Upon entering the restaurant, I immediately noticed two Michelin signs dated 2022, still prominently displayed in 2024, which initially raised my expectations. Excited by this, but knowing Michelin does not review New Jersey restaurants gave me a bad taste in my mouth. I proceeded into the foyer where I was greeted by a self check-in station. I completed the self check-in and stood there for approximately five minutes before being acknowledged. Eventually, a host approached and seated us fairly quickly, though it did not appear that they were actively referencing or managing the waitlist.
The coat check was minimal at best--simply a rack placed off to the side of the restaurant, fully exposed, with no designated place for hats or personal items, which felt unorganized for an establishment presenting itself at this level.
Once seated, we were given one electronic menu to share. After about five minutes, only one of us had access to the menu, which was then passed to me so I could make my selections. Roughly ten minutes later, after our choices had already been made, the server brought us a second electronic menu. Drinks were then delivered as the server finalized our order.
For appetizers, we ordered chicken and shrimp dumplings, which were quite good. That said, they were very similar in taste and execution to dumplings commonly found elsewhere--enjoyable, but not particularly distinctive. The pork spring rolls, however, were disappointing. Instead of a thin, crisp wrapper, they were encased in a thick shell, with very little meat inside and a noticeable lack of flavor. They were not memorable.
I also had a pork dish featuring a backbone, which was actually the standout item of the evening. While the portion was very small with limited meat, the preparation was well executed and comparable to similar dishes found in other restaurants. It ended up being the best thing I had all night.
Following the appetizers, a post-entrée dish was served--similar to a kimchi preparation. This was excellent: spicy, refreshing, and full of flavor.
Main Courses
* Shrimp fried rice was decent, but underwhelming for the price. The shrimp were not cleaned properly, and the portion contained very few shrimp, which made the dish feel overpriced.
* Kung Pao chicken was good, with noticeably better-quality chicken than what is typically found at many restaurants.
* Fried pork was good, but ultimately bland and failed to stand out or meet expectations.
* Another pork appetizer (the name escapes me) consisted of a pork bone or backbone with sauce. While tasty, it again suffered from very little meat, making it feel more like a novelty than a satisfying dish.
We did not order dessert.
Overall, I did not find this restaurant to be Michelin-quality in any sense. I have dined at many Michelin-recognized restaurants recently, and this experience did not align with that standard. The ambience felt closer to a cafeteria-style environment than a refined dining room. The waitstaff continuously carried tablets that emitted constant beeping sounds, similar to incoming text notifications. Over time, this became distracting and nerve-racking. When dining out, I expect either a calm atmosphere or the natural buzz of conversation--not persistent electronic noise. This alone would deter me from returning.
Additionally, the small plates used for sharing were never replaced or refreshed between courses, from appetizers through the main dishes, which further detracted from the overall dining experience.
In conclusion, while there were a few bright spots, the experience fell short of expectations, especially for a restaurant displaying Michelin recognition. read more