We went on N Year's eve. The servers were very attentive and the food delicious. We enjoyed seating at the comunal table. It was a great evening. read more

Always great food and a great time. The cocktails are superb. Staff is friendly and accommodating. The food is delicious. Our favorite duck in NYC read more

Decoy - Duck Dinner - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

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Was so happy to return when they reopened but was sadly disappointed. The duck was ok but nothing that blows your mind away, and we didn't love the rest of the dishes, which included the steak which came recommended (the sauce was off putting) and the octopus appetizer. The pastrami triangles and shrimp with snow pea shoot dumplings weren't bad. Even the side of snow pea leaves which I usually love was a little overcooked and wilted. The cocktails were kind of fun and interesting (came in cool cups with dry ice etc). Sadly won't be coming back. read more

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Glad that Decoy is finally back, although the duck is not as good as it used to be. The other food is good too. All and all a fun and, relatively, inexpensive experience. The vibe at the communal table is great. read more

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This is the best Peking Duck in NYC. Don't love the prefixe menu...not because of the price (which is reasonable given the huge quantity of food), but more because you end up with way more food than necessary. Aside from the Duck, the dim sum starters are also standouts - especially the Oxtail and Lobster dumplings. The mains and sides are pretty weak in comparison, but at least in our case remained uneaten given the gargantuan quantity of food on the table. read more

First time to Decoy but have done to a Redfarm in the upper west side many times...The Peking duck was just amazing, perfectly cooked and the most lean and tastiest duck I have ever had and easily best in the US! read more

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***4 1/2 stars*** After watching a generational stage talent hone her craft (cough cough Sarah Snook in The Portrait of Dorian Gray cough cough), a nip was in order, and I had zero interest in lingering anywhere near the Broadway/Times Square area. My top-tier chum who literally went to the school of hospitality and I initially Ubered over to nearby Orient Express (one of my faves), but it was too crowded so after walking past a few other packed establishments, we saw this - a subtle basement-level bar with a small handful of customers. My kind of jam. It also feels like being in a basement, in the best possible way. There's a lot of wood paneling that felt like the merging of my grandparents' finished basement from back in the day, but with a lot of modernist touches. And of course, oodles of art featuring ducks, the go-to decoy for waterfowl hunting. Very into it. It's dark so if you're looking for gorgeous lighting, I'd keep walking, but I think you sort of know not to expect that going in when it comes to basement bars. The cocktail situation here was excellent and very innovative. As with the bar food, there was a distinct Asian influence, which isn't something I encounter regularly so it was a pleasant change of pace (though my favorite wine, gewurztraminer, has those vibes by virtue of its lychee notes). We tried a few items on this menu, but the best was probably Golden Yuen, which my chum LOVED, and she's pretty picky especially when it comes to tequila-based beverages. It had a sweet yuzu foam on top, and the ginger paired really well with the tarter fruits in it - you had a long of strong flavors that were kept in check, which was impressive. Really strong item. I also opted for a Nectar of Wukong, which was as close as I could find to a bourbon-based drink (it was scotch). Decent with a solid presentation value; per the accompanying pic, it had a bubble on top that was reminiscent of the toadstools from Mario. Little too sweet for my palate though. The food rivaled the drinks, which is saying something. I wasn't insanely hungry but had bypassed dinner so the compromise there seemed to be some dumpling action - I'm always down for a dumpfest. The menus were a little confusing because it's basically a Venn diagram of this specific bar (Decoy) and its restaurant sibling upstairs, RedFarm. In fact, they inadvertently gave us the wrong menu initially, which to be fair was pretty much the same as the correct one, with a few slight alterations. We ordered multiple dumplings, including the Five Flavor Chicken (the bartender's recommend), the Pan Fried Lamb, the Shrimp/Snow Peas, and the Oxtail. We diverged considerably on our opinions here, but the Chicken probably WAS the best, though it was very peanut buttery - not something I'm always in the mood for. That's not to say I had a negative opinion of the other dumplings, but they were all pretty much on the same playing field for me, tasty and flavorful, but not quite to the level of the Chicken. Honestly, the only negative, and it's definitely a "your mileage may vary" situation, is that it's pretty pricey. The cocktails were all hovering in the $20 range, and the dumplings were close to $25, despite only having four each in an order. We ended up spending over $200 here, which is fine and something we're both willing to do on a city excursion like this, but it's arguably not worth the price given the portion sizes. I thought the price point for the cocktails was the more reasonable of the two, when you considered how high quality they were and that you're in the West Village - this stuff is just going to cost a few more dollars than it would in the suburbs. Really solid recommend overall. The service was excellent, and we both really appreciated that the staff let us linger and didn't try to push us out despite our being the only customers there for a significant stretch (I think they were still technically open the entire time, but the foot traffic was going into the nearby Alehouse - hard pass for me). And who doesn't like sipping on a cocktail whilst gazing at a duck portrait? read more

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The best Peking Duck in the city. So glad Decoy reopened!! Worth the wait. Red Farm upstairs is tasty as well.

This is not an inexpensive meal as some recent reviews state. You are looking at spending $48 for an entree of noodles. That being said, I was so excited for decoy to reopen but I'm not sure it's quite ready yet. The service was disjointed and confused and no one seemed clear on what menu was up tonight or what food went to what table. Our server left halfway through the meal and then we never saw anyone again. The duck is good. The rest of the food is very expensive for what it is. It's good not great and the portions are fairly small for the price. You can have a much better meal in Chinatown. After spending about $400 I was left disappointed. If your price point is this high you need to have better service to accompany it. Hoping they figure things out in the coming weeks. read more

We ended up at Decoy's Bar late on a Friday night after not being able to get a table at Dante, and it turned out to be a great find. The space was quiet with a charming vibe, and it felt like the perfect place to unwind. Service was excellent and attentive without hovering. What I loved most is that we could actually catch up with friends without shouting over blaring music, which is rare in the city. Definitely a solid late-night spot if you want good drinks and conversation. read more

Decoy - Menu - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

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The overall experience defies expectations. Employees provided exceptional support during our meal. Their service and dishes consistently please. The waitstaff notices when you're ready for more. I steadily praise this place. read more

IF I HAD TO CHOOSE A LAST MEAL, this would be it. Decoy sits beneath RedFarm and is a hidden gem. You have to make reservations but trust me it's worth a stop when you're in NYC. It's a cozy small restaurant with a long bar and communal table in the center. When you make reservations you'll want to tell them you want the Peking duck so they can do the prep work in advance. Once you arrive you'll get to choose a few appetizers. I got the shrimp and corn dumplings which I may have inhaled in two bites and the foie gras which sat in phyllo dough and had a delicious strawberry purée on top. They also give you fried fish skins which are super salty and briney and delicious! When the duck comes out, it's a true treat! It's an entire Peking duck, three sauces, homemade scallion pancakes, and various toppings. When I tell you the amount of flavor in everything is ONE OF A KIND. Everytime I'm in NYC, I come and have this meal and it will always be my choice if I had to choose a last meal! read more

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Not only is this a NYC staple in my mind but it's also one of the best restaurants I've ever eaten at! I could list a million reasons to eat here but at the end of the day the only reason you need is the Peking Duck!! When you make reservations here you will want to reserve a Peking Duck for you're table(or 2 if you're me) because it's absolutely amazing! It is served in the traditional way sliced very thing with the crispy skin piled on top! Whether you're visiting NYC or are a local, this is a must! read more

Decoy - Peking duck - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

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Decoy is a standout if you're after top notch Peking duck. Their old menu no longer exists and they've combined menus with their sister restaurant right above it, RedFarm. So now you can still get the Peking duck but the menu options around the duck are now from the red farm menu. The Peking duck, which you generally have to reserve in advance, was excellent as always. One of the best you'll find in NYC. We got an order of dumplings to start which were very good as well as a fried rice which was also great. Everything is always good here but come for the duck. read more

Decoy - Peking Duck - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

Finally made a trip to Decoy and I love this restaurant sooo much!! I came with my friends and we did the $80 per person peking duck pre fixe menu. For $80 per person we got a whole duck, three appetizers, whole seabass, fried rice and some house made pickles etc. im very picky with my peking duck and I prefer thin pancakes over buns so im super happy that they serve the duck with thin pancakes. The skin was perfectly crunchy with the right amount of meat on it. The seabass was boneless which was a huge plus!! They also serve us this duck broth which was just a flavor explosion in my mouth! I hope to go back there again soon as I cannot stop thinking about the food!! read more

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Heard they have awesome Peking duck! Make sure you book in advance. They only offer certain amount of pecking duck each day. It was $79.95 per person. For the group of 1-5 will share 1 duck. And depend on how many person, you will get different amount of plates 2 of us got to choose 2 small plate, and 1 from rice or sides. Plus a whole duck. First they serve complimentary fried fish skin with pickles. That was delicious. 1. Foie gras strawberry tart: this plate was cute! foie gras was amazing, but I felt strawberry was bit too much, and strong. 2 oxtail dumpling: I wasn't expect the taste was so different than I thought . It was not like traditional dumpling at all. More like beef stew inside. I really like it! 3. Peking duck: AMAZING!! Crispy skin, not fat, not oily at all. And the meat was juicy and tender. Everything combine so well with the pancake. 4. Crab scallops fried rice: simple but wonderful. Whole meal was pricey, but totally worth it. Portion was big, and service with high quality of food! read more

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This restaurant knows what it does well, and sticks to it. A very special place for a discovery. We were a party of six, which wasn't easy to accommodate. Rezies were made weeks in advance. There is only one long communal table with some tuck away nooks by the bar. It's in the West Village so the location helped set the decor expectations. It's cramped, busy, but oh so worth it. For virgins, like me, it's helpful to understand the menu. You get 4/3/2/1/1. Four starters, three mains, two ducks, one veg and one rice. All at price fix of $80pp. Service was "ok" on availability but super knowledgeable. We had two people with food allergies which they handled perfectly. On to what I remember we ordered on Tuesday... started with the Kobe and kimchi, moon-something shrimp, incredible dumpling with a great presentation, shoshito peppers stuffed with shrimp. For our mains we did the sea bass, bone-in strip, and angry lobster (requires supplements). I was angry that the lobster had too much truffle oil in the garnish. Everything was great in the mains department. But we are all here for the duck. The duck, duck.... goose? Super crunchy skin, succulent meat, and the hoisin, wraps (both lettuce and rice) were incredible. read more

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So my GF and I were in the Christopher St. area looking for something to eat, and after checking out Yelp reviews we saw that Decoy was very close by. It was a spontaneous decision, so we didn't have high expectations for being able to nab a table. We decided to see if they had any cancellations or seats at the bar. Lucky for us, there were two seats available at the bar! Their specialty is the peking duck, so we decided to go for the peking duck dinner, which comes with 2 complimentary appetizers (pickled mango, kimchi cabbage, and cucumbers) and fried fish skin, 2 small plates, and a side dish. The fried fish skin was wonderful, bursting with flavor, and comes with a lightly salted fish sauce with diced tomatoes and onions. For our small plates, we went with the foie gras with strawberry tart, and the shrimp and scallop (extra $6 per person). Our side dish was a vegetable fried rice. In hindsight, we should have gone with a non rice side dish because the peking duck dinner is huge! Anyways, on to the main event, the peking duck. It was the best I've ever had, perfectly tender meat, with a wonderfully marinated, crispy skin separated from the meat, served with thin bread wraps, cucumbers. Overall, I give this cozy little gem 5 stars. The service of the bartender was great, they were very attentive, always quick to check in on us. The cocktail drinks were carefully created, you can tell this place is very detail oriented. The price is expensive, but well worth it. read more

Came here after hearing good things about their Peking duck. If you want to try their Peking duck, you need to call ahead and ask to reserve one with your reservation. I got to try the Peking duck and the also the chicken and mushroom dumplings to start. The dumplings were really good; a lot of umami from the chicken and mushroom filling. The Peking duck was also very good. The skin and crispy and the ratio of fat and lean meat was on point. The Peking duck comes with 10 thin wrappers and 3 different sauces to use. It also comes with shots of duck consomme which was interesting and unique. Overall a pretty pleasant experience. I would recommend coming to Decoy with a party of 3-4 and trying their Peking duck along with some of the other appetizers. The seating is a little awkward; there is one giant table in the middle to seat most of the guests so it can be difficult to arrange for parties of certain sizes. The duck is really good though. read more

Decoy - Peking Duck - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

I'm giving a mediocre score for the taste. The service was actually great. Everything is way too salty, therefore masking any taste of the food. Food were also served in strange orders, for example Peking duck soup is always served after the duck, it's supposed to be light and fresh, with tofu and cabbage in it, should be a white broth. So it's like a break from the greasy and savory duck wraps. It helps adjust the tasting paces, which is important for any nice dinner. But here it's a shot of over salty soup before the duck, shadows the taste of duck, just adds more burden to the tasting experience. I'm not against creativity with food but it should either taste better or be healthier, unfortunately all the adaptations are against these two simple criteria. Fancier? Maybe, I have reservations for that as well. read more

Decoy - Peking Duck - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

Decoy's Peking Duck dinner is made by reservation. When the night came for us to try the famous Peking Duck, we walked down the stairs to a small dining room. The communal dining table filled the length of the room. The dim lighting, wooden tables and hanging plants was trendy and simplistic and reminiscent of a countryside farm to table restaurant. We were seated next to a group of 7 (with some out of towners) and a group of 3 (celebrating a birthday). We were also having a low key birthday celebration. The night was cool and the restaurant was even cooler thanks to the humming AC. Decoy is a Chinese restaurant in the West Village. The food was excellent, the service was good, the price is surprising. The 4 of us opted for the $75 prix fixe Peking Duck dinner. For the 4 of us, we could choose 4 appetizers, 2 main courses and one rice or a side (+ the Peking duck). The menu was a little unclear because some sides and mains had additional costs, whereas others didn't. The meal started with crispy lightly fried fish skin chips and pickled sides. I loved the fragrant sweet pickled mangos and delicate rich earthy bonito flakes infused pickled Chinese broccoli the best. The strawberry foie gras was beautifully presented and tasted Heavenly. The tiny square of foie gras served as the duck's back with sliced strawberries represented the feathers. It was rich tart and sweet at the same time. I was so excited to see this dish because I know there is a version of the foie gras swan at Hong Kong's Banker Club's dining room. I didn't know I could get a version in New York! Kumamoto oysters with yuzu ice- the oysters were cold briny and sweet. They were beautifully presented and were refreshing. It was delightful. I wish we had 3 each. Waygu beef- tiny soy marinated tiny cubes of beef. They were good but really small. The bowl was the size of a tiny teacup. Seared scallop with scallop dumpling. This Blew Me Away. The seared scallop was perfect- tender and sweet. But the scallop dumpling was unique, delicious and came in its own sauce. The chefs wrapped the scallop in sticky tapioca Har-gow-type skin and had tender braised scallop chunks inside. It was the best version of Har gaw that I've ever had. If their dim sum is like this, I will gladly pay more! The duck consommé shots were a beautiful broth of duck soup. It was warm in a tiny shot glass. It was clear, had a depth of flavor and was so delicious. I wondered if they used the Peking Duck breast meat to make this. Peking Duck- the star of the show! The duck was wonderfully done: crispy slivers of Peking duck skin with a little meat. The duck is lean, and flavorful. It was a great version of Peking Duck. Many of us are used to fatty long island ducks or ducks with a thick layer of fat. This Peking duck was made just right, like Beijing's Peking duck. It was delicious. Crab Scallop Rice- This was amazing. It looked plain, like regular fried rice but they had small scallops, slivers of scrambled egg and slivers of meaty crab. They must have soaked the rice in the scallop oceanic juices. The dish was saturated with delicious rich brininess. We were so full from all the other foods, we packed the remaining rice to go. The next day it was amazing delightful treat. It was like it was my birthday. The shortribs- this was good. The short ribs melted off the bone. It was savory and rich. The Chilean Sea Bass- tasted of Thai Sichuan pepper pot. The fish was perfectly poached, the soup was slightly spicy and very flavorful. I would order every single item again. We left stuffed and with a couple boxes of leftovers. Every dish met expectations or exceeded them. This is not your typical Chinatown Chinese meal. The ingredients are higher quality, the quantity is less but well executed. The food is executed with precision and care. I loved it! But due to the price (~$100 pp), this will not be my weekly eats. I will definitely return. instagram.com/snackchatnyc read more

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Best Peking duck... even better than what I've had in Hong Kong! The prix fixe meal consisted of one Peking duck (for four people), appetizers and your choice of four small dishes, two main entrees and one rice or vegetable dish. Appetizers were great and varied... - Curried squash - Pickled cucumbers - Kim chee cauliflower with pineapple - Shishito peppers - Mango in yuzu sauce - Chinese broccoli with wasabi soy For small plates, we ordered... - Pastrami triangles with honey mustard - Oxtail dumplings with black garlic sauce (MUST HAVE) - Shrimp and corn dumplings with truffle sauce and watercress - BBQ pork lettuce wraps with pico de gallo and hoisin The restaurant is tied to RedFarm, where they source some of their meats. That said, the pastrami was fantastic. Very tasty and not overly salty. But the star of the appies were the oxtail dumplings. Delicious! Earthy and robust, they had great flavor and the black garlic sauce added even more dimension. Before the Peking duck came out, we had a small sample of duck consommé that was made with duck fat... Lovely! The duck itself was wonderful. The fat had been stripped off the crispy skin, so you didn't have as much oil per bite as other places. The duck was all deboned and the meat was very flavorful without being over salted. The dish was also served with three delicious sauces: peanut sesame, cranberry and hoisin. For main dishes, we had the prawns with truffles egg white sauce and rice and seamed sea bass with black bean and basil sauce. Lastly, the snow pea leaves with garlic were sweet and tender. This was a wonderful dining experience with lots of great food. I would absolutely go back to gorge again. :) read more

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We came here on Saturday around 5pm, and it's very easy to get a table without reservation if you come here early. Though it still says Decoy on Yelp, it actually has been merged with RedFarm, and the menu is the same as RedFarm. We ordered two cocktails, crispy duck and crab dumplings, wide rice noodles with BBQ'd roast duck, and udon noodles with grilled short ribs. It's actually too much food for two people. We probably only finished half of the noodles. I'd recommend ordering either two main dishes or one main dish and one noodle/rice instead of two noodle/rice. All the dishes we ordered are delicious. The duck & crab dumplings is my favorite. They are cute and tasty. The service is great. If you want to try their Peking duck, get a party of at least 4 people as they only offer whole Peking duck and don't do half or 1/4. read more

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The pecking duck here is really good! One of the best in the city! They have limited number of duck each day. So you'd have to make reservation or go there at their opening time. The sweet potato cold noodle with uni is delicious as well, and the crab & scallop fried rice. Update from a recent visit Jun 2018: you don't have to do set menu to get pecking duck anymore if sit at the bar. Which makes Decoy even more attractive to us! We just ordered duck and enjoy! Plus, tried the ox tail dumplings, soooo good! read more

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We came to try Decoy's famous Peking duck, which some say is the best in the city. Though the duck was definitely enjoyable, it truly did not feel worth the high price. Perhaps the greatest crime is that they don't serve you duck broth made from the bones- you get a measly shot glass at the start, and that's all. The service was perfectly fine but we were left alone for most of the night- I have higher expectations when the bill is $$$. The standout dish of the night may actually have been the oxtail dumplings, which were delicious. I'm glad we tried it, but I am content never coming back. read more

Decoy - Peking Duck - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

I had dinner here on New Years Eve. The restaurant, located downstairs, was very small with few bar seats and a long communal table. Music and lighting was moderate. To my surprise, it didn't feel crowded unless you were sitting against the wall which made it difficult for you to pass through. For 3 people, the pre-fixe includes a whole peking duck, 3 small plates, 1 main, 1 rice, 1 side. This was an unnecessary amount of food. Our waiter was informative but I wished they provided all the details on the menu itself. We were first given complimentary snacks. The pickles were good nothing special. The fried fish skins were incredible and the best I've had. For drinks I had the Mallard cocktail and a classic daiquiri. Both were tasty. - Peking Duck: Beautifully prepared. The skin was shiny, paper thin, super crispy and NOT fatty at all. The duck itself wasn't overly seasoned. It came with warm thin pancakes, cucumber, various onions and 3 sauces: hoisin, cranberry, peanut. The meat underneath the skin was a little dry and chopped into small pieces...not sure why. Otherwise it was a good quality peking duck. - Oxtail Dumpling: Average and on the saltier side. It was meaty and juicy but the texture wasn't like oxtail at all. The garlic dipping sauce was heavy. - Grilled Wagyu Beef Pieces: AVOID. A complete waste. It was NOT wagyu but rather tiny chunks of chewy leftover beef fat. It was served with a side of kimchi which did not compliment the beef at all. - Shrimp and Truffle Dumpling: Skip this too. The shrimp dumpling was something you can find at any dim sum restaurant. I expected more truffle flavor. Huge disappointment. - Aged Prime Strip Steak: The waiter convinced us to get this and we had no regrets. It was shockingly delicious! The steak was incredibly juicy, perfectly pink in the center and seasoned generously. It disappeared in seconds! It came with a side of snow peas which was kind of random and not needed. - Crab and Scallop Fried Rice: Seriously over hyped and not worth the extra $8 supplement. There were barely any seafood and a lot of vegetables. The rice was greasy and salty. - Snow Pea Leaves: Simple, very good but nothing spectacular. Decent portion size and a nice contrast to our meal. I appreciated few things. During mid meal they offered a shot of warm miso-like duck broth and they changed our plates. Service was efficient and good. I think it's only worth coming here for the duck and steak. Everything else was mediocre. read more

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WOW! Decoy is fantastic. I had bookmarked Decoy a few years ago after seeing it on Buzzfeed's "Worth It" series and boy did it pull through. The food is fantastic, the service is smooth, and the space is intimate - so I would highly recommend making reservations even if you're not planning to be eating the peking duck... it's a must if you are! We booked our reservation and when we showed up, the host gave us our pick of seating at the bar and at the communal table. For more intimacy, we chose to sit at the bar. What's nice about Decoy is that you get the full menu at the bar too, and the bar staff is just as knowledgeable about the food menu as they are the bar menu. The drinks were tasty, but I wasn't impressed - pretty standard. The food though - it's delicious. We had made reservations for the pre-fixe peking duck, and with it came so much food! I would definitely recommend it as so much food comes with it (peking duck, one rice/side, two small plates, crispy fish skin, and home made pickles) and the portions are generous too. Every single item we went with (we chose the moonlit shrimp dumplings, the pastrami triangles, and the crab and scallop fried rice) was impressively yummy, and the peking had the delicious crispy skin, juicy meat, and yummy wrappers. It was everything we wanted dinner to be. I addition to the Decoy menu, we noticed that one of the couples seated next to us were requesting items to be sent down from Red Farm which is located upstairs. We realized that Decoy and Red Farm were sister restaurants, so that seems to be a nice little perk if you really need to have an item from Red Farm and ask nicely. read more

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If you're looking for a fun, filling, group dinner and are a fan of Peking duck this is definitely worth a try. We have a foodie group that meets once a month and for a group of 7 this was one of our favorite meals so far! RESERVATIONS - if you want to eat the Peking duck, you have to make reservations. Basically by making a reservations you are reserving the duck. You can call the number on their website after noon and make a reservation. They don't send you a confirmation via email but a few days before they will text you to make sure to confirm. I did text them back confirming but didn't receive a response back so I just called them to make sure. ATMOSPHERE: The restaurant is pretty small with basically bar seating and then 1 long communal table. So even if you have reservations you will be sitting next to strangers. Since we had 7 we got the end of the table which was nice. It's a bit dark but trendy inside, it has a nice feel for a fancy dinner or just a nice dinner with friends or family. FOOD: Your Peking duck dinner comes with "banchan" side dishes, 1 appetizer, 4 small dishes, 3 main dishes, 1 Peking duck with wraps (2 ducks if you have 5+ people), 1 rice and 1 side. Basically, you get a ton food. For a group of 7 they bring out enough for everyone to try at least 1 item. BRANZINO CHIPS - similar to shrimp chips, it's fried fish skin, which was delicious. BANCHAN - I call them banchan because they're served in little cups and are picked veggies, spicy mango, shishito peppers etc. that you can munch on throughout your meal. PASTRAMI TRIANGLES - very delicious, perfectly fried and supposedly from Katz's deli. WAGYU - it was OK, it's small pieces of wagyu that were a little tough/chewy in my opinion. Did have a galbi flavor. OXTAIL DUMPLINGS - also fried, came out steaming hot and also very crispy and delicious. CHILEAN SEA BASS - cooked Sichuan style with mala flavors, it is spicy but not to the point where you can't handle it. The sea bass has bones but was tender and tasty, it's in a stew/soup like clay pot. BRAISE BEEF WITH CURRY - it basically tastes like massaman curry with a beef stew on top. What I mean by beef stew is that the beef is very tender and easy falls apart with a more stringy texture. This was OK in my opinion. PRAWNS - I didn't get to try the prawns because there were only 4 tails and 4 heads. It did come with a cavair rice and an egg drop soup like base. CRAB AND SCALLOP FRIED RICE - $8 supplement is total, not per person. It was a good classic fried rice with good flavor and a nice carb option. SNOW PEA LEAVES - I always love pea leaves, cooked with garlic and had a great flavor and really one of the only veggies we had. PEKING DUCK - obviously the star of the show. they serve this in the middle after your appetizers and small dishes so by the time you are finished with this you are pretty full. Before they bring it out they give you these duck consommé shots which are like duck broth that is very delicious. The duck comes with skin pieces, meat pieces and drumsticks. The sides are cucumbers, scallions, fried onions and garlic and 3 sauces (cranberry, peanut and hoisin). The Peking duck is the more traditional style where they use pancakes/wrappers instead of buns. The wrappers are served warm and almost like tortillas and very fresh and tasty. Their skin is unique in that they remove the layer of fat from it. Personally, I like the small layer of fat and meat but overall it was still good. I think the other interesting thing is that their duck is a little under seasoned. I've definitely had other duck that is more flavorful but perhaps that is how they want it served. Overall, we were so full by the end of the meal! Granted you are paying $79/pp for all of this food but almost everything tasted good and was filling and we loved the variety and sharing a group meal together. read more

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This review has been long overdue but I will never forget it. Making reservations may be a pain in the bottom because with the limited seating you have to make said reservation way ahead of time, also note there may be a cancellation fee! That aside, Decoy has a special place in my heart and is the go-to place when I recommend peking duck restaurants. At a first glance, the restaurant itself can be easy to miss as it sits tightly below a set of stairs, the inside is small but comfortable. Extremely ~cozy~ vibes that still leaves some space for privacy. The price tag isn't exactly cheap but for the amount of food you get, it's almost borderline INSANE. Please beware that you will leave this place with a bustin belly and probably extras to take home. Every dish was nicely done and had its own unique flavors. I never knew I'd love fish skin that much nor did I think fruit kimchi was a good idea but Decoy changed that! Dumplings were also yummy as appetizers, we got the one with truffles in it - so freaking fragrant. The fried rice is where we were just mehhh about because it was sort of dry and flavorless but it wasn't bad to the point we couldn't eat it. The duck. PLEASE TRY IT IF YOU LIKE DUCKS. It is tender and flavorful, with a great crispy skin. The different sauces adds and extra kick and you can totally choose your poison with this creative idea. Brb making another reservation to go back .... read more

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Small, intimate space in the underground level of Red Farm. Came here on a Sunday night and were lucky enough to get a table Hits: Octopus salad - pieces of octopus served in a fresh, soy broth and sprinkled with ikura. Very nice Oxtail dumplings - I loved this the most. It's like a delicious empanadas/puff Peking duck - What sets this duck apart from the peking duck restaurants in Chinatown is the accompaniments that its served with. They have 3 sauces (satay, raspberry and the traditional hoisin) and a savory, fried onions. Duck's skin is crisp and meat is still moist. However, it is pricey at $85/duck! Misses: Three color vegetable dumplings - basically a bland har kao with sticky skin Gold coin scallion pancakes - very plain flavor. read more

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A terrific example of American Chinese dining done right. I came here with a group of 3 for the prix fixe menu. We were promptly seated in the middle of a long communal table (don't let this deter you, it was plenty of room). For three people, you get to choose 3 small plates, 1 main, 1 rice and 1 side. Duck: (5/5) - Very flavorful smokey flavor with great accompaniments (cucumber, onions, etc). - Deboned, fat trimmed and the skin is sliced off into smaller pieces. I personally loved that all the hard work was done for me. My friend who likes the fat was a bit disappointed. - Comes with pickles (which to me were meh) and fish skin chips (which I heard was good) Small Plate Selection: - Pastrami Triangles: (5/5) Pastrami was lean and the dumpling was flavorful. A winner for me. - Oxtail Dumplings: (4/5) Very flavorful and tender oxtail inside the dumpling but it's deep fried. A bit oily for my taste. - Foie Gras & Strawberry Tarts (3/5): I personally did not try this but according to my friends, it was the least favorite of the three appetizers served. Cute design of the food though! Main: - Golden Chilean Sea Bass Casserole: (4/5) Super soft sea bass and extremely flavorful BUT you have to like the mala/Sichuan flavor. I personally don't like the soupiness and oiliness of this dish, but that is simply personal preference. Rice: - Soft & Crunchy Vegetable Fried Rice (5/5): Modern take on fried rice. It wasn't plain in the slightest with various non-traditional vegetables like corn and American broccoli incorporated into the dish. Side: - Sauteed Snow Pea Leaves: (5/5) One of my favorite dishes. A bit oily, but aren't all Chinese vegetables? Also a great balance to have vegetables among all the meat and dumplings. Seemed like the most traditional dish as well. Service was very attentive throughout the meal. I'd definitely recommend this restaurant to others for special occasions. For everyday, I think $100pp including tax & tip is quite steep. However, the food is truly unique and not something you would have at a traditional Chinese restaurant. read more

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KenScale: 8.5/10 Every year, I have an annual year-end dinner event with a group of close friends living in NYC, having been to different places like Gramercy Tavern, ABC Kitchen and Contra. Being the food snob in the group, it often falls on me to identify and reserve a restaurant. A month ago, when we were discussing where to eat, someone mentioned Peking duck and Decoy operated by the same group behind RedFarm. I have been to RedFarm and never had a bad meal during my visit but have not yet tried Decoy given that it is often difficult to coordinate with a large group of people to book a table way in advance (and judging by the looks of the dining space when we showed up, the popularity of the restaurant has not diminished). Now that we penciled in a date, it was easier for me to book a table for six exactly one month before, although I was asked to hand my credit card number and told that if there is a party size change due to bailouts of some people in the group, I should notify them at least 48 hours in advance or we will be charged for the price of six people. When we stepped into the subterranean space of Decoy, we were seated at the edge of the long communal table closest to the door so whenever someone opened the door, we were at the mercy of chilly winter wind. It didn't help that our seating was not big enough for six, but more appropriate for five; we mildly protested to no avail. Despite these logistical issues, I can still confidently say that Decoy is well worth the trip. At $79.99 per person, the prix fixe option at Decoy is perhaps one of the best bargains in the city because in addition to two Peking ducks, you are also allowed to have four small dishes, three large dishes, one large dish and one side dish for a group of six. Before all these started coming out, though, I had a really hard time resisting the temptation to fill up my belly with branzino skin chips that came first as snacks. These chips were incredibly delicious with a perfect crunchy taste that would be welcome at any party. Some of the strongest dishes at RedFarm during my visit came from dumplings, and similarly Decoy's dumplings were outstanding too, including oxtail dumplings that were full of rich and robust flavor and moonlit shrimp, corn and black truffle dumplings that would were delightful bites. We also tried for appetizers shrimp stuffed shishito peppers (another winner in the category) and grilled wagyu beef pieces (marinated with fresh wasabi) with a side of kimchi that reminded me a lot of very well-marinated galbi in Korean BBQ world. The Peking duck came next, and it was one of the better Peking duck dishes I've had in a while. The duck's texture was more or less perfectly moist and with three different sauces (including cranberry which surprisingly worked well with the meat) and the wrap/scallion combination, our feast became one happy affair. After you have some of the delicious meats, you have a decision to make. My wife Jun, always partial to duck meat, focused on the Peking duck the rest of the way during our meal, not even bothering to try some of the large dishes that came out. She relentlessly went after the duck meat, and declared with huge satisfaction that she won't have a craving for duck meat for the rest of the year. I, on the other hand, stopped after two wraps so that I have room for other dishes, which in my view was a wise choice as the other dishes were all winners. The steamed seabass with black bean and basil sauce was very well cooked with sweet and sour flavor that complemented the fish very well, while prosperity prawns with truffled egg white sauce had a very smoky sensation that was quite irresistible. Add the "emperor's favorite" sautéed chicken with eggplant and a side of crab and scallop fried rice, and you have a one heck of a meal, although everyone was absolutely stuffed toward the end so we didn't bother ordering a dessert. As noted above, Decoy is as popular as ever and since the best way to enjoy the restaurant is to bring in a large group (at least six) to share a lot of dishes together, I highly recommend coordinating the reservation way in advance. There is full bar with playful cocktails and a concise wine list with bottles mostly from the U.S. The scene at Decoy can get a little chaotic due to the small size of the dining space and one big communal table in the center that is sometimes not large enough to fit in all the dishes, but that is also part of the appeal of dining at the restaurant. I'm really glad to finally have made it to Decoy, and look forward to visiting again with Jun in the future. I firmly believe getting a stamp of approval from Jun for the Peking duck means that the kitchen is doing it right. read more

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Peking duck is delicious and big portion too. Forget about the rest, cocktails are mediocre at best, lobster fried rice is awful awful. But with the quality of Peking duck, it deserves its four stars. read more

10/10 They managed to make everything pleasantly so delicious. We had reservation for 2. If you walk in you may not be able to order Peking duck which is limited provision per day (unless you come very early like 5pm). The meal started with chips which is actually deep-fried fish skin with dipping sauce and sides: mango, cucumber, cauliflower(Korean style) We ordered bbq pork lettuce wrap and wagyu beef- so yummy! Wagyu is even better than the ones I had at some steak house. Peking duck - tastes just like what I had in China. Crispy and fatty skin. Much better than the soggy ones in Da Dong Manhattan lol :) We paid 100 dollars each (including tax and tips). Will come again! read more

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The food is decent but clearly over priced. Don't even mention the poor service. We haven't finished 1/3 of the food the waitress is already asking if we want to pack the food and leave. And then she came back again in 5 mins. And then she came back again. And again. A totally of 4 times within 20 mins. We came around 5:15 pm and left around 7:00 pm. There were other empty seats just around us, so I don't understand why the waitress wanted to kick us out so urgently. Very bad dining experience. Won't come back again. BTW: I didn't like the fried rice. Too moist for my taste but my friends liked it. read more

Decoy - Fried rice - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

Came here without reservation and this place is packed. Luckily one party didn't come and we got the table and the duck. The host provided great service by following up with kitchen as we were originally told that the duck was already sold out. Overall, food is great but is expensive for the portion. Duck was crispy, juicy and came with 3 sauces. I preferred the normal sauce. If I have to rank the dishes, best is oxtail dumpling (you can get it in red farm as well), Peking duck, octopus salad, shrimp dumpling and scallion pancake (which is not memorable). read more

When I found out that my husband had never had Peking Duck, I had to get him to have one. I have had really good Peking duck, and and then not-so-great Peking duck, and those were such huge difference that I knew that I had to take him to a really good place. After my research, I decided on Decoy, since it was said as one of the best place to have Peking duck. I quickly made reservation. The inside is rather small. Most of the seating here is a long communal table. This could be a bit awkward if you are not used to sitting next to a stranger. Also, depends on where you are sitting, it takes long time to get in and out, making it difficult just getting to the bathroom. Right by the entry door, there were two separate nooks with seating on each side. One side is a counter seats for three people. On the other side is a private table for two people. For some awesome luck, we got to have the private table for two!!! We were so happy... Good things happens to good people! From the moment we walked in, we were greeted warmly by the manager, Craig. He took us to our nice private table, and once learned that this was our first time visiting Decoy, he took time to explain their menu to us. Super nice! When our waitress came over, she also explained the menu to us, they are all really nice here. The prix fixe Peking Duck menu comes with Homemade Pickles, Decoy Chips, Duck Consommé Shots, 10 Pancakes, 3 sauces, choice of small plates, and choice of fried rice or veggie side. The portion of each items are adjusted depending on your party size so that everyone gets good amount of food. As for duck itself, they provide 1 duck per party of 5 or less. So, basically, the less friends you bring, the more duck you will have... LOL One thing I have to mention is their bathroom. I waited for a quite a while, almost made me wonder if there is really someone in the restroom, or if the door nob is broken??? After a while, a young female came out, almost running away. When I got inside, I realized that she was running away from her shame...she obviously could not figure out how to flush the high tech toilet!!! LOL! She could at least warn me and said "I am sorry, I couldn't flush it..." So, they have this super cool Japanese toilet, TOTO. The control panel was installed on top of the toilet paper holder, and there you find the button function for "flush." Maybe the restaurant should put out an instructional sign that indicates how to flush the toilet. Ok, done with the toilet part. As I mentioned, the staffs here are very efficient, friendly, and they know their stuff. Our waitress was really nice too. Our water was filled, dirty dishes picked up quickly, and clean plates delivered without asking for it. The manager, Craig does a great job looking over the entire restaurant, constantly walking around, making sure everyone was happy. We certainly were super happy! As this is a small restaurant, they do take the reservation very seriously. Once you make the reservation, the commitment to the duck feast needs to be given to the restaurant in a form of your credit card information. If you decide not to show up, they will charge you a penalty fee. They will also ask you to confirm the reservation either by email or phone. If you do not confirm your reservation by 4pm on the day of your reservation, they might not hold your seat. It might sound like an extra stress, but nowadays, many other restaurants call you a day before to confirm your reservation also. And most of all, it is totally worth the extra time and attention at Decoy! read more

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Although the food was good, the experience was not. As a result of how many people they squeeze into a communal table, one of the servers spilled a dish on me as they were trying to clear it. A good faith gesture such as drinks or one of our dishes on the house would've likely made me forget the whole ordeal, however we received neither, so here I am. Won't go back, wasn't an enjoyable experience and can find better food elsewhere. read more

4.5/5 My second time here. Ordered the prefix menu with the duck, waygu beef for appetizer, and crab and scallop fried rice for the rice option. Decoy is definitely one of the best go to restaurant for peking ducks in New York, but the price is a little high. 75 per person for prefix menu and it has a lot of options for add on. Always recommend to have a reservation for ducks. 50 dollars deposit is required. read more

Decoy - Peking Duck - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

Food: 4.5/5.0 Service: 3.0/5.0 Value: 2.5/5.0 Decor: 2.0/5.0 Overall: 4.0/5.0 I'm not a fan of communal benches at this price point. The place is super cozy, but probably cozier than I'd like to be when I'm shelling out $79.95 per person for the duck, an app, and a shared side/rice. -1 decor. ^So that's the complaining. More on point, the food was great, and the duck blew my mind (I went in with admittedly low expectations that this place easily cleared). I'm not saying that this is D*d***, but I was thinking that this would be yet another greasy, not-Peking duck Peking duck that you'd find in some places like Chinatown or Flushing. No ladies and gentlemen, Decoy serves a proper Peking duck. Top 5 in the city for sure (maybe 3). I'm coming back. read more