choy we chose for our vegetables was good but nothing special.
The place was a lot smaller than I expected (57^th street location). We had 6:00 reservations which I think is when they open. We ran a few mins late and there were 3 other tables seated on a Friday night. The ambience was okay but not what you would expect at a restaurant you will spend approx $ 85 all in per person without drinks.
All in all, the ambience was okay, service was great (the fact that it wasn’t yet busy may have been a factor) and the food was good but definitely NOT worth the price.

super well mannered staff that treat every customer w respect! love the seaweed and duck! but pretty much everything else ive tried is great! its a Chinese aesthetic except it is healthier! cant remember our servers name but he was extremely charming and fun! definition of fine chinese dining

Made reservations 30minutes before arriving and they accommodated. It helped that the reservation was for 6pm on a Friday (the same time they opened). We ordered bottle service, apps, entrée and enjoyed everything! The reason for only four stars is they need a major renovation. It’s a bit out dated considering the location in Tribeca is so modern. I felt like i was stuck on a set of an old 80’s movie. The use of main mirror makes it feel spacious but I would expect more when our bill was $$$$.

We recently came to NYC and I have always wanted to go to this restaurant. I do not mind paying for an upscale restaurant but this restaurant does not warrant it. The food was horribly salty and not even edible. The only thing that was any good out of everything we ordered was the pot stickers, veggies and the rice. Even the martini was salty and undrinkable.
We arrived 20 minutes early for our reservation and literally half of the restaurant was empty yet they still felt the need to sit us next to a family with young boys that were ill behaved and loud. Why they did not sit everyone away from them when there were so many open seats is beyond me. Once of the children were extremely loud and obnoxious.
We complained to the waiter about the food and literally nothing was done.
I do not recommend this place and feel there are so many better restaurants to spend your money in and certainly a lot less expensive and better quality food.

There is about 5 people attending to the table aside from the waiter. They are so nice. They are so attentive. We had a reservation for my daughter’s 17^th birthday. We had Filet Mignon, Duck and Live Lobster as our meal it was amazing. Everything was tasty. It’s a fancy upscale restaurant so the prices are adequate for the venue. Our drinks were awesome. I had the lychee drink and the mojito and they were great. I most enjoyed the corn and crab soup, I think there was egg in it too. For dessert we had green tea sorbet, coconut sorbet and cheesecake with a candle for the birthday girl.

I know this restaurant has been around forever and seems to be in a major time warp– think late 80s early 90s– but, if you allow yourself to be transported to a different time it kindof works. To start, and let’s make no bones about it, its expensive. But the service/​showmanship and food are good and are worth a trip back. We got the famed squab lettuce wraps, which are not actually squab, fortunately it was chicken, and it was fresh and delicious. The pot stickers were served beautifully, covered by an edible lace top and there were many of them. The appetizers were on the larger size and 2 appetizers would be plenty for a meal. I also got the filet mignon, which was expensive and a modest portion but was really delicious. I would come back for that. The noodle making show made us smile, even though it was a little cheesy.
While Mr. Chow’s is not the place for a lot of occasions, it fits the bill if you are seeking a fun/​cheesy night with good food.

Classic spot in New York with good food and great service; iconic room with a trendy and international crowd, service is fair, be ready to spend money !!

The food is great just be prepared to spend $ 300 dollars for 2 people.

I have always loved Mr Chow they are always consistent love the lychee martinis and all of the seafood

IN SHORT: A splendid fantasia of Chinese food and glamour.
THE STORY: Mr. Chow is not your ordinary Chinese restaurant. Indeed, the eponymous chef Michael Chow opened the restaurant on East 57^th Street in 1979 believing that there was an opportunity to redefine Chinese cuisine by serving it in a dramatic, elegant setting that had previously been reserved for the less exotic canons of the French and the Italians.
This is Chinese food without the take-​out boxes, without the orange chicken, without the greasy clumps of chow mein. This is Chinese food that is presented with hyperbolic splendor, swollen prices, and a stateliness that has yet to be rivaled in the cuisine. This is Chinese food that is extraordinary, simply because it has been declared to be.
But there is one question for which Mr. Chow must do some soul searching to find the answer: can the food possibly live up to the incredible expectations its elegant setting has created? And at the end of the day, does it matter if it doesn’t?
Indeed, the restaurant is so formal and fabulous that it’s easy to forget Chinese food is on the menu until you settle down to order. But when service does finally come around in the clubby, sunken dining room with walls of antique mirrors, there are a few classic dishes not to be missed.
Chicken satay is an original favorite with an appealing dose of spice, though its tenderness is the result of an exceptionally ethereal and buttery sauce, rather than some technically proficient execution. The Green Prawns, bright and colorful after a spinach «bath,» have a sweet yet earthy bite, and almost seem to pop with a burst of flavor.
A recent preparation of beef with shepherd’s purse, however, suffered from an excess of oil and clumpy fats that rendered the herbal elements of the dish virtually invisible. In fact, many of the flaws found in the dishes coming from Mr. Chow’s kitchen can be attributed to this over-​reliance on fats and oils, and a neglect of salt and heat.
Perhaps most indicative of the strained balance between the buzzy showmanship of the restaurant and the food coming out of it are Mr. Chow’s noodles, prepared daily in the middle of service to an adoring crowd. As the chef whips the noodles back and forth, guests think they’re getting something truly authentic in this lustrous, fabulously decorated bubble, but when the noodles arrive in a pile of thick sauce, they are limp, mushy, and profoundly flavorless. It would be a tragedy at any other restaurant, but at Mr. Chow, it’s swept under the rug of everyone’s combined glamour. After all, if you have to ask if the food is actually good, you clearly aren’t in the know.
How much longer can guests leave the restaurant without questioning the quality of their high-​priced meal, instead simply basking in the sumptuous splendor of the dining room, that one excellent shrimp dish, and the impressive, dazzling wine? Well, Mr. Chow has been entertaining his starry clientele for nearly 40 years now, so perhaps he doesn’t even know.

I liked the veggies they serve here. Sorbet was good. That’s about it.
I came here with an ex of mine, and quite frankly I’d say this visit was a waste (the food and the ex. Good thing we split — both the bill and our relationship.

If I could give this place 0 stars I would!
honestly if it wasn’t for rappers putting the name in lyrics this place would be closed. Food Looks Amazing But Was Actually Not That Good, Alright at Best. I could’ve went to the corner Chinese spot and got a better meal for $ 6
Service Was Terrible n Seating Was Ridiculous, you’ll be bumping elbows with the diner next to you!
Not Worth a Penny of The $ 250 Check! WARNING ! DO NOT DINE HERE!
–PeepMyEats

Mr. Chows came off to me a bit overrated to me. The food was good, the experience was great but was it worth it?.. ehh.
As a birthday dinner for my aunt we had a prefix menu of our own selected appetizers and entrees for the table to share; basically everything was family style. The quality of the food was good but I wasn’t blown away like I hoped to be. The drinks were expensive, $ 18 for a Bellini and while it was good and this is Mr. Chows in midtown (I get it.), it’s slightly excessive. Water was offered with 2 options to my knowledge– bottled or sparkling. We choose bottled and received Fiji priced @ $ 10/​liter. Yes that’s the same size that’s 2 for $ 3 at Duane Reade on the corner… Go figure.
At the end of the night for a party of 6 we had a $ 700 tab. Now while price isn’t a concern, when debating on whether the experience was worth it even for a birthday– I say no. I feel the food should trump all and I wasn’t blown away here. The ambiance was nice, the décor was beautiful and the staff knowledgable and attentive, however with no one having any real libations and mediocre fare Mr. Chows didn’t have the «wow factor» I was hoping for.

Wow! What a ripoff! Minuscule portions of good — but not life changing — Chinese food. $ 36 for the chicken pictured. Most Chinese restaurants would provide 3x the food for about $ 12. Baby bok choy pictured — $ 15 instead of $ 4. Waiters forgot two of our dishes. Absolutely ridiculous. If you want to be price gouged, come here. Otherwise, go elsewhere. Total outrage. Upon complaint, the manager comped our drinks, which perhaps was the only redeeming part of the evening. The drinks were good, too, and probably the only fairly priced — but still expensive — part of the meal. Needless to say, we went elsewhere for dessert.

Why does anybody come here? I came for restaurant week (big mistake) and was seriously underwhelmed. The portions were minuscule (think: two scoops of ice-​cream to be SHARED for dessert by two people), the food was served cold and the flavors were either too strong or too bland. Plates came out within 5 minutes of ordering, which is never a good sign. (Makes sense why it was cold!) The only way to (somewhat) redeem the taste was to douse my plate in hot sauce. Total waste of money. Fued or no fued, Philippe does it much better.
Two stars ONLY because my water glass was refilled before it ever got empty, which I totally appreciate.

Food is excellent — very yummy and high quality. I remember the place being larger and whiter somehow – it feels really small and can’t decide if it wants to be dim or not.
We had the most pretentious server. That’s why it lost two stars. At $ 100+ per person, I felt he was arrogant and couldn’t be bothered. This is a Saturday night in August be thankful we came here at all.
Definitely lost its sparkle.

The quality of food went down a notch
Still good good though
Didn’t like the way the waiter handled the orders in the beginning but later he became okaish
The duck needs 45 mins to prepare, so we decided to skip it. Although we called earlier to place the order but the staff refused to take the order over the phone
Overall, Mr chow 57^th St is starting to lose its glamour

What I had: Restaurant Week Summer 2015 Menu
Would I go back: No
Story:
Arrival:
Went here last night with an 8 o’clock reservation. Granted my friend was 5 min late but they made us wait an 25 min while they sat other parties. Once we were seated it felt very much like the second the staff heard the 4 of us would be doing the restaurant week menu that they were machining through us.
Food Quality:
To be frankly honest i am extremely disappointed to have spent restaurant week here. I can honestly say the only thing i really enjoyed eating was the sorbet at the end of the meal. I have had FAR BETTER chinese food in hole in the walls in chinatown and even at the chinese fusion take out restaurants in Long Island. I am not sure how this place still has a crowd but based on what i assessed from the dining room this is an old timers place this restaurant is resting its laurels — on a scene rather than the quality in food, for if it was ever good, those frequenting have terribly unrefined palettes or just deal with the lack of quality in food due to the scene they are looking for.
Ambiance:
I felt like i was walking into a time warp it looked like some seriously dated catering halls i went to for bar mitzvahs in LI or a bad 70’s movie I cant decide all in all though it– felt like a place where the wealthy people would go eat before they went to the disco. Needs a serious update if not some serious cleaning/​polishing. At the bar area — the leather seats for waiting were quite old and tethered. The ends were peeling. Lamps were dirty and dusty.
Service:
Food was brought out at a rapid speed. We were never asked throughout the course of the meal if we wanted another bottle of wine or how the meal was.

I was undecided between Mr. Chow or Philippe and I decided to go with the original. Chow’s cuisine is really good and extraordinarily better than your best take-​out however, I’m not sure if it commands $ 62 per person on the prefix. After tax and tip with three cocktails and four bottles of still water – dang! how are you charging me $ 10 a bottle for Fiji water – pure robbery! (I digressed) our bill totalled $ 617.
So, our table went for the prefix menu which gave us four appetizer selections and four entrees accompanied with jasmine rice (with edamame) and a vegetable (sauteed string beans) that would serve six. For appetizer, we ordered
butterflied salt and peppered shrimp – seasoned really well I just wish they removed the outer shell
pork spare ribs – tender
Mr. Chow Noodles – an interesting dish the looked like spaghetti with a dark red meat sauce but taste pretty good.
The servings were just enough for us to be prepared for our entrees.
Crispy beef – sugary sweet batter but couldnt distinguish that I was eating beef
Ginger (?) lamb – VERY tasty dish and did not taste game-​like at all
Sauteed Chicken – one of the best dishes followed by the pork
Spicy Pork – yes, the spices were present and this dish was yummy.
Mr. Chow was a nice dining experience and the service was perfect however, if my bill is to total $ 600+ it has to include a good WINE and dessert. For now, I’ll order take-​out from my local Hunan/​Szchehuan restaurant and crack open a bottle of fine red while serving myself.

I have to say, I did not expect to like Mr. Chow. I walked in thinking, «This is going to be one of those oxymorons-​high end Chinese fusion.»
The dining room is large and spacious with high ceilings and art deco themes all around.
I was the first of my party to arrive, so I ordered a lychee martini at the bar. It was delicious and refreshing, and I watched the hand pulled noodles being made much as I often do in Chinatown.
Once my friends arrived, we were seated at a round table and served water. Alejandro wanted the Peking Duck and so we had to order the prix fixe menu for $ 75 a person to be allowed to get that.
We ordered dumplings, the squid ink pasta, the handpulled noodles and the spare ribs as our four starters. For the three mains, we got spicy pork, the filet mignon, and the drunken fish. We were offered green beans as a vegetable and shrimp fried rice as well.
The ribs and the squid ink pasta were my favorites of the starters. The hand pulled noodles were disappointingly bland and uncreative. As for the mains, I liked the filet and the pork.
The duck finally arrived and it is definitely the piece de resistance. The fat is completely rendered and the skin is crisp and laquered. We were quite full by this time, but we applied ourselves and were able to eat some more.
I cannot, however, get myself to justify $ 125 a person with 1 – 2 drinks each for dinner at a Chinese restaurant. Ultimately, most places in Chinatown make pretty good food– and I couldn’t really think why I would come back.
Glad I tried it, not sure I’ll repeat it.