My husband and I had a mixed experience dining at Brooklyn Chop House. When we arrived, the person…read morebehind the desk told us that another staff member would take us to our table. This young woman took the menus from the front desk. We said hello; she barely looked at us and walked us to an empty section to sit (which wasn't an issue). Suddenly, a door opened behind me, and I realized we were seated right in front of the kitchen entrance. Immediately after, the door kept slamming open and shut as busy staff members carried plates, and we understood what kind of experience we'd have if we stayed seated there (I have a photo of the door behind me). When our waiter came over, I asked if we could move tables; he left to address it. When that female staff member returned to seat us, she said we were going to move to another section. Our drinks had already arrived, and since we had our coats and bags, I asked if someone could bring them over. She said no very sharply, without even looking in our direction. Her energy and tone dampened how welcome we felt at the restaurant, although our waiter was friendly and knowledgeable about the dishes (he made the perfect recommendation of asparagus to go with my braised short rib entree!).
All this said, the food was delicious. The Philly Spring Rolls were moist and perfectly seasoned. The Lobster Wontons had a nice amount of lobster meat, and the fry of the crispy wonton enhanced the flavor of the lobster, which was then topped off by the sweetness of the dipping sauce. For entrees, we had the skirt steak with chimichurri, nicely seared with beautifully flavorful chimichurri; the braised short ribs were well-seasoned, but the meat didn't have that complete "fall-off-the-bone" consistency I look for. The meat was tender, but not as tender as I'd hoped for. The short ribs sat on a bed of bright reddish-brown lo mein, which was a unique touch and highlighted the Asian fusion touch. The lo mein was nicely seasoned. The everything fried rice was everything! So flavorful! That said, I ordered the oxtail fried rice to take home, and I tasted the meat, I didn't get that taste of tender, flavorful oxtail meat that I would expect. It just tasted like any other meat. Finally, the asparagus is a must-order! They're well-seasoned, with a hint of heat.
Lastly, I wanted to highlight the drinks. I had the Espresso Martini, which was unremarkable in terms of flavor. But the spotlight goes to the delicious Lychee Frose, which balanced lychee puree, rosé wine, and coconut cream with a fruity, not-too-sweet profile. That drink was a 10/10.
Overall, the welcome may have kept us from returning, but the food was wonderful. I hope the restaurant will use this data and incorporate it into future staff learning.
