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    Ren

    4.5 (32 reviews)
    Closed 12:00 pm - 10:00 PM
    Updated 3 months ago

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    Recommended Reviews - Ren

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    Everything
    Laurina Y.

    Great restaurant in Williamsburg by the owners of birds of a feather (which I haven't been to yet!) came here on a Monday night for dinnner and it was delicious. We got a bunch of stuff like DanDan Noodles, Golden Eggplant, Twice Cooked Pork etc. portions also weren't too big which was good because we were able to try multiple things.

    Spicy Crispy Fish Fillet, Shreeded Beef w. Green Chili, Spicy Cumin Lamb
    Melissa H.

    Great spot to catch up with friends. We were able to make a reservation a day or two before. I loved the fish filet! Absolutely my favorite dish there. I also really enjoyed the Lychee Jasmine and the tang yuan. The other dishes were decent - the lamb and the beef. We didn't love the snow peas though: I thought they weren't cooked enough and my friend thought they were a little stale. I'd come back for the fish filet.

    Crispy rice duck confit
    Eunice C.

    I stumbled upon Ren during the day when they had a matcha cafe pop-up. The vibe seemed relaxed but also polished. This was close to home and since we were celebrating Winter solstice (cultural holiday for some), we felt it was super appropriate to come here for dinner. We came at 5pm with 4 adults and a toddler (high chairs available!) at this hour on a Sunday, it was like a private booking! Wait staff were amazing and attentive. I like how they divided up the space. Bar in the front, slightly narrow dining hall in the middle, and the backroom that would be good for large groups. The menu is great for 4 people since some of the dim sum come in four pieces. We ordered Soup dumplings, Pan fried pork buns, veggie dumplings, mala fried rice, crispy rice duck confit, spicy fish fillet, pumpkin cake with salted egg yolk (sweet and crispy but soft on the inside!!), served along with a pot of rich Jinxuan tea. Though I pretty much enjoyed everything, I was a tad disappointed in the crispy rice duck confit served with a sweet and sour sauce. It's for sure crispy, and duck was present but it didn't click for me. Having this restaurant close by does bring up some feelings. This didn't exist when I grew up in the area and definitely not at this price point. I wish the owners and staff an abundance of success.

    Golded Eggplant, wontons Wonton in Chili Sauce, and DanDan Noodle
    Ari A.

    Finally ate in person after a great takeout experience a few months ago. My friend and I got the shrimp dumplings, Dan Dan noodles, wontons in chili oil, charred eggplant and numbing chicken potsticker. I was blown away by the shrimp dumpling, sooo good I couldn't believe it. We both loved the vibe, the food, and the staff. I used to bring my visitors to antidote, but I may need to start going somewhere a bit closer and try everything on the Ren menu. Glad to have this as a new upscale Szechuan spot in the neighborhood!

    Shreeded Beef w. Green Chili
    Debra C.

    Busy spot, had a reservation and had to wait an additional 20 for table. Very small place and waiting area is right at the door maybe 4 people seated can sit there, like you can take a few steps and you are at the bar. Nonetheless this place KNOWS what they are doing and again a local gem in the neighborhood. Food is absolutely amazing! The bar is pretty busy as well.

    Alan S.

    "Ren" refers to the character for harvest, but I mistook it for the similarly-pronounced "ren," which refers to people. Situated on a proletariat corner of East Williamsburg, this new Sicuan eatery with lofty ambitions is at the vanguard of the city's new accessible neighborhood Chinese restaurants. Of course I had to order the aesthetically pleasing crispy tofu, which had the silky texture inside that you hope for. Vegetable chow fan is a dish that always gambles with mediocrity, but here the unusual use of fermented black beans made it memorable. The ambiance may not be as inviting, but I would take the food here over Birds of a Feather any day.

    Pickled Cucumber
    Jillian B.

    Some friends and I were in the area looking for a great meal to end the night, and discovered Ren had recently opened nearby. We walked in and it was fairly busy for 9pm, but we were seated immediately. First thing to note - service across the board was really friendly and quite quick! The interior was very chic, with some 4-seater tables near the front and larger tables in a room in the back. Food: awesome. Pickled cucumbers had a great flavor, and I really appreciated the slight heat added to the nuttiness of the Dan Dan noodles. Scallion pancake was solid. The spicy crispy fish filled was probably my favorite dish, as the heat builds very nicely and the fish itself was moist and flavorful. Chungking spicy chicken was also great, slightly hotter than the fish fillets. Drinks: we all ordered various teas to help abate the spice. They were perfect to pair with the food, refreshing and not top sweet. They don't serve alcohol (yet) but I imagine that once they get their liquor license, the cocktails will be amazing too. All in all I'm so happy we found this newly opened gem, and very excited to return soon!

    Regina X.

    Thought this was just okay, mostly fried foods and not too authentically Sichuan. Was disappointed by the eggplant which was fried and too sweet. Service was fine and interior dark, quaint, cozy.

    Pepper Spiced Okra was amazing. Eggplant sticks and cucumber
    Anna K.

    Wonderful modern style Chinese! Everything we got on the table was quite delicious and flavorful! It was my bday night with a group of 8. All the waiters were so friendly :) you should definitely try deep fried eggplant sticks. Also Mapo tofu was delicious! We are definitely come back soon.

    Lisa Z.

    Was surprised to see this restaurant open up in the Williamsburg area so definitely had to check it out. They have a decent menu and the food was good. Would definitely say the prices are on the higher end for what you're getting. Service was good and the inside is definitely dim so it's a great place for a date or even just with friends.

    Mapo tofu, brown rice, spicy Soft Bean Curd w. Chili Oil

    I came for lunch and found the dishes to be well composed. While both were laden with chili oil, the mapo tofu was warm, fragrant, and inviting, while the bean curd was chilled, sweet, and complementary - neither overly absorbed in its heat and both bringing a unique purpose to the meal. Bravo Ren! The ambience and service were also rather welcoming. This dignified spot is certainly a staple of the neighborhood.

    Cassandria A.

    Absolutely delightful. Fresh, timely , clean and delicious. I truly have no complaints. I will be sure to come back and try more items on the menu.

    Chungking Spicy Chicken
    Julia H.

    another szechuan spot in this neighborhood means good friendly competition! birds of a feather alum so i had high expectations. overall, i found it to be good but was hoping for a little more pizzaz. For two people we did two starters and two entrees. Dandan noodles had great flavor but I was expecting it to be spicier! Wasn't a ton of numbness. Loved the crispy beef pancake. Nice umami flavor and I liked that it had some veggies in there too, perhaps could have been more fresh. It wasn't super hot when it arrived which was a bummer. The star of the show was absolutely the chungking chicken. Super spicy, super flavorful, nice and crispy, would come back just for this! The fried rice I appreciated a lot too as I found it to be unique and unlike any fried rice I've had before. It was heavy on the mala spice which was a plus in my opinion. They don't have their liquor license, but once they do I think the food here will pair perfectly with a beer!

    Crystal Shrimp Dumplings(4)

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    Ask the Community - Ren

    Is it BYOB?

    Hi! Unfortunately, we don’t have our liquor license yet, which means we also can’t allow BYOB at this moment. But we’re working hard on it and hope to serve a full bar very soon! 💚

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Shan - Dry Pot Cauliflower

    Shan

    4.4(155 reviews)
    2.9 miCobble Hill, Boerum Hill

    it's been too long so I last numbed all my tastebuds with spice at a place like this…read more - walking up to the an unassuming outside in an area not entirely known for this cuisine, I was interested why the reviewers were so good - the restaurant is deceivingly large as its thin but goes deep in the back. we started with their banger of a happy hour and got $9 spritzes & jasmine lychee martinis. the martini tasted like a sweet tea turned boldly alcoholic. very fun. I next just got a regular lychee martini, which was much less sweet & a perfect drink #2 - we started with the pork dumplings which had such a complex sauce. it looked like a basic chili oil but there was a tangy vinegar and a sweet aftertaste that balanced out the numbing spice. the dough was so chewy & thick, I loved. - the cold eggplant was very garlic forward & naturally ofc coated in spice. it's a large serving of the same vegetable but we ate every piece - we split the tofu & fish entree. this was insane, the same base and consistency as mapo tofu. incredibly rich and flavorful with light large chunks of silken tofu & battered fried soft fish. the fish absorbed so much of the sauce, which honestly I was eating by the spoonful.

    The udon was the star of the show for me. I saw a couple eating it next to us and ordered it based…read moreon visuals alone and I am glad to say that it tastes as good as it looks. The three pepper fried tofu was also delicious, I enjoyed the variety of texture in this dish and how well seasoned it is. I did try some of the chicken and it did taste a bit gamey so that would be my only note. Overall food was great and service was attentive.

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    Dry pot beef, spicy cumin lamb, mapo tofu, rice

    Antidote - Dongpo Pork (@joeynht)

    Antidote

    4.6(679 reviews)
    1.0 miWilliamsburg - South Side
    $$

    One of the most spectacular meals I've had in NYC in a hot minute. And it's been a while since I…read morefound a dish I liked enough to obsess over. But let's start from the beginning. My friend had been here before and wanted to come again for her birthday. She made a reservation swiftly, and even though we were on time for our reservation, we still had to wait about 10-15 minutes for a table when we arrived. The lobby was buzzing with people waiting to get seated. It was a little more peaceful in the dining room, with a small chatter. However, it progressively got louder during dinner, and I hate having to talk over other people to be heard, so I gave up on conversing during the meal. But that's fine since my mouth was busy enjoying all the good food. Dan dan noodles $14 : 5/5 stars I was disappointed by the small portions and the overall appearance, and while yes, it is small, don't judge a book by its appearance. It looks bland and dry but that's far from the truth. It was flavorful with a strong kick of spice and plenty of sauce. I would 100% get this again. Cucumber salad $14 : 5/5 stars $14 for just cucumbers is kind of absurd but I can't deny that it was delicious. Every restaurant does cucumber salad a little differently, and the ones at Antidote are coated in this creamy green sauce that made the app so hard to stop munching on. Not sure if I would get this again because of the price. Shredded duck fried rice $18 : 2.5/5 stars Honestly the pricing is really weird to me because what do you mean a cucumber salad is only $4 cheaper than a whole entree with protein? Anyway, I was looking forward to this interesting-sounding fried rice dish, but alas, I was not a fan. The duck was smoked and imparted a smoky taste to the whole dish that I did not enjoy. However, my friends loved it. Chestnut short ribs $30: 4/5 stars The ribs were fall-off-the-bone good but the chestnuts could've been a tad softer. There weren't that many ribs for $30. Youtiao shrimp $20 : 100/5 stars Literally the best item on the menu. It came with some pineapple pieces. It tastes just like the deep fried shrimp with walnuts and mayo at Chinese banquet meals. I truly think about this almost every day since I've had it. I can't wait to have it again.

    Disappointing. Tea-smoked duck overpowered with way too much smoke. The kung pao chicken lacked…read moreflavor and spice. I enjoyed the scallion pancake. Service not great, waited too long for a napkin after requesting an additional one.

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    Hot Space - Stinky tofu skewers

    Hot Space

    4.6(190 reviews)
    5.8 miBorough Park
    $$

    Food: The food is delicious here! We ordered the grilled eggplant with garlic, clams, and a grilled…read morefish as the main dish. This place is known for their grilled fish dishes, where you pick the type of fish, the flavor and then your add-ons. It is served in a huge tray with burners on the bottom to keep it hot during your meal. We tried the spicy tofu flavor, which was excellent, but they also offer non-spicy flavors. Add-ons include various veggies, mushrooms, and noodles. All of the food was very fresh and flavorful, and we were very happy with the quality. Service: Service was phenomenal. The staff was so attentive and friendly. We brought a cake to cut at the restaurant and the staff were very helpful in getting everything set up and the table cleared before we brought the cake out. Ambiance: The restaurant is not that big, but they can definitely accommodate large and small groups. Seating is spacious and comfortable. Overall, I would highly recommend this restaurant!

    Initially wanted to go to a different spot for skewers, but stumbled upon this place instead since…read morethere were so many people lined up outside! Not the best skewers I've had but we did notice a lot of people ordering the crawfish and decided to order one, and it did not disappoint! So juicy and flavorful, I wish I could try some of the other flavors!! Staff were extremely quick to service and the ambiance is nice and loud haha perfect spot for late night snack/meal with friends!

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    Birds of a Feather

    Birds of a Feather

    4.2(788 reviews)
    0.7 miWilliamsburg - North Side
    $$

    Birds of a Feather was an amazing dining experience! The service, food, and atmosphere were all…read moregreat! My father was visiting from Seattle and treated me to lunch here. He was extremely impressed with the meal and said it's just as good if not better than anything he can find back home! We had the eggplant accordion, curious chicken, shrimp and pork dumplings, and the duck fried rice, and they were all hits. They were packed with great flavor, a great spice level, and cooked to perfection! To this day we still talk about how great this meal was! The service was also extremely friendly and efficient, and we had great conversations with the waiter about the history of the restaurant and other Chinese cuisine hotspots in the US. We went for lunch on a weekday, and it was super comfortable, and there was no wait. I will definitely be returning!

    I'd rate Birds of a Feather four and half stars…read more We came for a weekday lunch. For starters, we shared the okra wrapped in bacon, dumplings, and Dan Dan noodles. All of them were served in a similar Sichuan chili sauce. It was on the milder side, so there was only a slight numbness in the mouth. Definitely a great way to introduce people to this cuisine who are hesitant about spiciness. For the main course, we shared the Ma Po Tofu. This item was marked with three chilis on the menu indicating it is the highest spice level here. It was definitely the spiciest item by far. You get the full mala effect with a bold pepper flavor plus big time numbing that lingers well after. It was my favorite dish but might not be for everyone. Rice is not included so be sure to add at least one order. They have a full bar with lots of house cocktails. Some wines and a handful of beers including draft options. There are two single occupancy restrooms with one being handicap accessible. The staff was super hospitable. They were extra accommodating and made our experience wonderful.

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    Birds of a Feather
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    Ren - szechuan - Updated September 2026

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