Delicious! We ordered a bunch of things from the menu to eat family style at my friend's gathering!…read moreWe love Korean food especially glass noodles! It's not easy to find outside of k-town but I found this spot (it is not a sit-in restaurant- only take out) in Harlem and let me tell you!!! It is delicious!!! Everything we ordered was delicious! The only thing was I thought our the soy garlic Korean fried chicken I ordered, was going to be covered in soy garlic sauce but it wasn't - it was regular plain fried- (not sure if that was a mistake or not). Anyway- excited to eat from here again soon!

Got the Korean Fried Chicken Rice Bowl and it was so good! Amazing customer service too!read more

Went to an event here recently and I was really impressed. Didn't know what to expect from a "do it…read moreyourself" kitchen uptown. A few chefs were having a showcase of their food and my wife and I were able to sample great cuisine in a professional kitchen! I always took for granted what it must look like in a high end restaurant's facilities but we found ourselves in the middle of everything. After watching real chefs prepare their food and then watching my wife's disdain at me scoffing it down, we learned they also do cooking classes at the facility. My wife wants to take one and will of course drag me along:-) At least the kitchen is cool and no one can mess up my food but me so I'm looking forward to it.

I never knew places like this existed, but this is New York, where everything is possible…read more Essentially a kitchen at restaurant scale, this place is fantastic for all kinds of cooking events or anyone who needs to rent a larger space for their cooking needs. I do wish there were kind of a small lounge-y area for non-cookery hijinks so there's a place people can hang out after things get messy in the kitchen.

I hired Chef Aless for my husband's birthday on 1/26/21 - as indoor dining was still closed in NYC,…read moreand way too cold for outdoor dining, I opted to have Chef Aless come by so we could have the restaurant experience at home. From the first time I got in touch with her, Chef Aless was always prompt with her responses - as it was my first time ever doing anything like this, she helped curate a menu for my husband and I based on our likes/dislikes. I had also gone back to her to switch up a couple items, which she had no problem with either - really appreciate the flexibility! On the day of, she came by a bit early (which was a non-issue for us considering we were idling by at home), and was very efficient as soon as she stepped in - we were served some delicious hors d'oeuvres (fig and brie crisps were divine!), an appetizer (truffle burrata and arugula, with a delicious pomegranate molasses dressing), second course (crab cakes with mango slaw, always a favorite in my book), main course (a perfectly medium rare Pat LaFrieda steak), some sides (a decadent sauce for the steak, creamed spinach and potatoes lyonnaise; if you coudln't tell, we wanted to replicate the NYC steakhouse experience), and lastly, chocolate mousse for dessert (needless to say, it was amazing). And best of all, she left the kitchen spotless, which was much appreciated. I also want to note that it's important to clarify what you're looking for when hiring a private chef, especially as a first timer (like me) - I thought Chef Aless was going to cook everything from start to finish at our apartment, however she actually came by with everything mostly prepared, and left the finishing touches for last. Granted, not everyone has a fully equipped kitchen so I totally understand her coming pre-prepped, but considering my husband and I both love cooking and have a nearly fully-equipped kitchen, we would've loved to see her in action and use the opportunity to pick up some pro-tips. All in all, Chef Aless was an absolute pleasure to work and speak with, and I'm so happy to have found her. If indoor dining is still closed off in the future, I will definitely be keeping her in mind for more special occasions.

I finally made it out to Chef Aless last night and it did not disappoint. The food, service and…read moreatmosphere were on point and we felt like we were is a cafe in Paris. The food is authentic and you can tell the chef who I believe is also the owner takes so much pride in her food and it shows. Her husband was on the restaurant floor tonight and even took the time to stop by to chat with us. What an amazing experience and the staff made us feel so welcome we even booked our Christmas party there! Amazing hospitality please keep the good work and we will see you again in December!

Eh. Nothing crazy special, the birria was bland and I'd skip em next time, the consumer is…read moreflavorless grease. The cemita was okay and the mole chicken enchiladas were good. I wouldn't go back here though. Really not worth it

Amazing and authentic Mexican food. Hidden GEM... margaritas are also good…read more Highly recommend!!!

I happen to live a few blocks from there. I remember going there & tried a burrito. It was so…read morefilling. The flavor was amazing. The staff & their service was really good. I highly recommend anyone to visit & enjoy their food. It's so worth it.

I stop coming here after I chewed on a human male nail that was on my food. I thought it was a…read morepiece of bone and itsas a nail I believe it was the cooks, which

Food was deliciously seasoned, especially if you like a little spice. I thoroughly enjoyed the…read moreplantains and cod fish fritters. Both were fried, but surprisingly not greasy, which was great and didn't leave me feeling guilty for eating them during the same meal. The sautéed greens and jerk mushrooms were to die for. Delicious, and just spicy enough to catch your attention with the first fork full. The decor is beautiful, there's ample seating, and all of the staff are friendly, professional, and accommodating. It's intimate enough to come to on a date, inviting enough to come to dine solo, and spacious enough to accommodate your party of three or more. I'm impressed, satisfied, and hooked. I'll be back soon!

Very busy place with a supercool personality. I loved the decor and music choices. We went on a…read moreSaturday at opening time and by the time we left the restaurant was packed. The service was super helpful and we went for a few of their most popular dishes. Jerk mushrooms and Brussels sprouts: I'm putting them together because I found similar problems in both. First, they came at room temperature and tasted like they were barely reheated... not a good start. Second, both lacked flavor... tastes very plain. Last - just my opinion - I don't think the ingredients in both appetizers worked well together. I didn't enjoy either of them. Codfish fritters: disappointing. A very small serving of fritters that tastes like they had very little cod in them. They were more doughy than fishy. Branzino: although the fish was delicate and cooked perfectly, I wasn't a fan of the butter peri-peri sauce, which I found (again) lacking flavor. Hot honey fried: this was a solid dish, and the batter was sweet, spicy and crunchy as advertised. Overall, after reading the reviews my expectations were high. However, I'm not gonna lie, I was disappointed. Almost everything we ordered had problems, and considering their high price tag ($150 for the above), we were expecting more creativity and surely much higher quality. Sadly, I can't say I'd return, mostly because after having their most popular dishes, I'm not curious to taste other options on their menu.

On the whole, have enjoyed elsewhere for years handpulled noodles from Central Asia, so The…read moreHandpulled Noodle perked my interest... although had earlier made it up to this Harlem location. Decided to try an order for delivery via GrubHub and compare dishes with two separate noodles, based on what they recommended for each best for delivery: Beijing Bolo with a fermented black bean ground pork sauce, a.k.a. Zhejiang Mien, including Size #2 pressed noodles thick like udon, scallions, and cilantro, plus Cold Sesame Noodles utilizing handpulled lagman. Both dishes I ordered medium spicy. The Beijing Bolo came in a bowl, while I needed to plate the Cold Sesame dish. Both were flavorful with tender noodles. Next time, more likely to go in person over delivery, and explore other dishes on their menu. It's a great option particularly for this neighborhood! Definitely would recommend trying out The Handmade Noodle!

I happened to be in Harlem and noticed handpulled noodles, so of course I had to try it. The…read morereviews were solid. I placed a pickup order, but when I got there my food hadn't even been started yet, so I ended up standing around for another 10-15 minutes. That part was annoying. I started with the cumin dry rub wings. They were just okay. Very tangy, not very spicy, and honestly a bit over cooked/fried. I'd skip the wings. The steamed chicken and shiitake dumplings were the highlight. They had peas inside and were actually really good. Super flavorful and easily my favorite item. I also ordered the cumin soup with hand-pulled noodles, medium spicy. Everyone warned that spiciness was intense, so I played it safe, but medium ended up being pretty underwhelming for me. The soup was also very oily. The minced pork was fine, nothing special, and while I liked the noodles, they could've been cooked a bit longer. Overall... meh. :/

Sea and Sea is great, especially if you want to feed your family or a small group of friends. This…read moreis for all the seafood lovers and pescaterians. Tired of beef steaks, come get your fish steaks. The salmon looks great here. Everything looks great here. Walk in through the front doors and notice something? No fishy odor, just fresh fish. Let's cover the layout and ground rules. On your left, you have immediately the whole fish. Further back on your left, you have the fillets and steaks. All the usual suspects are here. All the way back on your left, you will find the various sized farm raised shrimp. Around that left corner, moving from left to right you will find the wild caught shrimp. In the middle at the back, is the register where you will eventually pay. Immediately below and in front of the register are the veggies: broccoli, carrots, corn, onions. To the right of the register in the back are the mussels, scallops, and clams. On the right as you walk in, there is one of the busiest counters with a guy steaming all your orders in a giant steamer behind the counter. Walk a little further toward the back on the right side is a guy who is busy frying fish and French fries, making fish sandwiches, and frying whatever whiting, catfish or shrimp you desire. Further back on your right toward the back is where you can obtain your crab legs and lobster. Given this was my first time, I am laying out the ground rules and procedures. Use the tongs everywhere to load your seafood in the steel bowls by the seafood on your left or in the middle of the store on a few tables. You take your bowl or bowls to the guy at the register in the back and pay for your items by weight and their various price rates. Most things are between $10-$20 per pound. Cash is King, but I believe they take Master and Visa, not American Express. Tell the guy how you want your seafood prepared: fried or steamed. He will slice your fillets and chop your corn, placing everything in a plastic basket if you want it steamed together or separately if you're going to fry certain things. He will give you a number for every basket and place the identical number in each basket for tracking. If you're frying, take that basket to the second station or counter on the right. If you're steaming, take your basket to the first station on your right as you enter. The guy at the steaming counter with liberally add the Old Bay, garlic and other seasonings to your seafood. If want low sodium, this is where you tell him to limit the salt. This is also in retrospect, when I would emphasize to the steaming guy not to overcook your seafood. Many of my people (African Americans) and from what I observe among the Latino community like everything cooked well: steaks medium well to well done, eggs scrambled hard, veggies cooked to death and seafood cooked well done. So this is the default expectation and the guy will steam to that degree. The cooking and steaming will continue on your way home, so I would in retrospect advise cutting the steam time by at least five minutes. Your shrimp will suffer the most from over steaming and this would likely apply to your lobster as well. Keep this is mind and let the guy at the steamer know you wish to limit the steam time. My overcooked shrimp is reflected in this rating, but there is more upside when I return. When the steaming is done or overdone, he will announce your number and bag your seafood. You can and should ask him to add laddles of melted butter to your bag of seafood. Tell him how many laddles of butter you want added to your bag(s). He will add more seasoning at this point as well if you ask him. He will twist the bag(s) closed and place them in a plastic container with rubber bands for the trip home. It's all so very delicious and I will return. Two fillets of catfish, two fillets of cod, about a dozen Tiger shrimp and at least a dozen large scallops with the veggies came to $71. I find this quite reasonable and it tastes so good. If you want your shrimp deveined, they have the ones with the shells taken off and deveined. Go home, crack a beer and devour! 3.8 stars!

Delicious food extremely recommended specially steamed…read moreseafood two days in a row the same week.

First of all, let me start with the smell -- because that's what's going to get you…read more This spot is fairly new in the neighborhood, literally right across the street from me, and ever since they opened I've been saying the same thing: the smell of that chicken will pull you in every single time. That Korean fried chicken seasoning hits the air and just wraps around you. It's warm, it's crispy, it's savory, and it makes you stop mid-walk like, "Yeah... I need that." So when my mom came to visit, I said, you know what? Let's finally try the place across the street. And I'm so glad we did because it did not disappoint. We went for a 10-piece wing and split the flavors -- honey tangy barbecue and Korean sweet chili. When I tell you that chicken was juicy and crispy at the same time? Perfect crunch on the outside, tender inside. Exactly what Korean fried chicken is supposed to be. And the fries. Listen. I love a good fry. But my son? He is a French fry connoisseur. That child knows fries. If he approves, you know it's legit. He loved them. So that alone tells you everything. Crispy, seasoned just right -- not soggy, not bland, not overly salty. Just good fries. Of course we got extra sauce on the side because if you're doing it, do it right. A little dip, a little drizzle -- options matter. We also tried the rice cake skewers -- two per order, so we did two each. So good. I love a good rice cake, and these hit. I've been blessed to experience different cultures and cuisines, and Korean food is absolutely up my alley when it's authentic and done right -- and this was done right. They've got options too. Parmesan fries, cheese fries, mozzarella sticks, mac and cheese, salads. There's a little Korean section with the pickled radish and kimchi -- yes and yes. The coleslaw? Also everything. It balanced the meal perfectly. You can do boneless or bone-in, but let me be clear: I'm bone-in all the way. It's not a wing if it doesn't have a bone. No disrespect to the boneless crowd -- sometimes it has its place -- but bone-in is elite. And because clearly I couldn't stop there, I recently went back and tried the chicken sandwich with the sweet potato fries. Loved it. Just as good. Crispy, flavorful, satisfying. But I'm telling you now -- the smell alone is going to get you through the door. And once you go in? You're not going to regret it. Highly recommend.

I was craving Korean fried chicken and finally decided to give Chicken Insider a visit. I came for…read morea late-ish lunch on a Friday afternoon. The shop, which is small with limited seating, was empty, save for one other patron. I ordered at the kiosk and waited for about 10 minutes for my dish to arrive. Throughout my time dining, there was a consistent flow of deliverymen coming in and out to pick up meals. It was clear that although this place was empty, it was a popular spot for delivery. I ordered their lunch special, which I found to be a great bargain. The meal was only $11.99, which came with five pieces of bone-in wings, rice, and salad. I ate my lunch heartily. For my main dish, I ordered the soy garlic fried chicken. While it was delicious, I found the sauce to lean more on the sweet side, with less of the soy and garlic coming through. It reminded me of a sweet-and-sour sauce and didn't taste the way a sauce like this normally does. Still, I enjoyed my meal for the crispness of the chicken skin, the juiciness of the meat, the softness of the rice, and the overall value. I will certainly come here again.