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Lunar was one of my favorite dining experiences in New York City. The atmosphere was dimly lit and romantic, creating an intimate and inviting setting and the service was excellent throughout the evening. I ordered the Red Dragon Pu-erh tea, pork soup dumplings, spring rolls, and the sautéed peppercorn ginger duck as my entrée. The tea was smooth and slightly floral, making it a perfect start to the meal. The spring rolls were crisp and expertly prepared, while the soup dumplings were flavorful and comforting. The standout dish was the sautéed peppercorn ginger duck. The duck was tender and well seasoned, paired with fresh vegetables and a pleasant level of heat that added depth without overpowering the dish. Overall, the experience was exceptional, and I would absolutely return.
The lunch set is a great deal. I had the mapo tofu, which was the vegetarian option. This came with a light egg drop soup and an array of vegetable sides, plus a bowl of rice. The tofu was tasty, though not particularly strong on the spicy or numbing side of things. All the pickled side dishes were the real star of the show - my favorites were the cucumbers in chili oil and the firm tofu. This is a great choice for a weekday lunch, coming in at about $23 after tax and tip.
Lunar was fantastic. Chinese isn't my favorite cuisine but I could come here a hundred times. The peppercorn chicken was my favorite. The chicken was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside with the perfect peppercorn flavors that leave your mouth tingling and numb at the same time. They were able to do the fried rice without pork to accommodate our diet. We also got the red chilli oil noodles - this dish had a pretty strong flavor profile so it would be good to eat on its own. Dumplings and bao here were good too but I'd stick to the mains to have a taste of their star dishes. Cocktails were also unique and paired well with our meal.
The chili fish was the highlight of the meal. Good flavor and good portion. Service was very slow, we waited close to 30 min for the fish. The rice was cold by the time the fish arrived. The seating was also poorly arranged. For the 2 person tables, the person on the inside couch is always sitting on the crack... That applied to most tables when I observed. Overall, food was good but there's room to improve for the little things.
This spot is very casual, inviting and has a cozy interior. I had this place bookmarked for a while and finally got the chance to check it out for lunch. I ordered the lunch set, which comes with six small side dishes, soup, and white rice. I went with the shredded pork and garlic. It was very filling and I couldn't even finish everything. I really enjoyed the variety of vegetables in the side dishes, and the soup was hearty and perfect for a cold winter day. Service was great as well. Not overbearing.
Food was good but service was bad. We dined on Chinese lunar new year so I'm not sure if they were understaffed or overly busy or what. They made a point about a specific dining window once seated but then took almost 30 minutes to take our order and it took us almost an hour to get our check. The food came out pretty fast so overall the dining experience was confusing. Duck was a bit fatty for my liking but we loved the red oil noodles (spicy!) and the dumplings.
Really good authentic chinese food. Hit the spot. Made a reservation for 630pm on a Friday night and was so happy that they didn't kick us out! Our group of 6 stayed almost 2.5hrs which is a rarity in Manhattan.
I have been to this popular Szechuan spot twice with once being around Chinese New Year and the other time being the month prior so both were a while ago. By comparison to the many Szechuan spots in the area, I preferred the food over CHILI across the street and found it slightly worse than Szechuan Gourmet and worse than Peppercorn Station but it's still tasty as all these places are quite good. In terms of the dishes that we ordered as we ordered a lot, i'll be separating them by excellent (no complaints,) good (with mild issues,) and alright (has major issues.) Excellent- Stir-Fried Chicken With Fresh Chili Peppers- Nice tender chicken with a good kick Cumin Beef- Very well done. Nice tender beef with a lot of cumin Black Sesame Crispy Glutinous Rice Ball- Excellent small plate. Could be a side dish or dessert Double Cooked Pork- Solid spices. Tender pork. Very tasty Good Braised Pork Belly With Chestnuts- Pretty good. Pork could have been more tender but it wasn't too sweet which is good. Diced Chicken W. Chili Pepper- Solid take on Laziji though I preferred Peppercorn Alright- Truffle Fried Rice- A bit bland compared to Peppercorn so not as worth it Boiled Fish With Pickled Veggies- Well flavored soup but the fish wasn't slices so there were way too many bones Sauteed Peppercorn Ginger Duck- Nice numbing from the peppercorn but a bit difficult to eat due to the bones 2nd Excellent Mouth Watering Chicken- Well flavored. Nice tender cold chicken Stir-Fried Shredded Pork- Well spiced flavorful pork Spicy & Sour Fatty Beef Soup- Excellent spices as per the other soup. Beef was a good mix of fat and lean. Very tasty Salted Egg Yolk Lava Bun- Everyone else liked these Good Crunchy Marinated Lotus Root- Oddly sweet. Nice crunch as per the description. Chinese Pork Sausage Claypot Rice- Tasty mix. Could have used more crisp on the rice Whole Peking Duck- Skin could have been more crispy. Meat was pretty tender. Other spots have better wrappers Alright Crab Meat Soup Dumplings- Not much soup/light crab flavor but at least the skin was thin. Crab Tofu- Not much crab flavor. Nice silken tofu though Cauliflower with Pork- A tad salty. Would work better with more preserved meat
Midtown keeps upping its Chinese game. I remember when Blue Willow was considered the standard for high-quality Chinese food in the 30s-50s Sts, and now I shudder whenever anyone suggests them. Why pay those sell-out prices when you can patronize a spot like Lunar? The six of us got a huge spread to share because when you're here, you're family. Har har. Our best dishes were the Boiled Fish W. Pickled Vegetables (my favorite Szechuan dish), Double Cooked Pork (juicy and tender), Diced Chicken W. Chili Pepper (appropriately spicy), and Chongqing Red Oil Noodle (oily and satisfying). One friend insisted on getting Pork Soup Dumpling and Crab Meat Soup Dumpling, which were just okay--exactly what I expected being that Lunar is mostly a Szechuan restaurant. It's like ordering tempura at a sushi restaurant. I would skip these. If you must get meat wrapped in dough, opt for the Pork Dumpling In Chili Oil instead. I also wouldn't have bothered getting the Truffle Fried Rice, which lacked truffle flavor, so skip that unless you like wasting money. The Sauteed String Beans With Eggplant were also weak. But the worst dish on our table was the Green & Red Mapo Tofu. Interesting concept, but no one could figure out what the green side was supposed to be; it tasted like lumpy nothing. Maybe Dr. Seuss should go back to eggs and ham? A word on dessert: Our Salted Egg Yolk Lava Bun bizarrely came out at the same time as the other dishes, which meant they were cold by the time we were ready for dessert. When we noted this, we were given a complimentary second order at the end of our meal, which was a nice touch. These buns should always be as steamy as a late-night Cinemax film. All in all, come here for a better family-style Chinese meal than higher-priced neighbors.
This place is one of the best Chinese food places o ate in . A combination of fantastic ingredients , tasty and original dishes and cocktails We got a couple of cocktails that were outstanding, the matcha and the plum wine based were incredible . Everything we ate: 1) cucumber salad - the best I have ever eaten . Period . Not to miss . So flavorful (4.6/5) 2) pork bbq buns - very good and flavourful (4/5) 3) fried chicken dumplings - fried to perfection . Were so good w the dipping sauce 4) lo mein - this was just ok. Pretty standard .(3.7/5) 5) shrimp dim sum - well made but not incredible (3.7/5) 6) sesame chicken - very good and crispy . Not a very large portion This was a wonderful dinner and we will be back for sure . Not cheap , but worth every penny Service was very good and attentive
3.5/5 Asked for less spicy for all the dishes and they still provided such a good kick! Overall the dishes are pretty good, the portions are a little smaller than desired but given the location, it's expected. Service was quick and attentive. Fish Maw in Broth: I love fish maw/fish buckle for the texture. It's very springy, a bit crunchy. This dish was definitely very spicy to be warned. If they had this as a stir fry that would be perfect Dry Pot Beef: was expecting an actual dry pot based on the name but it's more like a stir fry beef - it was very good though, the whole party loved this. Husband & wife: delish Deep fried bullfrog and intestines: I've always down for deep fried intestines but wish they gave more here. Barely had any intestines to eat and the frog was difficult too since it wasn't deboned before deep frying so each bite required some mouth navigation. Chongqing xiao mian: very spicy, loved this classic noodle dish Eggplant with green pepper: this was one of the more interesting dishes since I'd never had something like it, the heat is pretty strong with this one. Not something I'd crave again but nice to try
Lunar is an authentic Szechuan restaurant located in midtown Manhattan. Their waiters and customers all spoke mandarin so I knew we were at an authentic place. We made a reservation for a Wednesday night and it was packed with diners. Our party of 7 ordered about 7 dishes to share. My favorites were the whole fish with fresh chili peppers, stir fried pig trotters, and salted egg yolk with fried sweet corn. We asked for everything to be mild so it wasn't too spicy. The dishes were spiced very well and the fish was numbing too. The fried sweet corn was such a pleasant surprise as it was so unique and helped as a palette cleanser. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to spicy food lovers.
We ordered the mango pomelo cocktail, which was nothing like Hey Tea but didn't disappoint. For food, we had the stir-fried string beans with eggplant, black pepper beef cubes (which were really good), and I think the truffle porridge. Overall, solid dishes, and the service was alright. It was a bit loud in there.
5 months ago
Good Sichuan food. The spicy chicken was really spicy (too spicy for me), but they do warn you. The chongqing red chili oil noodles were good but very mala. I liked the braised pork belly and green beans eggplant the best. As good as Chili and Cafe China, which are nearby and all authentic Sichuan food. Easy to get a reservation for 5 a Thursday evening, although the place was packed. read more
5 months ago
New Sichuan place discovered last week, very authentic and a surprised hidden gem! Good service, great food with flavors, even with a favorite ice cream read more
Lunar is a Jiangsu-style restaurant located in Midtown. The ambiance is very nice and there's a lot of seating. We booked a group of 11 and they put us in a semi priv area. There was a min spend of $400 which was easy to hit with a party of that size. We ordered a LOT - must orders for me were the glutinous fried rice balls (filled with black sesame), duck, and green beans. But honestly everything was delicious I don't think you could go wrong. Really enjoyed this meal! read more
Lunar was one of my favorite dining experiences in New York City. The atmosphere was dimly lit and romantic, creating an intimate and inviting setting and the service was excellent throughout the evening. I ordered the Red Dragon Pu-erh tea, pork soup dumplings, spring rolls, and the sautéed peppercorn ginger duck as my entrée. The tea was smooth and slightly floral, making it a perfect start to the meal. The spring rolls were crisp and expertly prepared, while the soup dumplings were flavorful and comforting. The standout dish was the sautéed peppercorn ginger duck. The duck was tender and well seasoned, paired with fresh vegetables and a pleasant level of heat that added depth without overpowering the dish. Overall, the experience was exceptional, and I would absolutely return. read more
The lunch set is a great deal. I had the mapo tofu, which was the vegetarian option. This came with a light egg drop soup and an array of vegetable sides, plus a bowl of rice. The tofu was tasty, though not particularly strong on the spicy or numbing side of things. All the pickled side dishes were the real star of the show - my favorites were the cucumbers in chili oil and the firm tofu. This is a great choice for a weekday lunch, coming in at about $23 after tax and tip. read more
Lunar was fantastic. Chinese isn't my favorite cuisine but I could come here a hundred times. The peppercorn chicken was my favorite. The chicken was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside with the perfect peppercorn flavors that leave your mouth tingling and numb at the same time. They were able to do the fried rice without pork to accommodate our diet. We also got the red chilli oil noodles - this dish had a pretty strong flavor profile so it would be good to eat on its own. Dumplings and bao here were good too but I'd stick to the mains to have a taste of their star dishes. Cocktails were also unique and paired well with our meal. read more
8 months ago
The chili fish was the highlight of the meal. Good flavor and good portion. Service was very slow, we waited close to 30 min for the fish. The rice was cold by the time the fish arrived. The seating was also poorly arranged. For the 2 person tables, the person on the inside couch is always sitting on the crack... That applied to most tables when I observed. Overall, food was good but there's room to improve for the little things. read more
This spot is very casual, inviting and has a cozy interior. I had this place bookmarked for a while and finally got the chance to check it out for lunch. I ordered the lunch set, which comes with six small side dishes, soup, and white rice. I went with the shredded pork and garlic. It was very filling and I couldn't even finish everything. I really enjoyed the variety of vegetables in the side dishes, and the soup was hearty and perfect for a cold winter day. Service was great as well. Not overbearing. read more
Food was good but service was bad. We dined on Chinese lunar new year so I'm not sure if they were understaffed or overly busy or what. They made a point about a specific dining window once seated but then took almost 30 minutes to take our order and it took us almost an hour to get our check. The food came out pretty fast so overall the dining experience was confusing. Duck was a bit fatty for my liking but we loved the red oil noodles (spicy!) and the dumplings. read more
I have been to this popular Szechuan spot twice with once being around Chinese New Year and the other time being the month prior so both were a while ago. By comparison to the many Szechuan spots in the area, I preferred the food over CHILI across the street and found it slightly worse than Szechuan Gourmet and worse than Peppercorn Station but it's still tasty as all these places are quite good. In terms of the dishes that we ordered as we ordered a lot, i'll be separating them by excellent (no complaints,) good (with mild issues,) and alright (has major issues.) Excellent- Stir-Fried Chicken With Fresh Chili Peppers- Nice tender chicken with a good kick Cumin Beef- Very well done. Nice tender beef with a lot of cumin Black Sesame Crispy Glutinous Rice Ball- Excellent small plate. Could be a side dish or dessert Double Cooked Pork- Solid spices. Tender pork. Very tasty Good Braised Pork Belly With Chestnuts- Pretty good. Pork could have been more tender but it wasn't too sweet which is good. Diced Chicken W. Chili Pepper- Solid take on Laziji though I preferred Peppercorn Alright- Truffle Fried Rice- A bit bland compared to Peppercorn so not as worth it Boiled Fish With Pickled Veggies- Well flavored soup but the fish wasn't slices so there were way too many bones Sauteed Peppercorn Ginger Duck- Nice numbing from the peppercorn but a bit difficult to eat due to the bones 2nd Excellent Mouth Watering Chicken- Well flavored. Nice tender cold chicken Stir-Fried Shredded Pork- Well spiced flavorful pork Spicy & Sour Fatty Beef Soup- Excellent spices as per the other soup. Beef was a good mix of fat and lean. Very tasty Salted Egg Yolk Lava Bun- Everyone else liked these Good Crunchy Marinated Lotus Root- Oddly sweet. Nice crunch as per the description. Chinese Pork Sausage Claypot Rice- Tasty mix. Could have used more crisp on the rice Whole Peking Duck- Skin could have been more crispy. Meat was pretty tender. Other spots have better wrappers Alright Crab Meat Soup Dumplings- Not much soup/light crab flavor but at least the skin was thin. Crab Tofu- Not much crab flavor. Nice silken tofu though Cauliflower with Pork- A tad salty. Would work better with more preserved meat read more
1 year ago
Midtown keeps upping its Chinese game. I remember when Blue Willow was considered the standard for high-quality Chinese food in the 30s-50s Sts, and now I shudder whenever anyone suggests them. Why pay those sell-out prices when you can patronize a spot like Lunar? The six of us got a huge spread to share because when you're here, you're family. Har har. Our best dishes were the Boiled Fish W. Pickled Vegetables (my favorite Szechuan dish), Double Cooked Pork (juicy and tender), Diced Chicken W. Chili Pepper (appropriately spicy), and Chongqing Red Oil Noodle (oily and satisfying). One friend insisted on getting Pork Soup Dumpling and Crab Meat Soup Dumpling, which were just okay--exactly what I expected being that Lunar is mostly a Szechuan restaurant. It's like ordering tempura at a sushi restaurant. I would skip these. If you must get meat wrapped in dough, opt for the Pork Dumpling In Chili Oil instead. I also wouldn't have bothered getting the Truffle Fried Rice, which lacked truffle flavor, so skip that unless you like wasting money. The Sauteed String Beans With Eggplant were also weak. But the worst dish on our table was the Green & Red Mapo Tofu. Interesting concept, but no one could figure out what the green side was supposed to be; it tasted like lumpy nothing. Maybe Dr. Seuss should go back to eggs and ham? A word on dessert: Our Salted Egg Yolk Lava Bun bizarrely came out at the same time as the other dishes, which meant they were cold by the time we were ready for dessert. When we noted this, we were given a complimentary second order at the end of our meal, which was a nice touch. These buns should always be as steamy as a late-night Cinemax film. All in all, come here for a better family-style Chinese meal than higher-priced neighbors. read more
This place is one of the best Chinese food places o ate in . A combination of fantastic ingredients , tasty and original dishes and cocktails We got a couple of cocktails that were outstanding, the matcha and the plum wine based were incredible . Everything we ate: 1) cucumber salad - the best I have ever eaten . Period . Not to miss . So flavorful (4.6/5) 2) pork bbq buns - very good and flavourful (4/5) 3) fried chicken dumplings - fried to perfection . Were so good w the dipping sauce 4) lo mein - this was just ok. Pretty standard .(3.7/5) 5) shrimp dim sum - well made but not incredible (3.7/5) 6) sesame chicken - very good and crispy . Not a very large portion This was a wonderful dinner and we will be back for sure . Not cheap , but worth every penny Service was very good and attentive read more
3.5/5 Asked for less spicy for all the dishes and they still provided such a good kick! Overall the dishes are pretty good, the portions are a little smaller than desired but given the location, it's expected. Service was quick and attentive. Fish Maw in Broth: I love fish maw/fish buckle for the texture. It's very springy, a bit crunchy. This dish was definitely very spicy to be warned. If they had this as a stir fry that would be perfect Dry Pot Beef: was expecting an actual dry pot based on the name but it's more like a stir fry beef - it was very good though, the whole party loved this. Husband & wife: delish Deep fried bullfrog and intestines: I've always down for deep fried intestines but wish they gave more here. Barely had any intestines to eat and the frog was difficult too since it wasn't deboned before deep frying so each bite required some mouth navigation. Chongqing xiao mian: very spicy, loved this classic noodle dish Eggplant with green pepper: this was one of the more interesting dishes since I'd never had something like it, the heat is pretty strong with this one. Not something I'd crave again but nice to try read more
9 months ago
Lunar is an authentic Szechuan restaurant located in midtown Manhattan. Their waiters and customers all spoke mandarin so I knew we were at an authentic place. We made a reservation for a Wednesday night and it was packed with diners. Our party of 7 ordered about 7 dishes to share. My favorites were the whole fish with fresh chili peppers, stir fried pig trotters, and salted egg yolk with fried sweet corn. We asked for everything to be mild so it wasn't too spicy. The dishes were spiced very well and the fish was numbing too. The fried sweet corn was such a pleasant surprise as it was so unique and helped as a palette cleanser. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to spicy food lovers. read more
We ordered the mango pomelo cocktail, which was nothing like Hey Tea but didn't disappoint. For food, we had the stir-fried string beans with eggplant, black pepper beef cubes (which were really good), and I think the truffle porridge. Overall, solid dishes, and the service was alright. It was a bit loud in there. read more
Very flavorful food. Spacious interior and responsive staff. The diced chicken with chili peppers looks super spicy but it is not! As long as you avoid the peppers! It's very crispy and savory. Their signature dish is the crispy glutinous rice balls. They're crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. The filling is sweet black sesame. It's a very interesting contrast in textures but in a good way! The only downside is that this place is pricier than other places of the same cuisine, likely due to the location. read more
1 year ago
The food was pretty decent. It wasn't wow factor or anything. The mapo tofu was slightly watery? I'm not sure, but everything kinda tasted off. It was decent but wrong tasting a little bit. The black fungus tasted like pico de gallo. Maybe that's where the fusion comes in. The beef in sour sauce was the best part of the meal. The beef was super yummy, soo thin just the way I like it. I think the flavoring could have been better. It was kind of just straight sour. We walked in at 5 and were able to get a table right away but maybe 20 minutes after the restaurant started filling up. I would say to definitely get a reservation because by 6:00 on a Thursday it was completely packed. The service here was very good too! The waiters always made sure we had everything at hang including napkins and water. The restaurant itself was very nice. Very date night ambience. Overall, a pretty good experience! read more
This is their chicken kung pao. It's $19 and it doesn't come with rice and they don't tell you that (I respect that as a business decision but I would find a way to notate that so someone can add it) so when this arrived, I had to run out and get a small rice. Also I tried to order from them last week but they gave my post mate person the wrong order, and I found that out after waiting forty minutes so I just got a refund. Now their Kung Pao is really good. There are no sichaun peppercorns which I don't like but good spice level, excellent sauce, perfect amount of ginger and not a ton of wokhei but there's a little bit. Not the best I've had but it's certainly quite a bit better than average. read more
So.. everything is good here! Went with a party of 5 and ordered 10 dishes + 5 drinks. They don't mess around with that Szechuan spice. Gets you warm and addicted. My favorite dish was the Mapo Tofu. I've tried it many times before, but I'm guessing this restaurant uses a meat broth base to give the dish a more savory, homey palette instead of salty to counter the soft tofu. I was surprised by how much I loved the fish soup too. I'm not the type too drink liquids to avoid feeling full, but I was absolutely slurping the soup up whenever I could. All the cocktails are delightful and pretty. We came on a Friday night with a reservation, and I don't think we could've gotten a table without it at that time. Extremely hospitable workers as well. We celebrated a birthday, and the worker let us stay a little past closing to bring out the cake. Highly recommend! read more
7 months ago
I am obsessed with this place. Reservations can be booked via resy. The food is delicious and authentic. Personal favorite dishes are 1) boiled fish in pickled vegetables and 2) blood curd, tripe, & intestine in chili broth. They also have a room in back that can seat 10 person for celebrations. read more
5 months ago
We two people ordered three spicy dishes. All were so good. I loved their drinks! Tasted very authentic. read more
I came here for evening for dinner and thought that it was great! The interior of the restaurant is a modern and minimalist vibe but still has Chinese inspiration. I also loved how all of the wait staff wore more traditional uniforms, and thought that it was a nice touch to the ambiance. Staff was super attentive (especially with water), fast, and kind. I ordered the chongqing chicken, pork XLB, and mapo tofu here and thought that it was all great. The chongqing chicken had bits of bread in it that I thought was great and wasn't too spicy. The pork XLB were great portions and filled it savory broth. And, the mapo tofu was pretty solid as well. Overall, not a bad spot for some Chinese food! read more
The food was pretty good, but the service was not. The chili fish and spicy chicken dishes were both very Chinese and very good, also very spicy. I enjoyed the butter beer as well, which I'm pretty sure is not beer and tasted very much like cream soda. The main problem for us was the service. We had a reservation for two at 8pm. At 8:15p, we were still waiting, and the couple who came in AFTER us were seated, which is completely unacceptable. Even after being seated, the service was very--no one took our order until we flagged them down; the fish did not come out until we asked for it near the end of our meal; empty/finished dishes were not cleared until we asked; and after the rush hour passed, it was almost impossible to find and wave someone down for the bill. read more
1 year ago
Absolutely loved the vibe of place, the minute we walked in. Came here for lunch with my girlfriends. We ordered the stir fried spicy chicken with fresh chilli, lunar special fried rice and pork dumplings in chilli oil. Every dish was absolutely delicious. I would forever dream about the sichuan style chicken. The service was fantastic, the servers were super friendly and sweet. Cannot wait to come back when I visit NYC again. read more
In a city with excellent Szechuan food options, I think Lunar needs some work to be competitive. Walked in with a party of two on a Tuesday night because Chili had a 40 minute wait, and we were seated immediately. The restaurant has really nice vibes, and we were super excited to find a good alternative, but unfortunately, the food left us wanting. The dan dan noodles were good, but not great. It was a modest portion and I wish the noodles were a little more al dente. I liked that there were a few pieces of veg. It was mixed tableside. I always like dan dan noodles, but I've had better elsewhere. Salted egg yolk tofu was a disappointment. The sauce was very thin, and the flavor was not as vibrant as I've appreciated from salted egg yolk before. There were a few peas/carrots thrown in, which felt random. I would pass on this dish, wish we had gotten the mapo tofu. String beans with eggplant was the best dish we got. Delicious veg mix, very flavorful. Yummm. Lazi ji - not sure what this is called on the menu, but this is a famous chongqing dish, fried chicken pieces with lots of chili pieces. This is my boyfriend's favorite dish, but unfortunately, it was pretty disappointing. The pieces of chicken were very small, and there were also several pieces of fried breadstick masquerading in the dish. I've never seen this dish made with fried breadstick, and it felt like a ruse to fill out the dish with something other than chicken. While we had high hopes for Lunar, and while the string beans + eggplant were really good, we would probably opt for other Szechuan restaurants in the future. read more
I made a Friday night reservation for my father's birthday, and it was packed by 7:30! The majority of the crowd was on the younger side. That being said, it was a bit weird that I arrived with my family just a few minutes before our reservation time, but some younger couples behind us were greeted and introduced to their tables first. The hostess did request we honor a 1.5 hour seating and I thought that was pretty reasonable given how busy it was. The food highlights were the whole fish and the unique fried glutinous rice balls! The whole fish was rich with a spicy and non-spicy diced broth, which was subtly spicy. Fish was cooked just enough to not fall apart in the chili pepper sauce. I've never had black sesame glutinous rice balls before deep-fried and then stir-fried with pickled mustard greens; it's a pretty interesting flavor combination that I ended up liking. It's a bit on the pricey side for what it was but worth trying if you're feeling adventurous. Other dishes including the Chongqing noodles, sauteed pea shoots, and Zi Ding (spicy chicken), and truffle fried rice were perfect. I'd avoid the black pepper beef cubes, which were a little under-seasoned. read more
Made a reservation for a Wednesday night dinner and we were seated pretty quick! All of the dishes were perfect for sharing as family style. Everything was delicious but the one dish that actually surprised me was the Crispy Gluten Balls. I have never tried anything like it in my life and I can't recommend it enough! To me, it's so unique with how crispy it is and how it's salty on the outside but sweet from the sesame on the inside. It's a must try! read more
2 years ago
Come with me to Lunar, where authenticity meets the bold flavors of Chongqing Jianghu cuisine. Immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of Chinese Szechuan style food, meticulously prepared from raw market to table every day. Located in Midtown East of New York City. Experience the Sichuan cuisine and warm vibes at Lunar, right in the heart of midtown East. Good Szechuan food is spicier, using an array of chilesmost famously tongue-numbing Szechuan peppers and spicy chile bean paste. Because the region is warm and humid, there's an emphasis on preservation techniques like tea-smoking, salting, and pickling. What we tried Drinks Yuzu Sour Passion Fruit lemon green tea Mouth watering Chicken Scallion Pancakes Pan fried Chicken dumplings Salt & Pepper Shrimp General Tso chicken Truffle Fried Rice Lo mein with chicken Lychee rose Gelato At Lunar, once who walks through their doors can experience the genuine Chinese culinary culture. Thank you to the entire staff of Lunar Midtown East Manhattan ... read more
5 for the Food 3 for the Service 4 for the Atmosphere The food is great. The menu is terrific. The food comes out quickly. Clearly the kitchen has its act together. The front of the house works hard to give good service, but they really need some training. The vibe is great. But HVAC situation means that they pump it up in the front portion of the restaurant to compensate for (seemingly) no HVAC in the back so everyone is uncomfortable. read more
We enjoyed the food. The whole fish was good, quite spicy: however, very authentic. My friend loved the truffle fried rice and the crispy glutinous rice balls were delicious. We also had the chicken steamed dumplings which are always very good. read more
Beautiful venue with beautiful food. For authentic chinese food this place can't be beat. The location is really central and close to a lot in midtown. Inside, the venue is intimate and the lighting is chic. The decor feels upscale with the vibes of China. Most of the dishes I felt were spicy on the menu but I was perfectly okay with that. The waiters gave good recommendations on dishes to try and we were happy with our food choices. To start we had their eggplant which was marinated well and their noodles which were a cold take on dan dan noodles. The entrees were flavored well and weren't crazy greasy. Even though the menu isn't the largest, we still felt like there was a lot we could have tried. Definitely will be back to try them! read more
10 months ago
I really enjoyed Lunar very much. I was delighted by the added outlier on their drink menu -- the Butterbeer -- a nod to the ubiquitous Harry Potter franchise. But I digress. Essentially, the cuisine is authentic and reminiscent of my days in Taiwan. Many delectable dishes stood out, including pea shoots with garlic, spicy fish in chili oil, and the very fun and surprising glutinous sesame balls. The sweet treats of the Butterbeer and fried glutinous sesame balls made dinner feel like dessert to some extent. I will be a repeat customer read more
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