Chinatown Brasserie (CLOSED)

This restaurant should never be allowed to host a new years event again. After waiting an hour in the freezing cold just to get in (keep in mind I bought a $75 ticket a month ago) I then spent the rest of the evening being shoved in other lines trying to get to the bar or to the bathroom. I have never seen an event so poorly planned. There were about two bartenders for at least 500 people, not to mention only one working toilet in the women's restroom. The food that was supposed to be included in the ticket price was non-existent. The absolute kicker though, was that there was a line just to leave. The people who planned the event put a mandatory coat check OUTSIDE. We had to wait an hour to get our coats in the freezing cold!!

this place is not chinese. the dishes may be based on chinese food and run by asians but it is a modern twist on chinese food only. the food is delicious and ive been here only once during restaurant week over the summer. it was totally worth the price i paid for a 4-5 course meal ! i love the environment of chinatown brasserie. it gives me a great feel/vibe to it. its very romantic as well as group firnedly. the place is great. the waitstaff kept bringing us VOSS water and charged us $8 per bottle and i didnt realize until the bill came that we were getting charged, they just kept bringing so we just kept drinking. the waitstaff was very attendingbc the minute we droopped the napkin cloth on the floor they came to the rescue with another one. the food came promptly and it was delicious. definitely a palce to revisit when i get the chance.

To oversimplify things a bit, there's pretty much 3 types of Chinese restaurants in NYC: (1) the place that you'd only order pork fried rice when you're drunk at 3 a.m., (2) the good, but not spectacular place you rely on for delivery and (3) the place that aims to be a destination spot, which offers higher end food and fancier surroundings. Chinatown Brassierie aims to be this third type. Unfortunately, it doesn''t reach it. CB pretty much has the look right, and the service is pretty good, although far from great (the reviews focussing on poor service do not reflect my experience.) The problem is with the food is simply not very good. We had a number of items and they all ranged from poor (weird, chunky wontons, slimy short ribs) to servicable (crab dumplings). This level of food quality is simply insufficient when you're paying so much. CB's prices are top shelf, it's food is not - simple as that.

In the best restaurants I've visited, the food is usually delivered by a runner. A waiter (captain in Europe), takes you order, and helps you with your selections, then it's up to the runners and bussers to complete your dinner. As long as I get attention when I need it, I'm fine, no matter who it comes from. My pet peeve is servers with tunnel vision who walk through their stations and never lift their eyes or look around to see if a guest is trying to catch their gaze. They always need to check their stations, but so rarely do. My old friend, Paula Wolfert taught me to just stand up. You get noticed fast.

Had dinner here last night. Place looked great so I was psyched for good dinner (although it was empty at 9pm, which should have been a tip-off) . The food was fair. My appetizer was not good, but my entree was decent. But the service was a joke. Too many infractions to list, but the biggest ones: Waitress brought one of my friends' entrees before the rest of us even got our appetizers. When we told her this was not a good thing, her explanation was that the appetizers come from the same station as the desserts (?). Our entrees took over an hour to come. We asked for extra hoison sauce that did not come until we were halfway done. Mind you, there was NO ONE there, it was seriously less than 10% full. Manager came over and said that he would comp us for something, which he never did.

I have been to this restaurant on more then one occasion and have NEVER been disappointed. The food is always inviting and I find myself thinking about it days later. While the service is not at your every beck and call I'd hardly say they are inattentive. I wonder if maybe it's not them its you applies here to some of the complaints. The soup dumplings are a gem and the crispy orange beef is heaven.....and I can't remember the name but I think they were pepper crusted scallops and they were perfectly cooked and tender. All of the wait staff I've had the pleasure of having has always made wonderful suggestions. I personally cannot wait to go back!!

I cant even believe the lame reviews of this place.... it forced me to write this review for what I can only call one of my favorite places in the area. The food is so delicate and well prepared...almost everything melts in your mouth...its a foodies delight...the black cod, the mushroom soup, the vegetable wraps, and the snow pea leave saute are my favorites, plus the multitude of different dumplings. and lobster tempura . I've never ordered anything I didn't like... as far as the service..if you go during the week instead of a Friday or Saturday night at peak dining times, you not one get one server but at least 4.. I have never wanted to for anything....fine dining experience at its best. and the decor is grand ... and believe it or not ordering for delivery is just as high end..a FAR CRY from regular Chinese delivery.. when I feel like I earned a great meal, I eat from there..I HIGHLY recommend you try it for yourself and not listen to people who clearly prefer just a greasy egg roll.