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88 Palace Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Chinese Dim Sum Dim Sum [Edit]
88 E Broadway(between East Broadway & Forsyth St)
New York, NY 10002
Neighborhood: Chinatown
(212) 941-8886
- Nearest Transit:
-
East Broadway (F)
Grand St (B, D)
Canal St (J, N, Q, Z)
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Brunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
71 reviews for 88 Palace Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"...and is way better than Jin Fong or even Golden Unicorn." In 6 reviews -
"88 Palace is my favorite Chinatown Dim Sum place." In 17 reviews -
"Was I transported back to Hong Kong." In 7 reviews
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71 reviews in English
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Review from Cindy C.
5/4/2012 2 Check-ins Here
We've been going here for a couple years now and the food is reliably good. While no longer in the prime, there are still some goodies to be found here and it's always fun to see what's in the carts.
The bathroom situation sucks though so try to avoid it if you can. -
Review from Karin C.
Queens, NY
2/26/2012
not recommended. the food is not good, service sucks and it's dirty!
there was graffiti on my chair. I wanted to leave, but my hungry bf started to grab food off the pushcarts. the tablecloth had a wet spot and even the plates were dirty. no waiter was around, so we grabbed another plate off an empty table.
people eat here because it' cheap and you could view the parade. we came here during the parade- dragons lined up to ask for red envelopes. this was the only dim sum place in Chinatown without a long wait for a table.
we had to chase the food carts to get food and run after the waiters. I approached the staff to ask for a particular dish. she could not speak english or mandarin so someone helped to translate. she asked me to sit down at my table to wait for my food but it never came. my bf grabbed some pan fried dumplings with chive- its was too oily and sweet.
this was a total waste of calories and it left a nasty aftertaste- too much MSG! I guess the only reason people eat here is because its really cheap and there's never a wait for a table. -
Review from Angie L.
New Providence, NJ
2/19/2012
I've been going to this place for years. Pretty much ever since my real favorite hole-in-the-wall places closed. It's not fancy, but it's huge. It's busy. The food is pretty average. For me, though, it has a few pluses.
1 - They are conveniently located a few feet from where I park when I drive into the city.
2 - The food is pretty cheap. I hate going to the "fancy" dim-sum places because I refuse to pay 2-3x as much for the same food.
3 - Probably the most important thing - I bring friends here when they have never had dim sum before to see how well they can hang. This isn't the Ritz Carlton. It's actually quite shabby. But if you are not afraid to experience something new and different that is going to be completely outside of your comfort zone, we can go pretty far as friends.
I spent a lot of time vacationing in Hong Kong, so this place really doesn't scare me at all. Oh, the bathrooms are kind of dirty and sometimes doesn't have toilet paper? I lived in a village WITH NO TOILETS, even in restaurants. So yea, I guess I have a much different perspective. But really, I use it as a litmus test of bravery with my friends, and they have almost all passed. It's worth it for a tasty meal that only costs a few bucks per person. -
Review from Aviva G.
1/17/2012
Lesson learned: Dim sum is not for people who do not like seafood.
88 Palace gave me my first dim sum experience. However, my experience almost ended before it started due to the waiters/waitresses inability to tell the customer what they were serving. I am not picky normally, but I do not like seafood. That being said, there were very few choices for me to eat.
It is almost impossible to tell what something is just by looking at it, so I would ask the waitress or waiter what was in the thing they were trying to serve me. The first one I had, I heard "bean curd" but when I bit into it, i found it tasted funny and there was half a shrimp waiting for me in the dumpling. Its a good thing I am not allergic to seafood, or else this could have been a real problem.
Almost everything had fish or seafood in it, so I did not get to try too many different items. I enjoyed the things I ate, especially the broccoli and beef buns. The gingery tofu soup was pretty interesting, I liked it. Some of the other things just tasted the same, and everything was kind of heavy.
The restaurant was as intimidating as the food. The place is huge and there are so many people walking around pushing carts with things. Some of the people try to force plates on to your table, while others move so fast you can barely get their attention if you want to try what they are serving. Most did not speak english.
The food was very cheap, I couldnt believe it when I saw the bill (I think theres some half off deal on saturdays, but I am not quite sure the deal) I probably would have given it two stars, but I am a sucker for a good deal.
I would come back here again if I was with people who wanted dim sum, but it wouldnt be my first choice for brunch. -
Review from Kevin W.
12/13/2011
Fine, I'll blow up my secret spot. But you better give me yelp elite for 2012 yelp Gods!
Half off dim sum on Saturdays, as the loser Jiho S below me mentioned (j.k. - i know Jiho. we stumbled across this place together i think).
Come before 1pm if you can, otherwise the service and carts slows to a crawl. Or food gets cold and they're pawning off the last bits. You can make to order dim sum if later - but good luck if you don't speak Chinese (mine's 1st grader busted level, so i can manage).
Bathroom is disgusting, obviously violates public ban on smoking, and the old guy will grab your elbow as you leave if you took a paper towel from his stack and didn't tip (secret tip: he'll be okay with some coins, so ready those dimes before using the bathroom).
Value is 5 stars. Won't be the best dim-sum you've had, but everything we've had before noon is always hot and tasty. Oh, their beef thick tripe is abnormally good, as is their green ball dessert with secret sesame black sauce inside. Try it!
Expect service to suck, per usual Chinatown, but occasionally i've been surprised. -
Review from Jiho S.
11/9/2011
Ok so if you're not super picky about your dim sum, go to 88 Palace. Seriously. Or if you have fewer taste buds and can't discern the differences between a shrimp shumai here vs. one elsewhere. I find the dim sum here to be good, not great. But what always seems to draw me back is that on Saturday its HALF OFF. Every dish is like around $2 or so. I have been here perhaps 10 times and every time the bill has never exceeded $11 per person w/o tip. First time I came here on Saturday I actually called the server over because I thought they made a mistake.
Oh yeah and i don't think I ever had to wait for a seat. -
Review from Alice C.
10/24/2011
Came here for dimsum at 2pm, so I don't have a great idea of what this place is like during prime hours. When I arrived, there were several open tables and we did not have to wait at all to be seated, even though I was with a large group of 12.
Unfortunately, it also took a lot of legwork to get food to our table, since carts were winding down at the time. Reading the other reviews makes me suspect that service is overall sucky, no matter what time though... The food itself is decent, though it didn't seem like there was too much variety.
Prices were on the lower end though, and we ended up having to pay only $7/person including tax and tip. Kinda nuts, but I think it's more to do with the large group we had rather than crazy low prices. -
Review from Lucy Z.
Manhattan, NY
2/10/2012
this place is very legit and kind of grungy Cantonese. First of all it's under a bridge and in a shopping mall. You have to take an escalator up and the clientele is all very Cantonese except for the 1 very brave UWS mommy and her very cultured kids--who are freaking chopstick holding experts. This is a place where you will regularly see old Chinese people come up to the cart and take food back to their table rather than wait. Food is just okay but they do have my favorite dim sum plate (salted chicken feet) so they get 4 stars. They also have some sort of super deals on certain nights, it use to be all small dim sum plates are one dollars. This is definitely a hidden secret in Chinatown and a good place for people watching.
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Review from Tina C.
Updated - 3/25/2011 1 photo
Recent visit for a mere party of two goes the customer service fulfillment, customer satisfaction in conjunction of quality of food all down the TIOLET! Upon entering in the second level there were no hostesses to meet, greet or direct partons to be seated. The push cart women are blind to serve patrons by selecting what areas to target thus ignoring all other areas. Yet in today's world one who want something you would have to physically go after it yourself, which I sought after every food cart in the passing!! Armed with the bill in my hand and with much heated inner anger utilizing my very choppy Cantonese verbal skills to make a presence, none of the push cart women dare for refusal of service.
The facilities host a dead beat attendant in both men and women who are either reading a newspaper or in the state of sleep yet none were turning on the faucet or distributing hand towels. A very steep price for very little food consumed of vile quality for two people totaling $16.50, only to be forced out as another party of three rudely yanked the table which we did not gather our belongings. Unfathomably nasty where the 88 = eight dead beats for eight useless vulgar DOGS! 88 Palace is the dog of this dog world.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/14/2009
I came here with my Asian American social networking group for Yum Cha on a stormy Saturday… Read more »
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Review from Hank C.
1/2/2011
The second floor of the mall, you stop inside here, go up the escalator (just up, there's no down), and are seated, then you wait... literally, wait quite a while. Service was rather abysmal until the very end when I asked one guy to pack something up and he came over with a smile and a container - swift at the last, I suppose. As a note, you can hear the subways rumbling overhead, so if that bothers you, best find a different place.
Off to one side, a serve-yourself fried food area (these seem to be more popular as the days go by). Apparently they gave quite an attitude when we delayed ordering tea until our party was entirely there, although it was nice to see them seat us before our party was entirely there. The number of carts is few... four different carts I saw, one the congee, a couple bakery/fried food carts but they held the same things, one steamed food cart, and one just filled with the rice noodles & various inside meats.
The ginger tripe was okay, but not enough ginger. The fong-za (chicken feet) were okay, though not much of a black-bean flavor that I crave, and multiple other dimsum dishes were just normal - nothing spectacular about it. They have sesame balls, but they were filled with the lotus seed rather than red bean or sesame, and it took forever to get a banana leaf covered rice dish. And getting a napkin... well, that was met with an ignored look.
One pro... they had cheap dimsum. My friends tell me the service there is normally better, so we'll try it again later. Maybe it's just the New Year's crowd and holiday for the regular staff? Dunno.
At least the egg tarts were nice and crisp. -
Review from Mona L.
1/16/2011
Am perplexed with the mixed reviews because I think this place rocks.
Having tried top notch dim sum in the West Coast (SF, LA area), I think 88 Palace represents and is way better than Jin Fong or even Golden Unicorn.
My favs include the plump hakow (the transparent shrimp dumpling), the chive shrimp dumpling, the fried taro, vegetarian dumpling. I don't eat chicken feet but apparently they are divine here, made with different sauce, with lots of flavor. Other familiar dishes such as the pork bun, shumai, rice cakes, chinese broccoli and other dumpling like dishes are good as well.
But the most unforgettable dishes are actually the sweets-- This place makes the BEST EGG CUSTARD EVER and the most YUMMIEST GREEN SESAME DESSERT. If you haven't tried these, you are totally missing out.
Service is a hit or miss. Last time, we didn't like the service so much but today, we couldn't have asked for better service. It's all about the feng sui. Sit out in the open near the escalators/stairs instead of the enclosed space and you're bound to get dibs on choices without a trace of worry about the availability.
Note: The restaurant is nestled below the Manhattan Bridge in one of those generic malls. This place is only known among the locals which is why there's hardly any wait, all the reason for coming back again. Plus, it's so cheap, you could eat like a king/queen without hurting your wallet. -
Review from Martin B.
Manhattan, NY
11/5/2011
So, it's on the upper level of a cramped shopping mall nested within a bridge. Please don't go expecting your classic Western dining experience, okay?
For starters, the food is cheap. And fantastic for the price. Shrimp taro dumplings - yes. If you see shrimp tails coming out of a fuzzy bird's nest sort of construct, just get them. Good cold, too. That's how good the food is - even if it's after dim sum prime time, and there's less carts, and the food is cold, 88 Palace is still a good place to drop by.
If you expect more of the service, don't go to a dimsum cart place. If you expect food being wheeled around on carts to be piping hot, don't go to a dimsum cart place.
Essentially, go in knowing what to expect and you'll come away happy. -
Review from Adam L.
Brooklyn, NY
3/13/2011
Terrible place. Came here once. Usually you would expect the cart ladies with the dim sum to be all over the place, but the place was so big that we had to go get the dim sum from them ourselves. The waiters were very busy due to the large area they each had to cover. As my family was leaving, the cart ladies started to come in for their shift which is really surprising because it was around 12 that my family left on a Sunday ( the most busiest days for these restaurants).
Avoid this place if you are in Chinatown. You could probably find a better alternative elsewhere. -
Review from Judy C.
New York, NY
6/2/2011
88 Palace is a classic for me as I have known this place since I was a kid. My family hardly went there because it is a big place tucked inside a shopping center (usually meaning lots of people/long lines, mediocre food, even worse service than already, etc). However, we went there recently because my mum mentioned the cheap special---M-F and maybe Saturday: all dishes for $2. We got there too early around 9 AM on a Tuesday morning, so there were hardly any dishes going around.
Food was fine---on par with what I expected. My only gripe is that some were saltier than I would have liked. Whatever 'service' we got was ok (Note: in dim sum, service will always be sub-par of what one would get going into a sit-down restaurant uptown).
I got my dim sum fix, so that was all that mattered to me. I would probably go back during off-peak hours when I don't feel like looking for new places to go. -
Review from Gina K.
4/18/2011
Dim sum places need to start moving out of Chinatown. It has to be one of the most confusing and disorienting places in Manhattan. 88 Palace has decent selections and they're all pretty good however, this restaurant, like most dim sum joints, is SO big that the food gets cold by the time the cart arrives at your table.
Something MUST be done about this.
Also, the location is pretty confusing. The sign for 88 Palace is on the outside of a shopping mall and the restaurant is actually on the 2nd level on the inside. There is no entrance to the restaurant from the street level. It took me a few minutes and quite a few hand gestures/convos with the local Chinese to figure out that the restaurant is actually INSIDE. -
Review from Charles C.
New York, NY
5/27/2011
I honestly almost don't want to review this place because I think of it as a bit of a hidden secret. On weekend early afternoons, while the lines at Golden Phoenix and Oriental Garden are taking numbers with 45-minute waits, 88 Palace is almost always immediate seating.
The food is decent, not the best, but not bad. The place is in fact very spread out though, so sometimes you have to wave down the carts or just go over or grab stuff yourself. The best part though: we went with a grout of 13 people, and the grand total was... $109.
FYI, it can be a bit tricky to find though. Its on the second floor of the mall directly underneath the Manhattan bridge. -
Review from Angela N.
New York, NY
12/1/2010 3 photos
Nowadays with the old school (good) dim sum places in Chinatown far to few (or simply more prevalent in Brooklyn's 8th Ave and Flushing), the selection is mixed.
As a general rule, Chinese people always like to find the place which offers the most, "bargain for your buck," without scrimping on quality and when it comes to food, this most certainly is no exception. So based on these factors my family's (current) default dim sum joint is none other than 88 Palace.
Sure if I had a choice I really would rather not be anywhere near East Broadway, but once inside the mall complex that is home to 88 Palace, I forget about the jammed packed streets and pile-high businesses abound. In the end, it's about the food, and this spacious dinning hall has high food turnover - hence, hot outta the kitchen morsels.
Our favorites are:
Steamed Fish Balls
Steamed Shrimp Dumplings
Chicken Feet
Fried Shrimp Rolls
Shu Mai
Shrimp/Beef Steamed Crepes Noodles
Chow Fun
Peking Style Pork Chops
Dim sum is aplenty here, so if you've never been, give it a try (preferably with a group - so you can eat more)!Listed in: Brunch (Manhattan)
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Review from Starry S.
New York, NY
4/24/2011
Why does this place always get crowded on weekends? There so much better dim sum out there.
Small $2.00..pretty much nothing
Medium $2.75..everything else not seafood related
Large $3.25...seafood related
Oh I got the pan fried chive dumplings from the frying station near the entrance. The lady gave me about 8 small pieces and it was an XL dish. Woman, I didn't want that much to eat. That lousy dish was $4.25. Since when is there chopped Chinese sausages in a chive dumpling!?!?
I sat near the far left when you enter and the Manager of that cramped area (kinda tall, near balding and no chin) was being an a$$. He didn't give a crap and his attitude was pretty nasty toward the Dim Sum ladies. -
Review from Rima F.
New York, NY
10/18/2010
A fun place for dim sum, especially with a large group.
The decor is just what you want for a festive meal in a Chinese restaurant. Lots of variety in the dim sum offered, and the staff are very attentive and helpful. -
Review from S L.
Portland, ME
11/30/2010
We don't make it to C-town for dim sum, ever. Traveling from Queens to deal with traffic, parking issues- it's not worth the headache. We made a special trip because my Gu-po lives in the area.
Now, don't be alarmed with the 3 stars. I'm not saying this place produces some dim sum culinary masterpieces, because it does not. Food is 2.5 stars. Standard dim sum fare. Nothing out there, nothing special. Everything was seasoned decently... but the push carts were kind of few and far between. We went to the back corner where they had stuff you can pick and order, put on a tray and bring it back to your table. Service was fine. Typical dim sum service, refilled hot water, cleared the empty plates, and gave us new plates when we ordered a noodle dish.
So why you ask, for the extra half star? Well, being from Queens, though dim sum places are aplenty, there is always the heinous wait at the front of the crowded podium and gusts of cold air from people trying to get in and out. We did not have to wait, even on a Sunday (I think it was a Sunday...). Now that is magic for dim sum, no wait on a Sunday around noon. -
Review from Sarah B.
New Orleans, LA
8/11/2010 1 Check-in Here
Sometimes "good" and "cheap" don't go together, but in this case the dim sum at 88 Palace was not only good, but also cheap.
Aside from my usual dim sum staples (rice noodles, chinese broccoli, shumai), there was some sort of deep-fried taro dumpling with meat inside that I absolutely adored. There was also a rice ball with pumpkin inside, and I tried a chicken foot-- I'm sorry, "phoenix claw"-- for the first time. It was... interesting. The jury is still out on that. One of my friends is a vegetarian and we were able to procure plates of assorted veggies for her. (Dim sum is one of those things that can be hard to enjoy if you abstain from flesh consumption.)
The food did not "wow" me, but it was definitely not a disappointing experience. -
Review from Ashley L.
1/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Mmmm so my grandparents are regulars at this dim sum location. I've been to many in Chinatown and this one is definitely more asian than the other ones I've been too. You almost see no other types of people...not even young chinese people...most are old, chinese-speaking.
When we arrived at this place, someone greeted us but my grandparents, being old school, grabbed the stamp card (used when you order a dishes) and walked around to look for their own table...
It is also common to share tables with other people. Say a table that fits 8...a party of 4 might sit down there...and another party of 4 will fill the other side. Both customers and workers don't have problems with this, as long as you have your stamp card and they have theirs, they know you're in separate parties...a little weird? maybe. but quite common.
You also might see people just getting up with their stamp cards and walking over to carts to pick up what they want. This also is fairly common, old Chinese folks can't seem to wait for the carts to roll around.
Food is okay, service is slight below average. You have to really flag down the cart pushers or they might just roll right passed you.
Check came out to be $30 including tax and tip for a good amount of food, we actually had to take some home.
I would come here again if eating with my grandparents because it is pretty cheap and they are accustomed to this place. -
Review from Gretchen W.
New York, NY
3/17/2009
88 Palace is my favorite Chinatown Dim Sum place. I have been coming a few times a year for the past 5 years or so and have never left unsatisfied. That's not to say that I have enjoyed everything I have ever tried here- part of the fun is that you never know exactly what is in the dumpling you are about to eat.
88 Palace is always full of locals and is much less touristy than many of the other Chinatown Dim Sum restaurants, which is key to the experience for me. I like the hustle-bustle of people wheeling their carts of various Dim Sum delights, ranging from shrimp dumplings and pork buns to chicken feet and snails. You say yes or no to the offered item, your paper is stamped and you are ready to dig in.
I have never left hungry, and never paid more than $15 (usually less.) Keep in mind that this is not a fancy restaurant, it's casual and full or local families eating their weekend dim sum meals. -
Review from Olivia M.
Elmhurst, NY
3/15/2010
Years ago ....when I was still working for Metlife (CanalBranch) our manager use to love to host office parties inviting the bigwigs at the H.O., and guess where it was regularly held....88 Palace Restaurant of course.,. Almost all of the subsequent gatherings ,Christmas Parties, Office Anniversary, Birthday's, Chinese New Year, Awards Parties, ....I use to think that maybe she was a partner or an investor because of all the hundreds of restaurants around chinatown, she has to choose this place,but hey...everything was good and on the house...everybody just goes with the flow....
Located under the Manhattan Bridge, on the 2nd Floor of the East Broadway Mall at 88 East Broadway between Market and Division Street, they serve excellent Dim Sum, from Tiny buns to various kinds of dumplings, rolls, tofu, tripe, chicken feet, vegetables, shu mai etc., serve up to 3:00 pm at ridiculously cheap prices @ $1.50 big or mall saucers. The food after Dim Sum was always excellent....delicious to the core, their Peking duck was clearly one of my favorites and so was the Sharksfin Soup and Abalone Dish w/ Bokchoy. Our boss being Chinese always try to order the best in the house. What was good was everybody always goes home with a "doggie bag" courtesy of the boss. We had good service, never had any problem with the wait staff...again because the big boss are friends with the owner.
I was here last week for a quick Dim Sum before proceeding to have my facials done...(Tina Lee's salon is locatedon the sameMall but on the ist floor) and they certainly retain the flavor, mouth watering dishes they use to have. The place has changed for the better, the service was the same if not better, and as always pleasantly clean. Convenient and the KEY word....very very affordable....Listed in: Chinatown Escapades
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Review from Nelson W.
Several weeks ago, I learned that 88 Palace hired the dim sum chef from Golden Unicorn and I was somewhat eager to revisit this restaurant for the first time in many years. 88 Palace's popularity stems from their great deal of every dim sum for $1.50. This promotion to win over patrons has proven to be very successful, but one has to wonder how much longer the restaurant can survive on such small margins as a result of it. It is highly recommended that people arrive early, or your craving of cheong fun (rice noodle rolls) might go unsatisfied.
As a fan of the dim sum at The Golden Unicorn Restaurant at the E.Bway and Catherine Street, 88 Palace definitely showed tremendous improvement in the diversity and presentation of their offerings. All of the main dim sum items such as shumai, cheong fun, fung zao, and spare ribs were served hot and tasty. And the turnip cake actually has turnip in it ! I am glad to see that the investment into improving the quality of their dim sum has paid off. It has made 88 Palace a cheap and (dare I even say) solid choice for dim sum goers.
On a side note, as Jando had mentioned in his review, beware of the old man servicing the men's room! -
Review from Katie Z.
New York, NY
3/17/2009
Dim sum brunch!
This place is hard to find, but you just look for the shopping mall under the Manhattan Bridge. On the ground level, there are barrels of spices and other shops, but when you take the escalators up one flight you are greeted by a HUGE restaurant and no tourists to be seen!
Sit down and wait for one of the many carts to pass by your table. Point at what they want, they'll give it to you and mark up a little card. Don't be afraid to decorate that card with stamps, even if you can't read them and don't know what price they translate to, this place is pretty cheap.
When we've come with groups of 6, we get 10-15 plates and it ends up being about $12-15 a person. And we leave so full we're physically unable to take another bite.
I've never been for any other meal. But it's the only place I'll go for dim sum brunch.Listed in: Penny Pinching
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Review from Jade H.
10/4/2009
Dim sum special right now for $1.50 a dish, no matter the size. That is a good deal at any restaurant in the five boroughs.
Each dish was solid. Good flavours. The dishes were hot on delivery. The best part about dim sum is that you just point to the dish in the cart. You don't need too much Engrish to get what you want.
Pros:
Good cheap food. Place is pretty classy being that it is atop of a Mall and under a bridge where the subway rumbles through.
These are my favorite dishes and the ones that I judge a dim sum place by:
Har Gow
Sui Mi
Cherng fun
Wu gauk
and Chicken feet. mm.
They did a good job.
Cons:
Cleanliness is next to godliness and being under the manhattan bridge meant that god didn't look here too much. Engrish is a second language and service is sparse. At least they refilled your tea pot on time since they don't pay attention to your empty water glass nor remove those dirty dim sum dishes. -
Review from Anna L.
6/24/2010
Honestly I don't know why there are so many 3 stars for this place. I was in a party of 2 (yes 2 for dimsum...not all that crazy!!) and we were seated very quickly at a huge table...way bigger than we needed but we didn't mind. It was during Chinese new years so it was quite bustling and there were dragons wandering around throughout the venue.
I really liked the food a lot. I loved the taro / turnip cake, shumai, cheong fun (white noodles with the black sauce), taro fried dumpling, pork spare ribs, sauteed greens, etc...I never get the porridge because I always make it at home when I'm sick or feeling soup so it's kind of an unnecessary filler. I thought the prices were very reasonable. My friend and I ate a TON and spent $30 and that was on a weekend/new years when they sometimes jack up the prices. So ++++ for that!
If you think the servers are ignoring you, just get up and go get what you want...seriously they don't mind. Also on the sides of the venue there are cooking stations where you can get your food fresh off the stove! I love that.
I thought the staff was pretty attentive and got us our tea/refilled it pretty fast and came towards our table when we flagged it down.
I did take one star off by being soo farrrrrrrr from the subway. My friend is very good at directions so he's been here once before and memorized how to get here so we didn't have trouble...but imagine me by myself. gawd...i would be an hour late than my usual 15 minutes :P -
Review from Bermie H.
New York, NY
10/12/2008
** This review solely based on a wedding banquet**
I've been to a several wedding banquets. This restaurant takes the cake for the worst one I've ever been to. Where do I start?
First off, I left hungry. The only ones allowed to leave hungry are the bride and groom. The quality of all the 10 dishes were lacking. Nothing tasted fresh. All dishes that were supposed to be hot were served at room temperature. The wait staff could care less about service. If there wasn't room for the next plate on the table, our waitress would just literally drop the plate on the table and leave it for the guests to make room.
In addition, when soup is served at any decent Chinese restaurant the server should be the one serving soup to the guests. Not here! A guest from each table was assigned the task. Also, the dishware was filthy and chipped. When we asked for clean plates, they brought out more dirty ones. I guess their standard of clean means just one drop of sauce...
If you are considering this place to hold a banquet, please do your guests a favor and choose another restaurant. -
Review from Brian K.
Weehawken, NJ
11/13/2006
You have to figure that a dim sum place is good if it's recommended by Chinese people, which is how I found 88 Palace. There is another, much smaller restaurant in the same neighborhood called 88-something, so it can be a little confusing. 88 Palace is located underneath the Manhattan bridge at the top floor of a mall.
The dim sum here is quite good and quite inexpensive. If you don't look out the window, you'd swear you were in Hong Kong.Listed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from Larry L.
Updated - 10/21/2009
So I've had the chance to go back a few more times and I have to change my review a bit. The food is still good, my only complaint is the variety of food brought around in the carts is a bit lacking. The first time I went, I saw everything you could imagine and thought it was great. The last few times, there's always been things missing. For example, last time I went I could not find shrimp dumplings for the life of me. I even walked around looking for it. I asked one woman and she said they weren't ready yet. I was there for about an hour and I never saw them.
Not enough reason for me not to go back, but it's a bit frustrating.
Lost 1 star b/c there is a bathroom attendant. That's one I'll never understand and if you see the men's bathroom, you'll wonder about that too.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/11/2009
Tucked away on the top floor of a dingy looking Chinatown mall, this is my new goto dim sum… Read more »
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Review from Mei L.
NY
2/27/2007
88 Palace has been around for a while, but it recently revamped itself by offering a 1-dollar special on dimsum on weekdays! Immediately taken over by the local crowd as a result, this place can be a bit overwhelming. The dimsum cart ladies do not speak English well and will often try to force you to take dimsum dishes that are old and stale. Make sure you clearly tell the maitre d' exactly how many people you have and get a stamp card before you take a seat or otherwise, they will make you get up and wait in line again! Also try to request to have a small table so that you don't have to share with other customers, who may turn out to be nosy retirees eager to participate in any aspect of your intimate conversations.
The dumplings are solid, but the flour on the shrimp noodle is a bit thicker than what I'm used to. The egg custard is also not bad, with its thin crust -- it's different from the flakier crusts that most other dimsum restaurants serve. -
Review from eD C.
Woodside, NY
8/5/2010
" At 12AM this place turns into a midwest pile up of hipsters , PBRs and people with silly beards. "
Food: For my midwestern readers from out of state or New Yorkers living in the area for 5 months. This restaurant has been around for more than 15+ years, going through several management and appearance changes. The food is mediocre, but if this is your first experience with chinese food, it's passable.
Decor: It has the same decor for the past 10 years. They'll change the big chinese character in the back for any couple that holds a wedding there.(WHO WOULD?)
Value: It was cheap back in the day because of the location. East broadway use to have a lot of rent controlled chinese tenants that got by on $100/month rent so I know that has since changed. Last I heard the tenants have been converted into a 15 story condo.
Overall : If dragons/kung fu and cliche chinese food is your thing. Go for it. As a chinese american that has resided in NYC for over 20+ years this place is less than average. The only thing saving it's business are people that can read my Yelp review. -
Review from Christopher I.
New York, NY
8/27/2007
I ate lunch here last Sunday and I must say that I wasn't very impressed. I should preface by saying that I've never had Dim Sum in New York as I just moved here and I'm much more familiar with the Dim Sum scene in San Francisco.
The wrappers on the fried fish dumplings, while tasty, were crunchy like fried cardboard and had obviously beat Jules Verne around the world on the cart before they arrived on my table. The meat in the steamed beef dumplings was of questionable quality. The Chinese broccoli with brown sauce wasn't bad, but then again it's hard to go wrong when steaming a vegetable. Probably the biggest disappointment of the lunch was the sticky rice in lotus leaf, usually one of my favorites but this time relegated to a mediocre position among the rest of the lunch's underperformers - the piece of Chinese sausage inside was insipid and gristly and the rice just hadn't managed to pick up enough flavor from the lotus leaf or the meager filling.
The reason I gave this two stars, however, is the delightful atmosphere! The ladies wheeling the carts around were charming despite their complete lack of English and the service was impeccably efficient. A shame, though, that the plates expeditiously delivered to the table have been circulating in the Dim Sum jet stream for hours before landing.
The price was decent, 13 dollars and change for four items although I believe they forgot to mark one item. So it worked out to 2 x $3.75, 1 x $4.50 and 80c for tea. Considering that I recently gorged myself on Dim Sum in the company of a friend for four dollars more in SF I wouldn't call this a great deal.
Summary: go for the cart ladies and soak up the hustle and bustle while enjoying your tea. Just don't expect much from the food. -
Review from Jeannie Y.
Manhattan, NY
1/8/2010
It was difficult trying to find this place. The BF and I didn't really know where we were going, what the restaurant was called, or what it looked like. All we knew was that it was near an overpass. We got off the A and headed down Canal Street, and eventually the BF recognized the sounds of the bridge.
It's located under the overpass, through the glass double doors of a small mall. You walk in, climb the stairs, and find a large room with dozens of round tables. The servers ignored us while we waited at the front of the restaurant. It wasn't until we actually started stalking one that they finally seated us.
The dimsum selection is moderate, though the quality and authenticity is pretty good. The barbecue pork buns were delicious, the pork shumai was very moist, and the other assortment of fried dumplings we ordered were equally tasty. The fried egg-rolls were mediocre, but everything else more than made up for it.
All in all, I would have given this place 3.5 to 4 stars, but deducted a bit for the service. I don't expect a lot from a dim-sum place, but being ignored is never pleasant. I suspect it's better if you go during peak meal times. Overall, it's a good place to try at least once, but until I try more places in China Town, I'm not tempted to rush back just yet.
PROS:
- Cheap, Cheap, Cheap
- Good dimsum
CONS:
- If you live in midtown, it takes a little effort to get down there
- Service is mediocre
- Limited selection of dimsum -
Review from Michael E.
Dayton, OH
5/4/2009
Good for dim sum
But bring an interpreter
Or eat chicken feet. -
Review from Kara B.
New York, NY
10/16/2010
Having lived in Vancouver, I recognize that I've had it gooooood with regards to dim sum. I mean, Golden Unicorn, which from what I understand is an 'institution' was just okay in my book, then the bill came and kind of knocked the experience down a few notches- read: so not worth it.
88 Palace, however, is good enough in a pinch, because at the end of the day, you can't argue with fast service with a smile and a $60 bill for four people including soda, tax, tip, and an extra order of fried rice (which was actually tasty!). I particularly enjoyed the clams in black bean sauce that you can get yourself from the table in the corner nearest the escalators (bring your order sheet with you).
For future I'd recommend sitting somewhere near wherever it is the carts come from, because lunch came and went and along with that came about 4 carts saying they've run out of shu mai! One cart lady was quite nice and eventually brought over a plate just for us after she'd tired of us asking for it, I guess. Or... take a page from other diners and stalk the carts yourself, but then again, part of the dim sum dealio is watching carts go by.
Bonus star for location. Sketchy mall under the Manhattan Bridge? Was I transported back to Hong Kong? -
Review from Jason Vuong D.
Washington, DC
11/30/2009
My friend and I "trekked" out to Chinatown from West Village to get our dim sum on.
Service sucked, but expected. Nobody knew what we were talking about when all we wanted was some shrimp dumplings and steam buns.
That mission was an epic fail.
Otherwise, everything else we had was pretty tasty, including shu mai, Bean Curd wraps and vegetable dumplings.
Stay clear of the porridge. Yuck; and also required a word-play session to describe what we wanted.
The best part: our bill was less than $10!!!!
Brush up on your mandarin/cantonese before coming here. Or, just bring some pictures of your favorite dishes.
Sze-sze.Listed in: NYC Dining
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Review from Denise M.
New York, NY
1/17/2010
Best dim sum I have EVER had in NYC. 88 outshines Golden Unicorn in food, service,atmosphere and price.
Authentic and delicious dishes served with friendly and attentive service, and on average much more english speaking staff than the other dim sum places I've been around town. 88 is not at all not panic inspiring loud and steamy inside like certain other dim sum mega palaces, and the prices are actually listed on your ticket. My new favorite - already thinking about going back next weekend.Listed in: favorites
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Review from Susan s.
3/3/2011
I'm pretty sure I have tried all the dim sum places in Chinatown that are "good". 88 Palace was hidden on the second floor of a dirty micro mall. I felt like the dining area did not belong in this micro mall. The dim sum was really bad. The only good thing I could say about it was that the shrimp was clean. Which means no poop or veins in the har gow dumplings. The tea was ok. They had no rock sugar for my tea. Boo! The service was slow, and I don't think we will be back.
