On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Category: Asian Fusion [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Flatiron, Union SquareUnion Square (4, 5, 6, L, N, Q, R, W)
14th St-6th Aves (F, V, L, 1, 2, 3)
14th Street (PATH)
"2008 edit: So I just ordered the lunch special (take-out) from here and I had to adjust my rating from 4 to 4.5 stars. This deal is…" read more »
Loading...
The noodles are always wonderful which ever you get. I ordered the crispy tofu which was very crispy with a sweet and spicy peanut sauce. My beau actually ate more than one bit of tofu, so you know it must be good. I usually get a really, why tofu.
I had the spicy chicken and he had the spicy beef. See a theme here? Both were good and enormous for about $10. The meat in the spicy beef was very good, and the broth was mediocre. My chicken was bland but the broth in the spicy chicken was spectacular.
The restaurant is loud and has bench seating. So if you are a couple the earlier you are there the less likely you are to sit with unknown new yorkers.
Never, Never, NEVER AGAIN! And here's why....
Really, everyone is always on the fence when we end up choosing Republic. It usually happens when people are too tired or unwilling to walk a few blocks for another option. It can be a toss up any time of day, any day of the week. The food will be decent but nothing remarkable. The drinks will be good, but small for the price. The one consistent thing will be the service; It will always suck.
And tonight was no exception. I think the designer of the restaurant concept should have considered the acoustics when deciding to overpack the tables in an awkward lunchroom configuration. Our server used this as an excuse to be colossally inappropriate and unprofessional. She (I think?) first argued about how to make a mojito, which was puzzling since all she needed to do was relay the order of something that was on the menu. While arguing she missed a dinner order.
That's right, she just plain never placed the order. One dinner came out and was delivered to the table. Then there was waiting....and more waiting...and more waiting. When she came back to eventually check on the table, the delivered dinner was beginning to chill. We asked her where the other was an she declared with complete certainty that we had only ordered one meal. When we repeated what had been ordered, she stated again that we had never ordered two dinners and rolled her eyes with the sort of "I can't believe these people, trying to eat and all" sort of attitude. At that point I told her to cut the crap with the faces and get us the rest of our dinner. She, of course, did not like this but frankly, if you screw up, own it, then fix it. Don't give us a headache from your further incompetence.
If she would have said "Sorry, I totally missed that" or "I apologize, I did not hear you, I will get that right now" it would have been fine. But the rest of the attitude was just too much. Maybe Republic pays their servers so much that they don't have to worry about customers tipping? Something tells me that's not the case....
This isn't a review I'd normally consider writing but the review average here is really just a bit too high to stay silent
There is only 1 good dish as as far as I can tell. It's the only thing I know people order take out from there, It's the only thing I ever get if I happen to end up there and it's the only thing a table of 6 guys next to me ordered the last time I was there, all 6 of them ordered the same entrée, this should tip you off, just get the pork chops with crushed rice, add hot sauce to taste.
Everything else is a huge disappointment.
I went here because it was close to the ever so bad Regal Cinemas so I figured it'd be a low key and casual place to grab something to eat before a movie. We got there around 6:00 on a Friday night and were seated promptly. Our waiter was attentive and quick. The food was just oooookay. It was basically an overpriced Chinatown restaurant. It wasn't terrible but it wasn't worth it. I would take the N/R train a couple of stops to Canal Street if you're thinking of eating here and don't want to feel ripped off.
One gripe I have with this place is that they really need to loosen up the purse strings and turn up the air conditioning. You are serving up piping hot noodle soup dishes at a restaurant with an open kitchen...COME ON!
I always see this place when I go to Union Square and have wanting to try it for a while.
It was a Friday night, so it was super-packed. We waited a good 30-minutes for a table. But we didn't our own table. This place has this weird seating style which I absolutely hated. They basically have this big table with benches and you sit with other people. It's hard for me describe, but just know it's horrible. When I go out, I want to sit next to the people I came with, not some random person.
The food is reasonably-priced, but mediocre and forgettable. The chicken pad thai was nothing special. The spicy coconut chicken noodle broth dish sounded so good, but the flavors didn't mesh well together and was a complete disaster.
I will not be going back and don't recommend this place to anyone.
We were visiting NY a few weeks back and we dined here. In fact, back when we were NYU students, we frequented this place quite a bit. The decor is modern, food was interesting, and price wasn't too expensive so it was one of our favorite date spots.
Well, it's been over 5 years since I left NYC and this was pretty much the first time we've been back since.
And I must say, there are things that I still like about it, new things I like about it, and things I am disappointed about it.
Back when we were living in NYC, we used to get coconut shrimp for starters, and I will get some type of noodle soup and my husband will get their bbq pork noodles (no soup). Their coconut shrimp was addictive, the coconut seemed thinly shredded like noodles and rolled around the shrimp instead of little bits of coconut stuck onto it. It was really interesting and the dipping sauce was tangy and delicious. We also liked their bbq pork noodles, and I usually liked my food there too.
This time, we went back there for late lunch/early dinner. The first thing I noticed was that they no longer had coconut shrimp. We were super disappointed about that. Why did they get rid of it? I have no clue...
Also I didn't really find things I craved on the menu... I was feeling sick, so I felt like I wanted noodle soup for sure... but nothing really stood out to me so I just picked the spicy noodle soup with duck because I like duck. Well, it came out, and the soup was actually pretty tasty, but the noodles were sub-par and there weren't too much in the bowl. For a place that is known for their variety of noodles, this was also a disappointment.
My pleasant surprise this time, however, was what my husband ordered. He got the bbq pork Vietnamese sandwich... and THAT was actually super good! In fact, I was jealous that I hadn't gotten that myself. So now, Republic sort of dropped out of my list of favorite noodle places in NYC but got on my list of favorite lunch places in NYC. But because I haven't been able to try anything else on the menu that jazzed me, I am giving this place 3 stars.... can't give more than that just for their sandwiches when there are only 3 kinds and they are not what this place is known for. Still, if I am back in town, I would crave for their sandwich for sure : )
Oh awful.
The service:
Worst experience I have had in a restaurant in a long time. They claimed they had to seat us at the community table because they were "taking out the trash." So we were ass to ankles at a community table, meanwhile, no trash to be found. When the trash was finally taken out, it was clear it would not have disturbed our eating. They wouldn't even let us sit at a table that was no where near the trash.
Anyhow, we order. 10 minutes after we were seated we were informed that the bar and kitchen would be closing (no mention of this as we were seated).
The food:
Do you like salt? or MSG? or super bland food? Then you are in luck. All of our dishes were nearly inedible. I was starving and tried. But ugh. Just so bad. The chicken in my dish was flavorless and disgusting. I got the coconut chicken and it was just a salty mess. For this place to call itself a noodle bar is a joke. The noodles were overcooked and flavorless.
I was angry leaving this restaurant. It is taking up seriously great real estate. It should be amazing. Instead it is crap. Do yourself a favor and walk over to Qi (14th btwn 5&6). Amazing food, no attitude from the wait staff, great prices. http://www.yelp.com/bi...
In the evenings, Republic looks like it's a classy joint with its sleek physique. The restaurant's clean lines, long bar, and gloss concrete floor lead you to initially believe that you're at a mid-range price sort of place (aka normal New York dinner prices). But once you're inside and seated at the wooden community benches, you realize that the lights aren't dim enough for it to be intimately classy. Instead, it's more of an Asian cafeteria classy.
It's nice to see some low prices on the Republic menu - but it means that you get what you pay for. I had the beef noodles and the spicy duck soup noodles - and while both were pretty good, they weren't fantastic. They were sort of a strange fusion - not a better-than-you-would-expect kind of fusion. Apparently two rights (like beef skewers and lettuce wraps) don't always make a dynamic concoction. I would order the beef again, but only if I had to go to Republic because a friend really wanted to go there. And the only reason I would legitimately accept to go back is to have cocktails there. And the only cocktail I would order would be the lychee one.
Sorry...although I may be Asian, I am not united with the Republic on this one.
Despite a trendy atmosphere and reasonable food, this place seems to fall prey to the basic pitfalls of the New York dining "too cool for you" attitude without the culinary prowess to warrant it.
Since I've only been here for lunch, please take into account that this refers to the lunch experience. I'm sure that this place is much more pretentious during dinner. Republic fails based on the following analysis: a) price/quality/portion analysis; b) atmosphere; c) service.
For any luncheon dining experience, you should think of it according to a triangle, where each line is represents price, quality, and portion. You can really only get a substantial benefit from two sides. If you have reasonable price with a good portion, you'll be suffering on quality. If you want quality and a good price, you'll end up with a small portion. Here, they pretty much fail based on price, portion, and quality. Overall, the food is ok, and nothing worth trying again. It is not cheap, at about 10-12 per person for LUNCH, and the entire table felt a bit unsatisfied. Epic fail on this important factor. However, they have a curry duck noodle dish worth trying.
The atmosphere is very trendy, and I'm sure that's what I'm paying for. Still, uncomfortable chairs will only be worth it when you have the food to back it up. Imagine eating in the most stylish cafeteria ever. Food will be about the same quality.
The service always appears to be way to busy to talk to me, which explains why soups and noodles come out at room temperature. It's always great to see a congealed film on a curry sauce. They'll seat you with great disdain, and any hint of congeniality will disappear as soon as you ask them to make an extra effort.
Not recommended, but give it a try for a few gems on the menu, like the curry duck noodle dish. Republic, I'll let Momofuku be rude and hipster to me any day of the week, but you're just not worth it.
It's extremely loud in here all the time, so I highly discourage going here for a date cause you'll barely be able to hear each other.
The food is not so great. Portions are way too big and the seasoning is never just right. Staff is okay, not so friendly but not completely rude. I would give it two stars, but I absolutely adore their coconut sorbet. Frigging amazing.
Yummy! This is my favorite "cheap eat" in Union Square. However, the cafeteria style seating and overwhelming noise level is a bit irritating.
You have to yell across the table for anyone to hear you. It's actually a lot more comfortable to eat in the bar area. My ultimate favorite is the fried wontons! I've tried the broth noodle entrees which are perfect if you're in the mood for something light. However, my favorite entree is the Grilled Beef. The service here is usually very fast and is always friendly.
I stopped here while in Union Square, and I probably should have gone elsewhere.
It is painfully loud inside - something I would expect at a club, but not at a restaurant. And it wasn't just patrons - that would have been acceptable. For some reason, they played nothing but Red Hot Chili Peppers the entire time I was there. No other artists - just the Chili Peppers. And they played them super loud.
The food was largely uninspired and bland, though the friend that I was dining with raved about their black sesame ice cream.
So if you go, go for the ice cream. Maybe as a random dessert.
This is one of those places that is always really busy but somehow they always have a seat for you. Also seems like almost all of the dishes are around $10. It's quick, tasty and a very convenient location. The menu is not your typical Thai menu but I suppose more of a mix between Thai and Noodle shop. Go here if you're in the neighborhood and in the mood for a quick, tasty meal.
Two things to note:
1. Their drinks are pretty pricey
2. Their seating is a bench seating so you end up sitting at the same table with other folks - which sounds annoying but there is enough space between the two where it's not overly bothersome.
I love grabbing a quick bite here before a movie at the union square theater. Republic is a decent noodle shop.
I'm not a vegetarian, but I prefer their veggie dishes. I love the crispy tofu, and green papaya salad. The pad thai is awful. If you're a meat eater, I would recommend the sauteed beef noodle salad (the use of mint and peanut blends beautifully), and the curried duck noodles. The black sesame ice cream is pretty damn awesome!
I would go for apps and drinks. The waiters are rude, and you'll wait a while if you order meals, but they have a great drink menu. My favorite cocktails they serve are the blood orange mojito (I love mint), the harvest sangria (which isn't as sweet as it looks), and the Ohkagura sake.
I am not a huge fan of this place, but it serves its purpose. The food was pretty good, and the bartender knows what he's doing. I don't expect much from a noodle shop located in the middle of union square.
i've been taken here by two different guys on two separate days. two consecutive first dates. both times, i've asked them what i should order, and both times, they've told me the spicy duck noodle soup. i can't tell you how disappointed i was on the second date, when again, i was told i "should" get the spicy duck noodle soup.
me: really? is it really good?
him: yeah, it's really good
me: are you getting it too?
him: no, i think i'll get something else.
cruel person or awful taste? who knows.
needless to say, there was never a second date with either of these guys.. bc someone who takes me to a place on a first date (impress me demmit!) where i absolutely hate the food does not a stand a chance.
Minus 1 star for the unbearable noise level, and unremitting feeling that the waitstaff wants you to a) pick your food in under 30 secs, and b) shovel your food in as fast as possible like an animal.
Minus 2 star for the lackluster food -- the pad thai is flavorless, bland, and the seafood was obviously frozen. Pad thai needs to have a punch of lime, peanuts, and rich noodle flavor. This possessed none of these qualities. Their veggie banh mi sandwiches are actually pretty tasty, but the sides are drenched in vinegary sauces and are lackluster. And 10 bucks for a veggie banh mi sandwich and tiny salad is absurd. The chicken curry lemongrass soup is inedible after a few sips because the acidity and bitterness of the lemongrass becomes overwhelming.
There are so many other decent restaurants in the area, and even better/cheaper Americanized Asian food down the block at Saigon Grill. So don't waste your time or money here.
I'm giving this place an extra star, just for being a decent place in Union Square.
The decor is cool- fairly original, and the service was impeccable when I went before the Sherman Alexie reading at B&N- we were seated right away, our glasses were never left a drop under full, and our food came in about 5 seconds flat.
I had the coconut chicken soup ($12, on the more expensive end of the menu). The dishes were huge and took forever to eat, but it was seriously delicious. I think I liked the boyfriend's spicy beef better, but only because I go sick of the coconut flavor eventually (I mean, the bowl was never-ending)
Overall it's a solid spot!
So I stumbled on this place for a homies going away party and went back 4 times in the next few weeks that followed. Everything I've had and my homie has had has been delicious. We don't eat pork, but the curried duck rocks, their beef rocks, and even their sandwiches. They have this kemchi juice that is so refreshing, it's like taking a dip in the waters of Lake Winatonka.
It's very spacious, cafeteria style eating so u may not know ur neighbor, but reasonably priced and just good. Somewhat surprising to b smack dabbed n Union Square.
Me and my friend went here on a Friday evening. The restaurant is long not wide, and the first tables come almost up to the door. To your left is the bar, which while large was over-flowing with people. Not unusual on a Friday, but the door to the kitchen is also located in-between the extra long bar, so guests have to try to keep clear the already tight space (impossible).
We were told the wait was 10 minutes, and after 20 we were seated at one of many communal tables towards the back. The noise level was very high, it was difficult to hear each other. They have these ridiculous wall sized pictures of people wearing noodles throughout the building.
I have never seen a menu like this one. Not very many noodle dishes at all. I asked if they had any flat noodles in any of their dishes, the waitress told me no. So I stuck to apps: fried calamari and mini dumplings.
Worst Asian food I've ever had. The calamari was edible but I couldn't even eat the dumplings. My friend had salmon with rice, the rice was good but I spit out the salmon. The best part of the whole service was how often our waters were re-filled; I really needed something to wash the taste of the food out.
4 for food and style, 2 for comfort and decibels. But if you're into noodles, it's a winner. I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here, but it's a perfect pitstop in the 'hood, and a must-try for noodle fans.
My uncle has traveled all over the world and for whatever reason, he loves this place. He treated me and La Novia to dinner here. It was pretty tasty. I can honestly say I liked it.
This is an Asian fusion place, which is more of a group starting point type restaurant, especially if you plan to hang out in Union Square, than it is a date place. Seriously, don't take a date here. They have picnic bench style seating.
The best way to go is order an array of dishes and drinks. It's not too pricey and some of the dishes are stellar. It all depends on what you order.
The calamari was deep fried, delicious, and had a unique sweet and spicy sauce that made it better. In addition, the glass noodles were tasty and the pad thai was awesome.
Some of the other dishes we had were not quite up to par with everything else, but nothing tasted bad.
The service was stellar. It was quick and for as many things as they brought out to us, they did not make a single mistake. They aren't particularly personable, but we came during a mega dinner rush, so I didn't expect them to be. But in the end, they did rock.
All in all, a good time and a great way to soak up some of the alcohol I consumed earlier in the evening.
By the way, I bought a $3 rubber ducky here for La Novia. I am not sure why they were selling them, but I bought one.
Yes, I spoil her very much.
The service here leaves much to be desired and the food is pretty much on par with the big Shenanigan's style restaurants straddling Union Square. The saving grace is that if you order right, you can actually enjoy a pretty decent meal here. Of course, I ordered the most boring dish the first time I went here, Pad Thai, and it was predictably boring. That's not the best measure of quality. The curried duck noodles though, that's some gooood flavor. And prepare to either have leftovers or come hungry because the noodle plates are Middle America hefty.
What brings down the score? Every time I go there the servers are rude, inflexible and general do not give a crap about their jobs. The worst was when I went with a group of five for dinner on what must have been a very off night because it was so empty. Instead of seating us at a 6 top table they stuck us in a mini 4 top and stuck a chair on the end. Clearly this scenario was not meant to be as there was no room for the end person's legs to go. When I tried to change the table, gesturing to the many empty ones in the cavernous space, the hostess literally told me I was free to leave if I was uncomfortable. Yeah.
Unfortunately it was a high school reunion thing so I didn't want to make a scene but SERIOUSLY?! ugh. Now I want to lower my rating after reliving that experience mentally but I won't because those noodles are good and that one rude hostess will get her karma handed to her one day.
This is a decent noodle place that has some good going for it and some not-so-good against it. The good: decent food at decent prices that's served quickly. The bad: usually packed, nothing outrageously tasty, and overpriced drinks. The communal tables aren't such a big deal for me, but I know a few other people have problems with personal space.
FOOD: Noodles, soups, pan-asian stuff. Decent.
BEER/DRINK SELECTION: Meh. Nothing to write home about.
SERVICE: Prompt, but not particularly attentive.
I like this place much more for lunch than for dinner and would give an extra star for it at that time. Their specials are nice, and the place isn't quite so noisy or jammed. Check it out if you're in the area and are interested in something quick and low-stress.
Cheap yummy slightly-over-salted food served by slightly-brusque aspiring-actor-waiters.
I remember the very first time I came to Republic, I was probably about 14 and my big sister took me here for lunch. I even remember what I ordered, it was the lemongrass chicken with black rice.
Since then I have gone here way too many times; and after each experience here I have to question myself, "Why the heck do I keep coming here?"
The place reminds me of a rowdy cafeteria when its too busy, its way loud, and the seating in the back is styled like a picnic/ cafeteria style table, so that you may be sharing a table with people you don't know. Although I will admit that they don't sit too many people at one table so they never get too crowded which is nice.
I'm a vegetarian, and honestly the vegetarian options are pretty meager, their pad thai is okay, nothing impressive, and every time I try and ask the waiter if I can have some tofu in my pad thai, they explain I need to then order the tofu separately for an extra $5. Lame.
So the next time I went I tried the Japanese Eggplant, "Okay" I thought "I like eggplants"
Meanwhile I spent the rest of the dinner trying to wrap my mind around the small grilled eggplant that was quickly sogging on my plate, while I simultaneously tried to hail down a waiter/ waitress/ busboy, because it didn't come with any rice (yep and it was extra)
Went again, this time I ordered the Vietnamese Vegetable Noodles, I was adamant to try something new that I would like at this place, turns out it tasted a lot like pad thai, but with some bland grilled tofu this time lining the edges of my plate (guess I finally got what I wanted).
Pros: Their calamari is actually pretty good, although I'm not to fond of the sweet sauce they come with.
Also I've heard that the broth noodles are really good, and that the curried duck noodles are awesome.
Will I come back? Yea it's really convenient and the service is quick and (mostly) reliable; I guess I'll just have to keep combing the menu until I find something to actually find a reason to enjoy coming back.
I actually like the food here. Especially the glass noodles. Its a very refreshing dish that has tons of vegetables in it, giving it many dimensions of flavors and textures. The pork chops here are tasty as well.
However, why only 3 stars? Like others have said, the service, while not terrible, could be better. The place is noisy and dim with long cafeteria style tables, really yuppie cool... but not that enticing to someone like me. The biggest kicker is that it is pricey for this type of food. I'd rather head over to Chinatown and get equal or greater quality viet or thai food.
If you're feeling Asian and around the area, then sure Republic is fine. If you're feeling Asian and don't mind traveling a little, then please, head down 1 stop on the NR and get off Canal St.
Republic...
Republic is one of those places that one can have a love / hate relationship with.
For starters, the immense hoards of NYU students and post work cocktail hour patrons engulf this establishment to a point which wait time averages 30 minutes on any given moment. Of course, if ones toleration of such patience can be embraced with sudden bouts of day dreaming, then the wait itself is a slighted price to pay to sample the offerings.
There's a general set of guidelines when attending Republic for dining purposes.
1) Check in with hostess
2) Be prepared to wait
3) Head to the bar and order cocktails (yes plural, it's going to be a long wait)
4) Be seated at one of the picnic themed tables with other dining patrons. Believe me, there's no seclusion or privacy
5) View menu items and visually interpret the described plates
6) Ask neighbors what they ordered and see if it's appetizing
7) Please note... No substitutions or alterations to pre-set menu items
8) Eat with unadulterated rapidity
9) Ask for check
10) Leave
Simply put, Republic is one of those establishments where you're in for the food. The conversational aspect is left mostly in the front bar area.
A few items sampled at Republic.
Satay Beef Skewers: Beef, Coriander, Chili, Sesame Seeds, Scallions, & Peanut Sauce - The most recognizable and easily related to appetizer on the menu is Republic's Satay Beef Skewers. From first tasting, patrons will find that the succulent marbling of the beef to be perfectly comparable to the marinade base. The slight use of various toppings such as Scallions and Chili allows for the natural meatiness to permeate in the application. Patrons will also find the level of spiciness in the application to be welcoming. If the heat is slightly excessive, the creamy peanut butter sauce will help subdue the abrasive heat.
Seafood Pad Thai: Rice Noodles, Bean Sprouts, Egg, Peanuts, Scallions - Personally, I hate vegetables with Pad Thai. The water properties of the Bean Sprouts & Scallions added to the application produce a liquidity rendering that dilutes the entrancing sauce used to bind the application. Of course, like the rule mentions, no substitutions / omissions. Upon consuming the Seafood Pad Thai, the Bean Sprouts did exactly as expected. What was supposed to be a luscious array of tangy palate captivating abundance became a subdued and tamed flavor profile. With each additional bite, patrons will discover that the water renderings of the Bean Sprouts to distort the heartiness of the dish. Ultimately, the flavor profile is subdued, lacking the potency that's known for this dish. Although the dish itself was still consumable, it lacked the ability to embrace the fervor for which this dish is accustomed.
Not a bad local for those seeking a quick fix meal. Republic offers patrons an establishment with favorably priced drinks and good food to match.
Of course, I'll be sure to avoid ordering Pad Thai during future visitations.
Unfortunately, one of the few affordable food alternatives on Union Square. The acoustics are horrible - very noisy. The noodles are a bit bland and too heavy on the vegetables.
This place is pretty mediocre. The vegetarian items on the menu are mostly boring and not very filling. What's the point in having a noodle shop if you can't make vegetarian pad thai or glass noodles?
Bottom line: mediocre food, overpriced, poor service.
I've eaten here a few times. A couple times back in back in 2001, and I had vowed to myself never to go back after having some of the worst "Asian" food in my life. Then I returned a couple years ago at the insistence of a friend who wanted to try the place, I figured, hey, if it's still around, maybe the food got better? WRONG!
Why is Republic so crowded when every person that I know that has eaten there agrees that the food is disgusting? Are they NYU students? Tourists who don't know better? Folks who are missing tastebuds from an unfortunate accident? It's a mystery.
What they serve at Republic is an exceptionally poor interpretation of SE Asian cuisine. Nothing that I've had here tastes as good as the dishes they're supposedly "inspired" by. Your Thai/Vietnamese/Lao/Cambodian/Malay/Indonesian grandma would be severely disappointed.
The food can fall into two categories: bland or inedible and by all means avoid anything involving raw fish in this place (even if the noodle dishes are bland, you probably won't get sick from them).
If you really can't drag yourself a few subway stops down to Chinatown, you're better off spending your money with take-out sushi from Ennju, or better yet, at Laut around the corner. I'd even rather go to McDonalds next door.
Very tasty and simple noodle/asian fusion joint. Space is large, but can get overly crowded unless you are there for lunch. I usually stop by there whenever I'm shopping at the Farmer's Market at Union Square. Drinks aren't bad, but nothing special. The food on the other hand is surprisingly good considering the price and portion size. Recommended!
In my weekend-long Labor Day glutton fest, my friend and I happened on Republic ... tummies a rumblin' and all. It was absolutely beautiful out, so we grabbed a seat to people-watch and chow down. We started off with glasses of Thai Iced Tea and Iced Coffee. Both had a nice, strong color but didn't taste very strong or typical of either drinks.
We decided to skip over apps and quickly moved on to entrees: spicy duck broth noodles (rice vermicelli, shredded duck, curry, coconut milk, and bean sprouts), and the Vietnamese sandwich with grilled beef (with julienne onions, carrots, shredded lettuce and a slice of cucumber) and a side of vegetarian bun thit-style noodle salad. The spicy duck broth noodles were very flavorful with a subtle kick. The sandwich was delicious enough for me to inhale within minutes. The side noodle salad needed a stronger fish sauce dressing--I ended up "borrowing" the spicy duck broth to flavor the salad. Overall, the food itself was not bad.
Dining al fresco is always great, especially in September AND in New York City.
Pretty sad is all I can say. Republic used to be good but it seems like they just don't care anymore. I ordered the Seafood Pad Thai and the first bite I took was promptly returned to my napkin and I asked for a replacement. They asked why and I told them the Calamari tasted bad, maybe frozen, maybe not kept cold but bad, very bad. They took it back with no problem and brought me a menu so I tried the Grilled Beef which was actually quite good as were the vegetables, but I have to wonder why they would put plain rice noodles on the side (completely flavorless unless u drop them in the overly vinegar sauce that comes with the Beef. The service was good, no complaints there. Water was promptly refilled, our order was taken promptly and help was there when u needed it. I see there are a lot of complaints about the seating, noise level, and dated decor but these things never used to matter so much when the food was good but I fear they are on their way out unless something changes in a big way.
I was in New York for the weekend with my sister and some friends when we decided to pass up going to Spice for Republic. As soon as we walked in we were greeted by loud club music that made it really hard to hear.
When we were seated we were given some water and that was it. We ended up sitting at our table for about 10-15mins without a server stopping by and getting our orders. When my sister finally went up to tell the host we haven't been waited on, it was apparent that the server that was notified wasn't really our server.
I was so frustrated and hungry I just sat there and drank my water. I was never offered another drink choice or even dessert (my favorite part of a meal). While the food was good the service SUCKED....
That is one resturant I don't plan on going to again.
Eeeh...
There's really nothing to rave about. The food is so-so. I've had the pad thai which lacked that special "kick" even when I asked for it be spicy, but it wasn't bad per se, and their pork with rice and that was pretty good, but again, nothing amazing. Overall, I guess go to say you've been, but you should fully expect to walk out with a pretty bland experience.
Who would wait nearly an hour for noodles?
Well, that's what I did. Guests had just flown in from London and they demanded noodles. We set up at the bar for six dollar beers while we waited for cafeteria-style seating and restaurant-style prices. I hadn't seen my friends in nearly a year, but I couldn't hear a word they said above the drone of hundreds of Union Square refugees. I asked the Londoners several times if they wanted to go somewhere else that was quieter, but...I don't think they could hear me. The noise and rush was on par with Port Authority. I'm fine with bustle and noise; I just don't expect to pay $10- $12 for noodles on a bench.
If you like being subjected to the conversations of others while sitting in at the cafeteria-style tables and eating mediocre Asian noodle dishes, than this is the place for you.
The music is loud, the prices are high (for what you get), and the food is shopping mall caliber.
If you have a hankering for some quick Asian fusion, get the Asian salad from the Mc Donald's next door. Its nearly as good and 1/3 the price.
I've been to this place twice now and the first time, I vowed never to go back, but to my chagrin, a new friend surprised with dinner at this place. LOL. The first time, I had a hard time ingesting the food. I had ordered some soup/noodle dish and it was just nasty. Now this second time around, I made sure not to order a soup dish. I ordered a cold Vietnamese bbq pork and noodle dish ( I forgot its name). It was okay. While I was eating it, all I could think about was how I could have had better food in Chinatown at better prices.
The ambience is hip and cool (wide open industrial looking space, high ceilings, dark with candlit tables) and for having an open kitchen (we sat at the bar in front of the kitchen), I do give it props for having great ventilation. However, the entree food is not really up to par. I do give credit to the appetizers. They were pretty good. We had ordered the salmon sashimi, and it was pretty fresh and flavorful.
Overall, I would not suggest going to this place. It is not worth it. If you want good Asian food, go to Chinatown. Don't get it here for these prices.
Get the seared marinated salmon!!! The curry rice is delicious. Get it.
That's the only dish I ever order, and I love love love it, so I have nothing else to say about any of there other entrees. They have a nice selection of Asian-inspired drinks and the restaurant had a hip yet casual vibe.
I think that Republic is communist-inspired. I mean, the seating is cafeteria style, where you have sit with other people at tables that look the same. Like in a reeducation camp. And their logo is a red star. C'mon, doesn't that scream commie?? LOL. I don't mean to be insulting; I'm just calling it out.
I do love this restaurant for a casual lunch or dinner, and the location is perfect.
This place is good. Nothing to write home about though. I definitely would favor their soups over their entrees.
Have come here about 4 times now and had the wonton and tomato beef soups and the spicy curry duck noodles. The wonton is ok but if I wanted a fresh plant in the middle of my wonton, I wouldn't have ordered wonton. Go to New Wonton Garden instead. The tomato beef is the best thing I've had there. The duck noodles...MEH to the max. I kinda had to lie to my friend who took me there just to have these noodles because it was unimpressive. But hey someone thought it was good.
Asia Roma Summer Specials
Neighborhood: Chinatown
Restaurant Week until Labor…
Neighborhood: Murray Hill
Neighborhood: Flatiron
Category: American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: Flatiron
Category: Cuban
Neighborhood: Union Square
Category: Vietnamese
Neighborhood: Flatiron
Category: Asian Fusion
Neighborhood: Flatiron
Category: American (Traditional)
places that suck...but are sometimes avoidable…
New York City can be done on a budget or can…
Sprued? Can't eat wheat? Check out these gluten…
where i eat, work, hang out, make copies, read,…
Restaurants that I would like to frequent, but I'm…
represent'n. I can't live without my Asian…
After working on E 23rd for 3 yrs, I have a lot to…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
