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Grand Central (4, 5, 6, 7, S)
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We were near Grand Central and craving Chinese food. Looked on Yelp and found this place.
I have to say, this was THE BEST Cantonese/Chinese food I've ever had. Out of this world delicious!
We ordered:
1) Beef Chow Fun (get it "wet", with gravy) I couldn't help saying "Yum" after every bite.. it was SO GOOD.
2) Apricot Chicken (it was dipped in a batter and lightly fried... delicious...)
3) Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce (the guy said "Do you want Chinese broccoli or American broccoli. We went with Chinese broccoli and so glad we did. It's sort of a combination of asparagus, spinach and broccoli all rolled into one,)
4) Shrimp with black beans. Very tasty.
This place is BYOB and we didn't but next time I will.
I can't say the atmosphere is anything spectacular... but the food was so delicious (and reasonably priced) that I will definitely come back.
Finally, a chinese restaurant in NYC that I think is worthy of my money. If you like excellent cantonese-style food you should definitely check this place out. It isn't hot and spicy szechuan so if that's what you want, go somewhere else.
The interesting thing about this place is that everything is really good. Usually you go to a place and some things are good and some things are really good. But we didn't try anything that made us say "hmmmm that was just OK".
For appetizers we started with satay beef, shu mai, and hot and sour soup. All very good.
The main courses that we ordered were outstanding. First was the salt and pepper shrimp, a house specialty. You can eat these unpeeled but I preferred to peel them. Second was the peking duck... the duck itself was excellent and they go through the trouble of putting it into the pancake wraps for you. Third was the chicken in black bean sauce. Everything was hot, fresh, and well-paced because we never sat around without something to eat.
2 things:
- It is BYOB and cash only, so make sure you plan ahead.
- The menu is HUGE, but the waitstaff does an excellent job with recommendations if you tell them what you like.
Cut to the chase: Phoenix Garden is BYOB.
The lengthier version is that it's a hot mess of a down-home, old-fashioned-gritty Cantonese kitchen, relocated, I've heard, from over-saturated Chinatown to Murray Hill. The service is tepid for a fairly popular, bustling destination, but the atmosphere is warm and homey, and the food is piping hot, delicious and doled out in abundant heaps. It's a couple cuts of class (and cash) above hole-in-the-wall Chinese joints; I'd recommend it for intimate group gatherings (read: sousings), even if you'll be bumping elbows with an odd amalgam of tipsy Asian families, and Murray Hell's finest.
Lost my respect when they changed the overpriced lunch menu and stop offering roasted duck. They've also started frying that damn duck instead of roasting it. It's sad because now if I have a craving for non-American-style-Cantonese-food near my office, I'd have one less option.
This place, hmm, how should I put it... reminds me of childhood food. There are Cantonese… Read more »
Terrific food at cheap price. Best pan fried noodle I've had. Saute baby snowpea leaves, Zizzling beef, shrimp sth (you can eat the whole thing), and much more..
I keep coming back to this place - the various duck dishes and the apps are just amazing. The $3 corkage fee isn't a big deal and the waitstaff are always smiling and helpful. (Shame other people seem to have that experience). I haven't had any of the casseroles yet, but wow, do they look spectacular.
I would rate minus Five stars but since there is no option as such I had to select and click on one star but they don't deserve that.
The food at Phoenix Garden had been decent but it had a long reputation of a poor service. Many of my friends stopped going there but I still went because until today I didn't know the meaning of a truly bad service.
Phoenix Garden has always operated under BYOB. As a service they brought out an icebox for drinks and I had never been charged. Today my bill came with unknown charges and I questioned the waitress. The son who took over his father's business responded to my inquiries with nasty arrogant manners. Because he was unbearable I told the waitress that they've just lost a customer.
When I got up my seat I left my coat on my seat, the owner yelled at me and reminded me to take my coat so that I wouldn't return. Then he cursed and said, "Fuck you Bitch, never come back again." The waiter stared at him and froze. I said under no circumstances his behavior is acceptable and I will make sure that the world know of my experience. In this recession, I rather spend my money elsewhere. Cheers to my last visit to Phoenix Garden.
I have to say - I was surprised by Phoenix Garden. I used to think the only place to get good Chinese food in Manhattan was in Chinatown, but I was mistaken. It looks really average from the outside, but don't walk away! The place was really crowded, so be sure to make a reservation if you plan on eating here. Tight seating and the service was nothing to rave about, but the food was excellent and I would definitely come back for more.
The appetizers I had were average (I guess that's what happens when you order spring rolls and dumplings). I was a fan of the prawns with pepper in black bean sauce (my favorite), tofu casserole, chicken w/ginger and scallions, vegetable pan fried noodles and sauteed chinese broccoli. Asked for everything spicy and was pleased that it was just the right amount of heat.
Overall - very satisfied and would recommend it to those looking for great quality Cantonese food outside of Chinatown!
Go with cash. They DO NOT accept credit cards.
I've been eating at Phoenix Garden since I was a kid. They had a great little spot down in Chinatown, which closed when the ceiling fell in (I think). A couple of years later, I found that they'd reopened on the East Side. My boyfriend and I took my mother there for her birthday without telling her where we were going, and she SHRIEKED when she saw the sign. We've been going there on her birthday ever since.
Favorites include the crispy squab, crispy chicken, crispy duck... sensing a pattern? Yes, we've had all-crispy meals there! I love their beef with ginger and scallions, too, which comes all a-sizzle on a hot iron dish. Things like noodles that have a ton of sauce tend to be a little greasy.
The staff aren't the world's most personable, but who cares? You go for the food.
This restaurant has some of the best dishes I've ever tasted -
salt & pepper shrimp, snowpea leaves and the most delightful and savory soft shell crab when it's in season. They are strict about cash and closing on time.
Folks, I worked in this place before (yes that summer... oh well I was just a pompous kid ready for college). Let's say that I felt thankful for them to give me a chance to get a taste of what 10-hours-a-day hard labor felt like. The staffs ranged from expert to beginner (like me~). I understand that our boss(es) are decent people at heart, but sometimes I felt disappointed at the way they value their workers (e.g. Carried old rules for new immigrant staffs, REALLY threatened to fire you if you are a newbie, etc.), which subsequently led to bad services in the restaurant. I guess I will take in all your grudges about that.
But my love goes to the master mind of the kitchen: they are the nicest chefs who are humble enough to keep themselves in 110F+ kitchen at all times for hot summer times. And they have good skills for some pretty decent Cantonese dishes (quite an expert at that). Crown titles like pepper-salt shrimp, steamed fish (of any variety: they nailed the technicals right on the dot), sauteed pea seedlings, sizzling hot pot (the small woks not the ceramic bowl kind) are pretty popular.
Here's some staff tips on dos and don't-
Dim Sum: if you meant to eat good food for life, DON'T eat those here b/c it is not made by themselves. Period.
Peking Duck: for Heaven's sake it's NOT authentic in this place!! Cantonese food is in the southern region of CHINA- WAYY down south than Peking(or now known as Beijing). To eat PD here is like eating southern style biscuits in Maine- it's THAT laughable! Go figure.
Orange Chicken: We don't even know what went wrong with that dish. SKIP unless you already buy into the sweet-sour trap.
Wonton Soup and Spring Roll- So Yelpers mostly know by now that it's the status quo in all Chinese restaurants so "it's nothing." HOWEVER, you should really take the chance to try theirs (esp free for lunch orders) because the wontons and the spring rolls are handmade by our boss( actually the wife of the owner, you will def. know who she is). She NEVER let us to wrap these- so they are the hidden jewels for this place. Make SURE you don't call the Spring Rolls "the Egg Rolls:" she will give you a lecture about it and you sure don't want it after a morning's worth of pressure from your workplace, or coming from a long tour in town.
That's it... and since I can edit later, I might add something. If you love food and ignores mood and wines, do come with great taste buds. Get ready for the owners' animated face and complain less if you can (unless your order didn't come for 25 minutes- do call them quickly for attention).
Ok. The food is decent. I even remember it being pretty good the first time I went there.
But that does not excuse horrendous service. The next time I went there, the staff treated me and the people I went with like crap. I don't know why, because we didn't do anything wrong - it was pretty much empty when we were there and the 3 of us were pushed into this tiny table for 2.
We asked nicely to be moved to another table as we were planning on ordering a lot of food, and this table seriously would not have been able to handle the food. First off, it was against a wall and the remaining 3 chairs were pushed around it, with one chair's back pushed against a neighboring table (where people were sitting... really guys?). I'm not snobby about eating in crowded quarters if the food is good and if the place is full, but the restaurant was empty, it was way before a peak eating time and there were numerous larger tables open. They refused and were downright rude about it, basically telling us to take our seats and shut it or get out.
Despite this, we were still prepared to stay and eat but told them that with that kind of attitude this would be our last time eating there. I admit this probably wasn't a good move, I mean, they probably would've spit in our food but we were feeling a little indignant and it was in the heat of the moment. I don't think it was unwarranted. I don't ever get riled up over these things either, so this was definitely out of the norm.
The head honcho's response was to kick us out and tell us he wouldn't serve us. Basically I'm on the Phoenix Garden blacklist... and it's no real loss to me. I wasn't planning on going back anyways.
After reading some testimonials about the "spotty" service below, it just further confirms the fact that I would never go back. I don't care how good the food is, we're paying customers. Have a little respect.
For those of you who eat here and get better service, enjoy it I guess. Hope you don't have the experience I did.
Pretty standard Chinese food. Nothing exceptional, nothing out of the ordinary.
There is not a lot of choice near the UN. As a matter of fact, there's not a lot around the UN, period. But Phoenix Garden is not that far, and is the Chinese restaurant of choice for us staffers. I went there today with some co-workers, 4 Filipinos and 1 Irish-Colombiano, to celebrate my work hubby's new job.
First of all, I was told that they don't really like Asians, preferring instead the WASP-ish suits that invade the area during the working week. STRIKE 1. As an honorary Korean, I take issue with that. One of my co-workers asked for extra shrimp chips. They wanted to charge her another $2.50 for them, when of course they should be free, so she told the waiter to forget it. The waiter even shot her a look, as in "You cheap Filipina!" Again, I took offense. As my fellow colonized-by-the-Spanish people, Filipinos are close to my heart. The waiters here are such gagos. Dumb-asses. STRIKE 2.
And as much as I want to slam them completely, I have to admit: the food is pretty good, especially when compared with other Chinese in the area, which is ew and greasy, at best. Portions here are small, but just right for someone who is really trying not to be a hog (me).Standouts include the garlicky fried shrimp (warning: they fry it with the shell on, so peel before eating), the beef with scallions, the sauteed snowpeas, the fried rice and the fried chicken.
Yes, when you go eat with Filipinos, prepare to eat a lot of fried things. That's part of the reason why I love them. They like a lot of food on the table. Empty plates make them sad. And they don't give a FUCK about things not being good for you. Because if you're gonna go, go happy.
PS - Work Hubby, now that you will be working across the street, times may get tough, but we'll work it out. MUUUAA!
As I fight the urge to give Phoenix Garden Restaurant 4-stars, I am reminded that "sentimentality is unearned emotion," and consider, "sentimentality is unearned rating."
Hmmm, does that even make sense? I don't know. English is my 2nd language. Yes, that is my answer to all of my faults and issues.
We went to Phoenix to celebrate the birthday of my friend and former roommate from college, Dan C. I'd passed off the seemingly impossible mission of finding "a delicious BYO Chinese restaurant" to my other friend and former roommate from college, Michael S., and he came up with codeword, "Phoenix."
No, nothing like "Swordfish," man. If I recall remotely correctly, the whole premises of that movie the password, "swordfish." Yeah, and I own yachts and planes because my cat's a lady of the night and I'm her p-diddy.
"Phoenix," on the other hand, just so happened to be is the mythical creature depicted in our University emblem, the symbol of the spirit of old Chicago - our collective surrogate city for upwards of 7 years - and the way Dan C. rose out of the ashes of our memories to appear one day in NYC and therefore back in our lives.
Coincidence? Sentimental verbosity? Utter digression? Premeditated planning by Michael S.? There are at least a dozen Chinese restaurants named "Phoenix?"
Anyway, in all honesty, I think I wanted the restaurant to be very good, but it was slightly better than the run-of-the-mill sit-down Chinese joints, with splashes of excellence.
The salt & pepper shrimp and squid were very good, as was the beef with wide noodles.
Dungeness crab was well prepared, with delicious brown broth, but I thought the crab itself didn't have enough meat.
Peking duck, for me, was a disappointment.
The mixed seafood with wide noodles was just plain . . . plain. Noodles were white, the seafood was white, and it tasted like blank canvas. We painted it with the broth from the crab dish, and it was way better.
Besides some of the good dishes, the BYO-policy was one of the few delights of the restaurant. Its underground location and therefore the dungeon-like interior created a closed-in atmosphere which I didn't like.
Hard to imagine myself trekking all the way out to nowhere Midtown and visiting Phoenix Garden again, but there were just enough positives - s&p shrimp, BYO and Dan's birthday - to make it all worthwhile.
Don't be fooled by the cheesy decor. Phoenix Garden has good, authentic Cantonese food and it's in Midtown! What more could you ask for?
Recommended food -- The cantonese beef, roast chicken, salty shrimp and dou miu (snow pea leaves) are all favorites.
Not recommended food -- I wasn't impressed by their corn and chicken soup or their red bean dessert soup (too watery). I guess soup isn't their thing.
Delivery -- Their delivery is definitely not as good as when you eat there, so make a visit to truly experience the food.
I'd like to rate them lower for the lousy service, smallish portions, inexplicable attitude, the cash-only policy and the fact that white rice costs extra, but that would be unfair because Phoenix Garden probably does have the best authentic Cantonese food that you can get north of Houston Street, especially the seafood. Salt & Pepper shrimp is particularly great. Don't order any dish that is not Cantonese, as it is not very good -- unsurprisingly, since it's not really what they do.
If you're looking for a good casual Chinese restaurant in Midtown, I recommend this place. Their menu is pretty extensive; from Americanized favorites to more authentic fare. My favorite here are the salt and pepper flavored seafood dishes. It's very salty and goes great with beer. The best part, it's BYOB!
if you want to be treated like dirt, go to Phoenix Garden.
people at Phoenix Garden are soo nasty... why should you pay so much money to get pissed off by these people who think they are the best in NYC? Not just the owner, the waitresses and the whole restaurant.
What kind of food are you eating there anyway? The dishes are sooo small, why should I pay so much to eat Chinese-Take-Out like food??
I have been there many times for business reasons (that means we spend!). latest story is when my coworker, who is not Chinese, asked the waitress which duck dish does not have bones, it seemed like they had some problem communicating, so I was trying to help and understand what they were talking about. Somehow the waitress turned it into an argument and said "NO but that was not her question, her question was which duck dish does not have bones, xxxxxxxxx" ............... so over this, please go to Evergreen, people there are soooo much nicer. or better yet, go to Chinatown!! I like Joe Ginger (new version of Joe Shanghai), nice people, nice real Chinese food.
Doesn't look like anything special from the outside, but usually that could be a good thing. I had dinner there on a weeknight and it was packed, but we still got a table without much of a wait. The waiters/waitresses were running around like crazy, and it kept me anxious the whole time since we were seated in the middle of the room next to the aisle they made to sprint back and forth from the kitchen.
I'm a very simple orderer: aka no substitutions, no 'on the side' bullshit. My friend had a few requests, and the waitress actually gave her a hard time with it, which was kinda annoying. The sizzling beef with chilis and green onions was awesome, and even better as leftovers, as most chinese food is.
I'd definitely go back when I'm in the area - it's a no-nonsense type of place. Just make sure you know what you want or they may just run you over.
Great Chinese food.
The service and atmosphere leave much to be desired, but it's worth it for the food.
The salt and pepper prawns are a must.
I'm a huge fan of the Peking Duck as well.
I think Phoenix Garden has the best Peking duck in New York. The pork and shrimp dumplings can't be missed. BYOB policy is fabulous. Everything is very authentic Cantonese and really really tasty. I wouldn't quite consider this place a destination dinner spot, but if you're hungry and in the neighborhood it's perfect. Don't forget to bring cash though- they don't take credit cards and there isn't an ATM for a bunch of blocks around. Oh p.s. the delivery area is pretty small unfortunately.
Best Cantonese out of Chinatown.
OK, folks, this is a *Cantonese* restaurant. If you order Sichuan food here, well .... that just gives you another opportunity to prove that the idea of "Chinese" food is as silly as "European" food. Would you try to get sauerbraten at Babbo?
But it serves food you won't get other places, and it's *good*.
Jelly fish.
Oyster pork and tofu casserole
Duck with mustard greens
Order the stuff you don't see every day, and you'll get served food you don't eat every day.
i almost feel as if I should give them a bad review just to keep people away. My brother and I love to call this place home. The service can be very gruff but we have yet to have a bad experience. There are a few land mines you will find while ordering but some of our favs are baby snow pea leaves, salt n pepper shrimp, peking duck, all dumplings and chicken and black bean sauce is fantastic. Phoenix garden is BYO so t makes it a great place to go and do family style while bringing multiple different bottles.
OK - we literally live next door to this place, so we are not taking advantage of their great BYOB policy very often, just running the food upstairs and eating at home. Their decor is kind of non-existent, and the couple running the place does a good job of emulating the traditional NYC steak house style of service (the son is much friendlier). BUT, the food is absolutely wonderful. Crispy jelly fish, shrimp paste in hot peppers, salt and pepper squids, prawns in scrambled eggs, any duck you can lay your hands on, sauteed spinach, and the fried bean curd with crab meat casserole are all really good. And, while it is not on the menu, they will make a great chicken with broccoli. Given their rules: the nearest ATM is two blocks away, at 41st and 3rd; and the nearest liquor store is at 41st and 2nd.
Phoenix Garden's gaudy green awninged entrance belies a nice little cozy brick-exposed interior. Waiters and waitresses despite other reviews are good. I think they provide pretty decent if not overtly charming, falling all over themselves to please you service. Food is great and authentic albeit a bit greasy. The salt and pepper shrimp, the peppersteak beef and the pan friend noodles with beef are awesome. I'm sure your standby Chinese favs would be just as good. Portions are on the smaller side with a guy needing about 1 and a half orders to be full. Prices are great and best of all, it's BYOB.
This was recommended to me as a highly authentic cantonese restaurant, which is certainly is. Personally, I'm never a fan of 100% authentic asian food as it tends to leave me wanting more. However, there are some gems in the menu that are not to be missed.
I was surprised when first perusing the menu to not see my go-to chinese dishes, such as general tso's chicken. I was surprised to see a significant amount of seafood dishes, most notably shark fin. The waitress was extremely helpful and friendly and spent a good 5-10 minutes going through the menu with us and recommending the most popular dishes. Her two recommendations were a Crispy Shrimp with Salt (simply delicous) and a beef dish that came in a sizzling pot (what they call a casserole - this was the best dish we had by far). These two dishes were outstanding. We also ordered a shark fin soup, which at $12 for a small bowl left me wanting more. The shark fin and shrimp dumplings were excellent, both the contents and the dumpling itself, though they did not provide any sauce to dip in. We also had a noodle dish with chicken and a mixture of seafood (mostly squid and shrimp) that was tasy, but not for everyone. The portions vary from small to what you'd expect.
Beverages are BYOB. There is a Gristedes market on the corner of 2nd Avenue with a good chilled beer selection.
The decor of the restaurant is not attractive, though feels right. To quote my friends on the way out, "a good asian restaurant has to be a little dirty." They have two windows which for some reason they covered up decoratively. We arrived early and were the first seated, but by the end of our meal the restaurant was very busy and comforatable.
Definitely worth trying if you want authentic cantonese dishes, particularly with fresh seafood. Our total came to $30/person.
Its a small place with cramped seating arrangement, but the food is totally the opposite, the pepper and the salty shrimps is one dish you shouldnt miss. Service is efficient, waitress are good but they dont speak English, so its the owner who takes the order. Overall experience is excellent with regards to the food
If you've never been to Phoenix Garden, you are in for a real treat. This place serves the best authentic HK style Cantonese in NYC including Chinatown. The family-owned restaurant has been in business for over 30 years and prides itself on serving the best culinary delights for all patrons. Most notable are their seafood dishes, inclusing Pepper and Salty Shrimp, Crustaceans and fishes. Also their seasonal specialties such as oysters and soft-shell crab, young-leaves of sno-peas and baby bok choy are out of this world. Also notable are their minced squab with lettuce leaf cups and fillet of Chilean Sea Bass with Young Chives. The prices are very moderate, especially for the quality of the food. Also, if it's your first time dining their, they have a BYO policy. Leaving your order up to the staff is suggested as their menu is extensive and comprehensive study in traditional HK style Cantonese.
this was a great place my father took the family out to for a nice and authentic cantonese meal. really delicious crispy fried squid. a good place for a special occasion... true -- in spite of the cheesy ambience, for which i have a soft spot nonetheless.
pretty good cantonese food at very reasonable prices. the roast chicken is especially good - crispy-skinned & served with shrimp chips. staff is really nice and quite aggressive about clearing diners' plates and replacing them with clean ones. the other dishes (salt & pepper shrimp, steamed fish w/black bean sauce) were only ok. there's a ton of variety on the menu (a thick booklet that should really come with a table of contents), so i'll definitely be back to try more dishes!
Peking Duck Lunch Special
Neighborhood: Midtown East
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Neighborhood: Murray Hill
Category: Chinese
Neighborhood: Midtown East
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Midtown East
Category: Chinese
Neighborhood: Murray Hill
Category: Chinese
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