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QI
Rating Details »
Category: Asian Fusion
Neighborhood: Flatiron31 West 14th St.
(between 5th Ave & Avenue Of The Americas)
Manhattan, NY 10011
(212) 929-9917
- Nearest Transit:
-
14th St-6th Aves (F, V, L, 1, 2, 3)
14th Street (PATH)
Union Square (4, 5, 6, L, N, Q, R, W)
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
11 reviews for QI
After enjoying a fabulous mani-pedi and massage I was starving and heading to my usual diner nearby when this cool lounge music and smoky glassed mysterious restaurant caught my eye. It lured me in after spying the 'everyday' lunch special. That's a new one to me. Usually lunch specials are Monday thru Friday but these folks are smart I think. "They want me to eat here, don't they?" Well I made my way through the double doors and leather curtain and stepped into this serene smartly appointed dining hall. I've never seen seating like this but the intimacy intrigued me.
"Table for one please." I was seated next to a group of four women all of whom I eventually find out are visiting from Thailand and are raving about the food. So I say to myself. "Girl, you are in the right place!" So I love all things Spanish cuisine but I am now all things Spanish and all things Asian fusion thanks to this place. Great quick table service. I had an amazing beef soup with rice noodle bok choy and the a light broth seasoned with lemongrass and other herbs. I started with the Corn Dumplings. They were wonderful and a great light starter. For $1.50 more I got the Thai iced tea (luckily I had my Lactaid on me). I can not wait to go back.
As a matter of fact I am this week. I am going to be a menu expert. I love the music they play.
Pronounced "key".
I first posted this review on October 24th under "Qi Asian Eatery": its full name. I since noticed the reviews are here, so here is mine. Since that time, we have eaten here for lunch and dinner over a dozen times. Guess what, it's still supurb!
This place opened a couple of weeks ago in a block formerly populated by Union offices and check cashing places. I couldn't be more delighted.
A simple, elegant black glass facade beckons you to read the menu and, when you do, you will realize it is basically a Thai restaurant and may dismiss it since we are virtually surrounded by them. Well, don't!
QI touts itself as a Taoist macrobiotic and Hindu Ayurseda restaurant dedicated to creating a new way of healthy eating. Sounds kinda heady to me. But wait. The similarity to a health food palace ends there.
We ambled in last night just "for the hell of it". What we found was beautifully presented food literally exploding with the flavors of curry, coconut milk and aromatic, exotic Asian spices.
When you walk in, you cannot help but be overwhelmed by the high ceilinged room with many model sailing ships hanging from the ceiling, an array of tables that look communal and seats that are giant "cubes". The marble and the Asian art on the second level down, visible through a glass cube in the center of the space will impress you. A lot of thought went into this decor.....thankfully, into the food too.
There are the usual sounding spring rolls, noodles and differently hued curries. They may sound familiar, but the blast of flavors will astound you.
We started with the dumpling soup which contained three good sized Thai dumplings, cellophane noodles and assorted greens and a special jolt of flavor from the fresh cilantro sprigs. But be ready to eat the cellophane noodles with your chopsticks or fork. You can't get them to stay on your spoon. It was delicious, as were the four spring rolls that are presented in a strainer scoop, sitting in a wonderfully sweet and sour sauce.
We ordered the Singapore rice noodles with chicken (there are other options too). They were delicately seasoned with a mild yellow curry that was full of flavor and chicken slices. Our curry selection was red curry with chicken and was incredibly rich and mildly hot. No asbestos mouth needed here. Together, the two items were wonderful. They Will be happy to alter the spices for your taste, from mild to woo, woo, call 911 (the way I like it).
They have a lunch special that starts at $6.99 and goes all the way up to (gasp) $7.99, depending on your protein choice.
While they await the eagerly anticipated arrival of their full liquor license, They have a BYOB policy with no corkage fee (would that other places would do this very "Philadelphia" thing and cut it with the freaking corkage fees).
The rest room is a one-at-a-time religious experience with a museum quality Asian statue and a waterfall sink that is a giant urn. But, this place is big and really needs at least one more restroom.
It is very vegan friendly, as is the usual for Asian cuisine. We who lived on 14th St for 26 years and have seen the front-less junk stores and drug trade gradually disappear, welcome QI as a neighbor in this ever improving community. May you survive and prosper.
And, read my lips: "We'll be back"!
PS: Four stars is usually my highest rating for a place. This is one of the few establishments I will give five stars. Partially because I could find very few negatives here and partially to encourage quality places with great service and a fair price line to come to live here with us. Don't just sit there...GO!
I was in charge of choosing a restaurant for dinner with a friend who had just twisted her ankle. We couldn't stray too far from 14th. There aren't too many options on 14th. I was pretty sure we would end up at Taco Bell. Luckily (thanks to you fine folks) I found Qi.
I can't even begin to understand this place.
The atmosphere is great (a terrific date spot), with strange decor and lots of weird things to look at. The little stools you sit on aren't the most comfortable, but read on, and you'll see why it doesn't matter.
Because of how nice and interesting Qi looks, it's amazing that it costs as little as it does. How is it even possible? How can they do it? Was Qi opened by a philanthropic multi-billionaire who just wants to bring good food to people like me, who usually can't afford it? Must be. Has to be. There's no other explanation.
And, for how little you pay, you are loaded up with food. I ordered the Pad Thai, which is boring, I know, but it's a good test dish. It was tasty. Not only did I leave the place stuffed, I also left with enough food that I ate it today for lunch, and STILL had some left over. Unreal!
The Thai Iced Tea was delicious, but it was served in a very tall glass, which embarrassed me.
As others have noted, the staff is excellent. We were checked on just enough, but not too much, and each person I encountered was smiling and friendly. I admire this, because I know that I wouldn't be able to to it, and I appreciate that.
I'm glad to add another great, cheap restaurant to my brain bank.
OH HERRO EVERYDAY $6.90 LUNCH SPECIAL!
Ok, so it's sort of in a ghetto part of 14th St. (I should know; I live across the street...), next to a Popeye's, a Wigs and Plus, and a lot of hobos, but this place is a gem. First off, the decor is really cool, modern, and Asian. Very clean, well lit, and streamlined.
The waitstaff are all trendy mid 20-something Asians (I think most are actually Thai), and they're quick and nice. Cool uniforms too: the girls wear shirts that make them look like their whole bodies are covered in tattoos.
The food was really tasty too. The lunch special comes with an appetizer, so I got the shrimp and chicken dumplings (basically shu mai with some soy/chili/vinegar sauce). Sort of a small serving (4 small dumplings), but worth it for the price. For my entree, I got the spicy basil chicken, which came with rice. Nice sized portion, very flavorful, and just spicy enough. My friend got the yellow curry with chicken. It was creamy and spicy and yummmmy.
I'm definitely coming back! This place would be really fun for drinks and dinner at night, and their regular prices were reasonable too. SICK!
The space is cool and modern with amazing sailing ship models hanging from the ceiling and a border of red abacus above the mirrors which circle the room. The tables are long, communal style, and the small ottoman like stools are surprisingly comfy. The food is fantasic - fresh flavors, perfect spices- all delicious. My one issue was the music, often too loud to have a good conversation over - and a little too frenetic to really relax. Otherwise a fab meal and I will defintely come back to try many, many, more things on the vast, interesting menu.
Unmarked door, small sign leading to a new Asian fusion restaurant on 14th. St. between 5-6th. Ave.
Billed as a teahouse/Asian eatery, this spot is fashioned somewhat after Republic with long tables(communal) and individual pullout chairs(not the optimal in comfort).
Beautifully, modern decoration with abacus's at the perimeter.
Shrimp penang with corn dumplings were $7.90 for the lunch special. Fresh, soft dumplings and killa curry with big shrimp will make this a repeat destination for lunch. Lots of tea choices too. Forgot to mention- INCREDIBLE Bathroom with big buddah staring at you, unfortunately only one unmarked door leading to the bathroom causes some confusion among diners.
Qi is my dream restaurant, but will not stay that way for long.
- unique and interesting decor
- cheap, cheap prices
- asian fusion menu with tons of variety
- the food was delicious
-byob
-awesome attentive waitstaff
something has to give. this is new york! you cant be trendy and cheap and awesome. *sigh*, but I love it for now!!
Lot's of high notes on the taste buds!
Shout out to Franny A. -who peaked my interest for a new Asian fare/teahouse. Could this place fill my longing void of the late Tong Thai Brasserie? Read on...
Curious and took a gamble we decided to check out lunch: Offered everyday --Everyday? Sat+Sun too?? *nice*
But ohhh it's minutes to 3:30pm... let's see if they'll seat us... Cool we're in! Without naming the other empires... I inquired if they are linked to any Thai restaurants? Our waiter said "Well, sort of... the same family of Room Service --but different". Okay, good to know. I explained how I'm Vietnamese and always looking for "the real taste" of SE Asia (pungent -funkiness) so let see...
Apps:
Chicken Tom Yum -mushrooms good, chicken was dry, broth on the sweet side. I prefer it on the sour side... will skip this and order the spring rolls next time.
Chive, corn dumplings -flavorful! Bright green parcels atop a tart, sweet, vinegary pool. Very happy -more please?
Sandwich:
Honey BBQ Grilled Pork (rec'd by waiter) -gorgeous morsels of browned/fatty pork nettled along, cucumbers, onions, carrots and cilantro. Funny, upon the first bite... I couldn't help but to think... was this was suppose to be from Vietnam? But it's missing a key flavor? Tasty but just not exactly sure. Our waiter asked "how is it?" Flattered, that they wanted my opinion to their Banh Mi. I said it needed a kick in the spice department -perhaps.
Spicy Beef Basil Noodles -Beige in color but satisfy's my comfort food needs... Great one! (just watch out for the tiny chilies)
Add $1.50 and you can choose Chicken Tom Yum or Thai tea (thumbs up!)
While Qi doesn't replace TB all the way... I am eager to visit, meditate, veg out over their premium teas:-)
Down note: A tad cold -large slate walls.
Up note: Style forward with a touch of SE Asia. Check out the photos.
Very Nice place where a friendly staff serves asian (mainly Thai) food. The settings, and presentation is top notch. The food is good enough. The lounge music adds up to create a nice evening.
You can't fail with the $6.90 lunch special! Food was delicious, staff are very trendy and awesome decor, will definitely become a regular.
Finally a nice, affordable thai spot on lackluster strip of 14th street. Great ambiance, good affordable food, and excellent service. What more can you ask for? The menu has all of the typical offerings (pad thai, ginger chicken) as well as some unexpected fare (the dosas are a welcome treat). I hope this place inspires other restauranteurs to check out this area.
