- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Yeah Shang Hai Deluxe Corp - CLOSED
Category: Restaurants Chinese Chinese [Edit]
65 Bayard St(between Elizabeth St & Mott St)
New York, NY 10013
Neighborhood: Chinatown
(212) 566-4884
- Nearest Transit:
-
Canal St (J, N, Q, Z)
Canal St (4, 6, 6X)
Chambers St (J, Z)
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
57 reviews for Yeah Shang Hai Deluxe Corp
Review Highlights
"...since you are next to Chinatown Ice Cream Factory."
(in 6 reviews)
"Soup dumplings were solid contenders."
(in 28 reviews)
"...lunch spot with excellent xiao long bao (soup dumplings."
(in 7 reviews)
Loading...
57 reviews in English
-
Review from Elaine K.
New York, NY
7/20/2010
We came here the other night as recommended by a website that showed kid friendly restaurants in NYC. At least I think we came here (it was the same address) but I believe it was called something else. And there is a restaurant on the corner of Mott and Bayard that is also owned by the same people. Anyway...
When you look from the outside, it almost looks like a take out only place. Once inside, you walk to the back across a little bridge to a decent sized dining area. We had a group of 7 people which included 3 children. It wasn't busy at all on a Sunday evening at 6pm. We were seated in the back area at a nice round table. The staff was friendly enough and accommodating considering the size of our group, the three children and our inability to decide what to order.
I was a little nervous because they are used to Americanized Chinese food. The menu was packed with Sichuan specialities and the standard Americanized Chinese dishes. There was so much to choose from that we had trouble deciding.
I shared pork soup dumplings with my fiance. They were fantastic! An order of 8 was $4.50 (not bad). We were glad to share and pleased to find out that a couple of people at the table loved them too!
We also ordered egg drop soup and wonton soup to share. They were both big bowls (definitely can be shared by more than 2 people). The egg drop was really yummy. I was told the wonton was pretty good too.
My fiance and I both ordered pan fried noodles. I had the house specialty (chicken, pork and shrimp) which was delicious and the portion was huge. More veggies than I would like but I'm not really into veggies much anyway.
Someone else had the pepper steak which was phenomenal. They loved it! Kung pao shrimp and chicken and chicken and broccoli were also ordered and loved. The portions are huge and great for sharing.
I had read that we had to ask for rice so we did and got a big bowl. I'm not sure if we were charged for it. The bill for 7 people came out to $105 and we ordered A LOT of food and had lots of leftovers to take.
I would definitely recommend for those who love more authentic Sichuan dishes as well as for those who have more Americanized Chinese taste!
BIG PS: This place is CASH ONLY. We were lucky we had enough between us. -
Review from Jaclyn L.
Just the name alone, this place deserves a huge lucky kittah platty! Yeahhhhh!
Looked to fill my crave for Chinese food, my boyfriend and I came here instead of MSG filled, over stuffed portions like what you'd expect from Wo Hop. I remembered this place was newly renovated recently and haven't gone in here for years and never understood why - from now on, I definitely will! Clean, AC pumping, friendly staff, two flat screens, and is that 92.3 FM playing in the background?!
Started with cold sesame noodles, which was light and just a hint of peanut; went great with our Tsingtao beers. I got chicken and broccoli and he got the sesame beef. Be sure to ask for rice or you won't get it automatically - white rice only! Very flavorful; left full and satisfied and wondering why when the locals order, why does their food ALWAYS look more homey and delicious?
I'll blend one day and just see how close I get to bumming food off them hahaha!Listed in: I'm Feeling Chinese..., Am I Reading this Right?!
-
Review from Judy K.
Queens, NY
8/19/2009
I may have to come back for the regular pork soup dumplings because I wasn't impressed by the crab and pork ones. The flavor wasn't that great. They also squirted at me sideways, not just one but several! So now I have a score to settle with them.
The scallion pancakes, although crispy and full of scallion bits, don't taste quite as good as my dad's. These are kinda overblown- a little too greasy and a little too crisp. I've also had some unwanted steamed pork dumplings- a case of mistaken identity in thinking they were the popular soup dumplings- because I'm Chinese illiterate AND near-sighted. They were just ok.
So far, my one great find here is the mushroom and veggie bun listed in the dim sum section. They give you three enormous white fluffy buns filled with pulverized mushrooms and bok choy. Upon seeing them for the first time, my friend said they reminded her of babies. Say what? I'll leave that to your imagination. Salty and delicious is more like it. I don't like to equate them with babies when I'm eating them.Listed in: Tribeca and Chinatown lunch…
-
Review from David S.
Champaign, IL
2/18/2007
Not great... I'm not sure if it's just what I ordered, but the food at New Yeah was not very good and a little boring. They do offer a lot of Shanghai specialties, including shanghainese dim sum (xiao long bao for instance: not bad but not the best either), Shanghai rice cake (some kind of round flat noodle made from rice flour: not bad) as well as many other kinds of noodles. Just nothing really struck me as particularly good, so I don't think I'll be going back.
And watch out when you bite into these xiao long bao's: they're full of juice, and next thing I know my shirt was covered with pork juice... great smell to be carrying around all afternoon!... -
Review from Tam N.
New York, NY
12/1/2006
-Everything- was perfect in texture, a great indicator of freshness and technique. With a little more seasoning, all the dishes could have been crazy-delicious. Maybe some added salt? Ginger? Onion?
Steamed Juicy Pork Buns (8)
Soup dumplings were solid contenders. Not having had any recently, theirs were at least as good as the ones I last had (at Shanghai Cafe? I can't remember). I've also read that Moon House's (two doors down from New Yeah) are supposed to be quite yummy as well. Notably, the buns were steamed on paper, not nappa. And there was no ginger in the dipping sauce.
Pork Shoulder in Red Honey Sauce
The subcutaneous layer of fat measured up to 3/4" in some places. Pork was tender, but more gamey than flavorful. The fat, however, was sweet and juicy. In other words, divine. (Ask for a side of flat steamed buns. Theirs were perfect: bouncy, moist -- fresh!)
Scallion Pancakes (2)
Thin, blistered, crispy. Delicious, but could have used more scallion.
Steamed Pea Shoot Tiny Buns (8)
Doughy, bready, yummy. Could have used a little more seasoning.
Pan Fried Tiny Buns (8)
These are steamed bread-y buns stuffed with pork and browned on their sesame-encrusted bottoms. By no means 'tiny' -- more like medium-sized (a little larger than the soup dumplings). Needed more seasoning.
Crispy Turnip Pastry (2)
Large. Shredded turnip and pork, mummified with thin strips of eggroll pastry dough and deep fried. Steamy moist on the inside, crispy on the outside. Interesting.
Vegetarian Mock Duck
Bean curd sheets stuffed with mushrooms and bamboo shoots. Served only slightly cold. Nicely smoky, chewy, perfect amount of sweetness.
Special Notes:
BYOB for everything but beer.
Extensive menu written exclusively in Chinese (Next time, I'm coming back with a literate friend ...)
food: 4 (wishing for just a little more flavor)
value: 5
service: 3
ambience: 4
craveability: 4 -
Review from Cat J.
Flushing, NY
7/2/2009
If I could give half-stars, this review is really a 3.5.
Yes, the food is good. Nothing memorable, though, and you have to be around the area to go. I wouldn't go here for the sake of going here.
I liked the rotating platter-- that definitely helped with the flow of food and the social ambiance with my friends ("This thing moves!")
While they gave an abundant amount of tea, which was great, what I wanted was some water. This is normally free fare at other restaurants... except it took 20 minutes to get one at this place. *ba-da boom*
The check was nice, as it was under $25 for a group of 8. When we left, it was great heading next door to the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory for dessert.
Other than that, nothing terrible (just strange), but nothing spectacular about this place. Would I go here again? Yes, just not anytime soon. Patience is kind. -
Review from Vicky L.
3/25/2008
I never knew there was a Shanghainese restaurant on the left side of Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. I always thought it was Moonhouse to the right and that was it. Little did I know that this little door to what seems like it would be a small dumpling restaurant turns out to have this huge enclave in the back and even a small private room for a party if you so desire!
I was really surprised by how big the place was, but I was even more surprised when the food we ordered came out delicious and completely inexpensive.
Dinner for 7 came out to about 56 bucks. We ordered:
1) Vegetarian Duck
2) Vegetarian Chicken
3) Vegetable Dumplings
4) Pork Dumplings ( Xiao Long Bao)
5) Shanghainese thick noodles with chicken, beef, and shrimp
6) Fried Rice cakes with seafood
7) Seafood salad platter
8) A Pan fried crispy noodles with veggies
All for 56 bucks! I still can't really believe it.
The best part though is that the food came out really quickly and the dishes had a nice solid Shanghainese flavor.
I really enjoyed it.
Bonus points - small private room - I immediately thought to put this place down as good for a dinner party. Fancy it's not, but you got your meat, vegetarian, and frugal friends all covered.
I'll be back. Especially since you are next to Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. -
Review from Elissa S.
9/2/2007
This is one of my favorite restaurants in New York. Their xiao long bao rival those you order in Shanghai - the skin of the dumpling is often just barely thin enough to hold in the meat and the soup inside, but never falls apart. Their rice cakes are soft, yet still a little chewy (in a good way). Their pork shoulders are tender and flavorful.
The bathrooms are often a little gross, and the other dumplings are just okay, which is why Yeah Shanghai has garnered 4 stars instead of 5. However, for a tasty lunch/dinner, Yeah Shanghai consistently proves to be an excellent choice.Listed in: Take Me Down to Chinatown!
-
Review from vicky c.
New York, NY
5/31/2008
YEAH.... ... no.
Sadly, my beloved Moon House is closed 'for renovation"
(Chinese translation = closed to prevent being shut down by the health department like the Mei Lai Wah across the street).
So we went here instead.
Meh. Eh. Food was prepared okay (hence the 2 stars)
But all the food needed seasoning.
Salt.
Soy sauce.
Lard.
MSG.
Something.
Are you sure this place was in Chinatown? -
Review from Jando S.
2/22/2007
Sure its a funny sounding name, but Yeah Shanghai Deluxe has garnered the respect and reputation as one of the best restaurants to offer Shanghainese cuisine. I used to frequent this place constantly because the prices were cheap, the food was decent, the decor was interesting (very Hangzhou/Suzhou landscape interior) and the staff was friendly. And the main attraction, their version of the soup dumplings had just a perfect layer of dough skin and the right amount of soup broth.
Fast forward a year later and the restaurant has been incredibly crowded during lunch and dinner hours with a wait that can occasionally rival Joe's Shanghai a block away. The service has taken a turn for the worst as the waiters are neither as polite as they used to be nor do they clean the tables well. The food has taken a step down from its usual grade A quality with the soup dumplings and Shanghai noodles tasting less and less stellar each time. It seems the largely Chinese patron base has dwindled to more and more tourists and non-Chinese. This is not a bad thing necessarily, but if you grade a restaurant's authenticity / approval based on the patrons, then know that many Chinese folks have felt jaded due to their soaring popularity and their sour service.
The last time I was here will hopefully be my last visit. I had to bring my business somewhere else after the owner yelled at me for asking how long the wait would be for my group of 9. It was a startling and very embarrassing display as he belittled me in front of his customers and my group for having to answer what he felt was an irrelevant question. After telling me the wait would've been 5-10 minutes he had a shouting reaction after I inquired again 15 minutes later. He must've been having a real bad day and was wound up a little too tight.
Its now "No Shanghai Deluxe" for me. -
Review from Koko H.
New York, NY
12/3/2008
I liked the slightly cheesy rock landscaping and fake mini bridge (which I tripped on b/c I wasn't paying attention) and was looking forward to a good cheap meal.
But the food was rather forgettable. Soup dumplings were on the small side and not as delicious as Shanghai Cafe.
The service was atrocious. We asked at least 12 times (really) for water.
When we were leaving, some of the waiters literally pushed me out of their way. WTF? I wasn't being obtrusive, I swear. No excuse me, no nothing. Just physically pushed me out of the way. rar! -
Review from Nelson W.
12/20/2008
I will preface that I have been to this restaurant many times, but this review is prompted by the fact that their Pork Steamed Buns have deteriorated in quality each and every time. (Yeah Shanghai's menu incorrectly lists them as steamed buns, but they should be named soup dumplings or xiao lung bao). The dumpling skin has become increasingly thick, and there was a prevailing dough taste.
I also ordered the Shanghai Wonton Soup and other bean curd (tofu) vegetable dishes. They have all become increasingly bland. This is so even with the vegetable dishes that are prepared with meat, in which the only sensation to the tongue would be the spiciness from the hot oil.
On the flip side, the one dish of consistent quality on that menu is the Fish Head Casserole. It comes in a large simmering pot of fish broth with basil, large fish chunks in addition to the head, silken tofu cubes, Virginia ham, and clear he fen (wide rice noodles). It is a big order that will fill two stomachs. The fish is fresh and tofu cubes are always smooth. This dish will be the only reason I will continue coming here.
Memorable: Smoked Fish, Fish Head Casserole
Forgettable: Pork Steamed Buns (dumplings) with and w/o crab meat, Shanghai Wonton Soup (very bland) -
Review from Meghan K.
Brooklyn, NY
2/13/2007
Yeah Shanghai came with almost aggressive recommendations, so I took a friend from out-of-town. The pork shoulder in honey sauce looks like a pile of bloody Jell-O, but is hella good. We ordered the xiao long bow (steamed little juicy buns) and kind of shrugged at each other as we ate them, like, good but whatever.
Then I couldn't stop thinking about them for ~48 hours. -
Review from Jenn S.
3/31/2008 1 photo
After shopping in Chinatown my friends and I asked a random man on the street where we should go for lunch and he directed us to the right spot! Always trust the locals.
We ordered a few lunch dishes and everything turned out well. Even my friend who's never had a great experience eating Chinese food enjoyed it. -
Review from Gabe S.
Oak Park, IL
6/19/2009
This place had me at their Broccolli in Garlic Sauce.
A great place for groups, with a great menu, i've always left feeling happy, and full.
Since I usually go with my good friend Elissa S., i don't always know what I end up getting, since i usually just ask her what she thinks i'll like, but before i know it, there's all these awesome plates of awesome food. Soup Dumplings? Awesome. Pork Chow Fun? Awesome. Broccolli in Garlic Sauce? Super Awesome.
last time i went there, we left for the price tag of $11/person - unbelievable when you consider the amount of food we had and that we treated one of our friends to her birthday dinner.
Yeah, Shanghai! You go!
Did I mention the BROCCOLI IN GARLIC SAUCE?? MMMMMMM.Listed in: Delicious Nostalgia
-
Review from Chrystina Z.
Washington, DC
5/6/2010
Tasty. Not quite sure what I ate bc someone else ordered. Fish with mushrooms (gooey and good). Dumplings with spicy sauce (my favorite). Rapini was good.
I like the red velvet rose in a white vase with a teddy bear on the side. So Chinese flavor. -
Review from Andy D.
Brooklyn, NY
Updated - 12/15/2008 1 photo
Everything was lacking the other night, making me unsure about New Yeah's grand ranking on my scale of Shanghainese, *but* I wanted to second an earlier opinion of some other Yelper:
- sole with crispy fried seaweed.
OMG! sooo incredible! so salty, and seaweed-y, and soy-y. yes yes yes! we battled for the last ones.... I recommend this dish wholeheartedly. See the photo for some photog lovin'.
(this visit's soup dumplings: good but not great; scallion pancake: yawn; mapo dofu: shockingly boring; mixed vegetable dish: fine -- best veggie dish I've had here. lots of baby bok choy. salt & pepper shrimp: pretty decent)Listed in: Top Restaurants
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
8/30/2008
A great place. The fake rock walls in the back room are wonderful, the bridge in the middle of the… Read more »
-
-
Review from Manesh P.
Boston, MA
7/24/2007
Lunch specials are dirt cheap and portions are good. The food seems a bit westernized which is slightly disappointing, but I guess it works for them because, at lunch time, the restaurant was mobbed with Civic Center workers as opposed to the usual mishmash of old Cantonese speaking grandmas and grandpas that you might see at some other restaurants in the area. Overall still pretty tasty and worth the money. The menu seems to have more traditional options but who knows if they too come over sauced and heavy with "umami" flavor (read msg... or lots of salty reduced broth... which ever makes you feel better). Not that that's a bad thing its just not quite as traditional as you expect.
I probably would have given this place a 3 star if not for the xiao long bao, or little juicy buns. They're smaller and more tightly wrapped than you will find at Joe's Shanghai but you get a few more per steam plate. These things are near perfect and maybe the closest to my experience at the famed Din Tai Fong in Taiwan. Small enough to pop in your mouth, not gushing with soup but not lacking it either. And, impossibly soft juicy meat in the center. My only gripe is that the skin could be a tad thinner. -
Review from Cybarux D.
White Plains, NY
1/24/2010
This is my secret spot in Chinatown!
I just love this restaurant! I have been coming here for also 2 or 3 years and the fried rice gets better and better!
The staff is fun and funny and also the restaurant looks very simple and comfortable.
The best Scallion pancakes and pork buns are here!!
Also the Shanghai style noodles are amazing!
This food is tasty and economic! Is nice to have a restaurant that doesn't show an aquarium of dead fishes next to your dinner table!
Love it! I will always come! -
Review from Torie Y.
4/22/2008 1 photo
I'm just going to go ahead and put it out there that I'm not a huge fan of Chinese food, however every time I get dragged out for dim sum I end up enjoying the ride. This time was no different.
A coworker suggested we check out this place for the siu long bao (i've never heard them referred to as "juicy pork buns" until now). I love that I forget that they squirt when you bite 'em every time, so my first bite literally splashed down the side of my mouth and onto my shirt! We ended up with a completely dumpling-filled lunch (steamed, fried, soup you name it) that was quite enjoyable. Surprisingly enough those little pockets of joy were still good as leftovers. -
Review from Amy C.
3/18/2009
This is one my favorite spots in Chinatown. It's very "hole in the wall," hidden between a souvenir/toy shop and the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. My parents brought me here after one of my aunts introduced them to it and I've been coming back for years.
My favorites are the steamed crab meat dumplings and Shanghai noodles. I love bringing my friends here, especially the non-Chinese ones, and watching their expressions as they bite into a steamed dumpling, sauce running down their chins. I've mastered the science of eating these dumplings: pick up from the tray very lightly with chopsticks, dip in soy sauce (or any sauce of your choice), place in spoon, and bite in halfway.
In addition to the yummy food, something else that will bring a smile to your face is the bill. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how cheap this place is. -
Review from Megan C.
5/8/2009 1 photo
Hey the service is slow, they forget your water, and no it's not Joes! But you won't be on the stealth cameras that monitor the entire street near Joes Shanghai, and you won't have to stand outside for 45 minutes and wait.
Delicious long bao, PERFECT pea shoots, good chow fun, SKIP the kung pao (so slick it's hard to grab with your plastic chop sticks) Really can't go wrong here. With the ice cream shop next door, it's a great neighborhood to take a walk and have a relatively inexpensive date.
Date Rating: 6
Pick up Scale: 2
Strong Suggestion: Don't worry about a reservation and don't skip the snow pea shoots! -
Review from Frank T.
Denver, CO
1/13/2010
This place isn't that big. But, thankfully they fill every little inch with deliciousness. Bayard street might well be the nexus of great Chinese food in New York and New Yeah is right at the top. The food is prepared blindingly fast and arrives full of flavor and freshness.
I love nian gao and this place serves some of the best in the City. Not to mention, it is ridiculously inexpensive. I also love their velvety smooth bean curd ribbon with baby bok choy. Sooo good!
This list of authentic Chinese dishes that New Yeah offers is dizzying. Thankfully you can rest easy knowing that whatever you order will likely be made with great care and speed. -
Review from Ian R.
Long Island City, NY
5/4/2007
When the line's too long at Joe's Shanghai (which it always is) head around the block to Yeah Shanghai... the food is better anyway. So is the atmosphere, service and well just about everything.
You walk over a little bridge into the dining area where you will greeted with pleasant service and an extensive menu featuring delicious and scary traditional dishes (jelly fish, tendons) and lots of dishes a little less risky for an American pallet. I've been here quite a few times and have never been dissappointed with what I've ordered.
Plus, it's right next door to the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory for dessert. Yum. -
Review from Claire L.
Houston, TX
9/22/2008
I only had the soup dumplings and braised lion's head ... so I can only review those 2 dishes.
I prefer larger and soupier soup dumplings, so the small soup dumplings here weren't my cup of tea. (I like the big ones at Joe's Shanghai.)
The braised lion's head was disappointingly dry. It's not actually a lion's head (the waiter jokingly told us how some people actually ask him if it's a real lion's head); it's a huge pork meatball. In addition to being dry, the accompanying sauce was no special creation -- it was oyster sauce. So to salvage the dry pork, I was forced to slather oyster sauce all over it.
Not impressed, but maybe I just didn't know what to order. Then again, the lion's head was the waiter's suggestion. -
Review from Ari P.
Waltham, MA
11/26/2009
Owie Kazowie for this place. I should've known when I saw the menu, it tried to give off a pretentious ambience. Why does Shanghai Cafe have to close early? Xiao Long Bao here are definitely not up to par, but everything here was a little off.
Xiao Long Bao skin looks really weird. The beef on the inside has a strange taste and only a teaspoon of broth. Scallion Pancake tasted more like a potato latke. Hot and Sour was lukewarm and lacking taste. Shanghai Rice was decent, but not as good as Shanghai Cafe. The one good thing I can say is that nothing here was over-the-top greasy, so I didnt leave feeling like I had ingested a brick.
Why go here when you have so many more options in Chinatown? Given you come early of course. -
Review from David C.
New York, NY
3/10/2010
I thought I revisit this joint after they moved to a new corner location on Bayard & Mott (formerly Mr. Tangs). I figured if they expanded they must have better food now.
That was not the case. I had their regular pork "soup" dumplings and the dough tasted like rubber and the meat tasted like plastic. It was total CRAP!! I had their soup dumplings in their old store so i was expecting the dough to be thick but NOT RUBBER thick. I would never reorder this again!!
the only thing that made up for it was they had really soft & chewy fried rice cake noodles. usually alot of the shanghai restaurants rice cake is too hard & bland. this was tasty! I also had the sauteed squash with bamboo shoots, which is not really bamboo shoots but a "spongy" fungi thing..that was good although a bit salty.
so it looks like the only thing i'd order from them again is the rice cakes! -
Review from Jay I.
New York, NY
4/17/2006
So our trip to Chinatown the other day was awesome. Reason? Yeah Shanghai Deluxe. This isnt your typical Sweet-n-sour/general tsos chicken type of place (although we did have some fried rice, and it was phenomenal). The dumplings and steamed buns are awesome and the service is very friendly and helpful. Also the prices were damn good.. My favorite was the Steamed Juicy Pork Bun (8pieces for $4).
Oh and it's right next to the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory for easy dessert access. :) -
Review from The J.
Brooklyn, NY
3/30/2008
After being dissuaded from a certain other purveyor of the yummy "soup dumplings" (awful awful Shanghai Cafe--see my review of that crap shack), I decided to try Yeah Shang Hai-- first off-- there are some sweet guys running this place. The service is nice, and unobtrusive, yet you won't sit around forever waiting for water or your check.
Second is my beloved soup dumplings...aka xiao long bao aka "juicey pork buns" Very yummy, but as always don't eat them too quick or you'll scald the entirety of your mouth-- and don't let them sit, or they'll re-gelatinize and you'll be a bit grossed out by that.
I've tried a couple other dishes like the shanghai noodles, chicken and garlic sauce-- the food isn't something to write home about, but its solid decent fare for a good deal.
and their staple beer is Tsingtao! YAY -
Review from Simo Z.
Fresh Meadows, NY
11/18/2008
My threesome of friends (why do I always hang out in threes?) decided to come here after walking around and restaurant window shopping..
One of the three suggested that we could come here..
...why not?
We sat down, ordered 2 different dragon buns, string beans, pork with tofu (what the waiter recommended for a pork dish) and this Beijing shrimp thing.
The pork was the best of all, extra props for the waiter who recommended it to us.
The shrimp was okay, wasn't extremely tasty.
String beans are pretty much the same everywhere, but this one had a little spicy kick to it, the good kind of spicy kick .
The dragon buns was okay for me... I was never a Huge Fan but something was different about these buns..
Maybe the face that there's no cabbage under them!
It might be insane, but I love the cabbage under my buns and usually my mom and I has to fight for it and eat it quick before the waiter takes it away. This time however, there were no such cabbage..
In conclusion, I think Joe's Shanghai's buns are better, but only because they have steamed cabbage, but also soupier buns. -
Review from Lotti M.
New York, NY
8/16/2009
Was expecting some great things from this place, but was a tad disappointed. Maybe my expectations were too high?
The soup dumplings was small and tasty, but the dough really was too thick, so if you eat it while it is piping hot then it is fine, however if it cooled down by just a smidge, it felt more like you were eating buns. We ordered some plain dumplings as well, it was bad, but it wasn't fab either. The hot and spicy soup was pretty good, the jellyfish was a tad bland.
The service was pretty good, waiters were attentive. All in all it wasn't bad, it was just fine. So I shall continue my search for that elusive perfect xiao long boa, I know you are out there! -
Review from Steve S.
New York, NY
11/21/2009
I had a late dinner here with a friend. We shared the soup dumplings, aster indicus, spicy beef tendon, and eel with chives.
The soup dumplings were okay, but not as good as I've had elsewhere. To me, soup dumplings are best when they have thin skin and lots of broth. The skin on these was thick--more like a pierogi--and there was little soup inside. From now on, I'll be getting my dumplings from one of the other Shanghai restaurants in Chinatown.
I had never tried aster indicus before. I ordered it here because I hadn't seen it on a menu anywhere else. Aster indicus is a type of daisy with edible stems and leaves. The dish is served cold, mixed with firm tofu and finely chopped. The leaves have a soapy and slightly bitter taste. Still, it is not unpleasant and whatever its nutritional value it gives you the feeling of eating something really wholesome. It's a dish worth going back for.
The spicy beef tendon was thinly sliced and served cold. It was spicy and had the firm but gelatinous texture that tendon always has. Not much else to say.
I'm always up for eel. The eels in this dish were about the thickness of a sardine, which I prefer over the lo mein-sized baby eels that you find at some other restaurants. More eel and fewer chives would have made this dish better. -
Review from Tom S.
Westfield, NJ
4/27/2009
Went with a group of seven, including two kids, early on a Sunday evening. It was easy to get seated. For a first course, we ordered several scallion pancakes and two orders of soup dumplings (listed under dim sum as Juicy Pork Dumplings). The pancakes were thick and crispy, and the dumplings were bursting with flavor.
We ordered four main dishes (Eggplant with Garlic, Shrimp Lo Mein, Vegetable Fried Rice, and Sweet & Sour chicken for the kids). The waiter was beside himself that we were only ordering four entrees, and even came back to emphasize his point that we weren't ordering enough. It turned out to be a perfect amount. The eggplant was spicy yet flavorful, and was probably the overall favorite of the table. The lo mein was fine, but the serving size a bit small.
The service was inconsistent. The dishes were delivered quickly, but it took the waiter four requests to eventually provide all seven of us with water glasses.
The value was excellent, as the bill came out to around $65 plus tip. -
Review from Kate T.
9/2/2010
I've been here twice and my conclusion is that it's just ok. There are far too many options in the area for me to want to try it again. The food is alright, but the atmosphere is kind of unpleasant. You can tell they want to turn the tables as fast as possible and my boyfriend ended up sitting under a leaking pipe. You can get better soup dumplings and service elsewhere around here.
-
Review from Zoe Y.
Brooklyn, NY
2/21/2010
Been here twice. Definitely the recommendation is to ask to the servers for their recommendation. The first time we didn't ask, and certainly weren't disappointed, got soup dumplings, a noodle dish and a chicken dish, and it was good but not great.
The second time we ordered the pork soup dumplings (much better and cheaper than the pork/crab soup dumplings, $4 for 8). Then I asked for a recommendation for a good thing to get with both beef and vegetables. "Braised beef in brown sauce" is not something I would think to order and when it came it was bland looking and had no vegetables in sight, but it turned out to be STUNNING, and all the veg were underneath (napa cabbage, bok choy, wood ear mushrooms, etc) with tons of garlic and ginger. SO tasty.
I went with a less trusting friend, who ordered a standard General Tso chicken off of the "american" menu. It was good, all white meat, with broccoli, but nothing special, and a significantly smaller portion than the items from the "traditional" menu. The General Tso was enough for one hungry person, good for the money, but the beef was huge! It could have easily fed us both with leftovers!
The space doesn't look like anything from the street, but opens up into a big back room clad with hilarious fake stone walls -- complete with a bridge over a "brook" dividing the dumpling-making station street front and the back dining area. Beers are $4 and they seem to allow you to bring your own wine without charge (we didn't do it, but watched a bunch of others doing it successfully).
Definitely recommended! -
Review from Jess L.
6/19/2010 1 Check-in Here
Jennifer S. demanded I come here to try their soup dumplings, and I'm so glad we did. They are hearty and delicious. I'd have to admit, though, that I was more blown away by the wontons in spicy [peanut] sauce. It's not too-too spicy. The taste is unique and addictive. Service was pretty average for Chinatown, and I've been told the old Yeah had more character. But this place certainly satiated our soup dumpling desires!
-
Review from James W.
8/22/2010 1 photo
I was impressed. A/C worked well and was cleaner than your average chinatown joint. While the soup dumplings didn't quite get up to the gold standard Joe's Shanghai, the environment and service are superior. The Tan-Po pork was delicious.
-
Review from Tiffany C.
New York, NY
7/6/2010
I had some hesitations about eating at New Yeah Shang Hai Deluxe because of a few prejudices of mine, one being that I usually take it as a bad sign if a Chinese restaurant has tons of non-Asian customers (like Wo Hop, ugh). Plus, the interior actually looked really nice and felt clean! I'm not used to that at all, and was worried the place would be too pricey.
But all my fears were unwarranted :D
The wait staff has nice uniforms and sat my family and I at a large table. The place was only half full at lunch time, whereas Joe's Shanghai (which we passed on the walk over here) had people spilling out on to the streets waiting for a table. The prices on the menus actually were not *too* bad; still more than I'm used to, but still cheaper than places outside of Chinatown. Dishes were on average $8~12.
Two of my cousins were in from LA and Arizona, and I was crossing my fingers in hope this restaurant would live up to their expectations. LA has some pretty damn good Chinese food :x I've tried a few Shanghainese restaurants with my uncle's wife, who's from Shanghai, but we've usually been disappointed.
We ordered:
Xiao Long Bao (pork soup dumpling) - Of course we had to try this! It came with 10, which was perfect for my family of five. The skin is thicker than I've had at most other Shanghainese restaurants, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. I think I like it thicker, actually, so that there's less chance one of us would squeeze too hard while trying to transfer one to a plate and popping it prematurely. The soup inside tasted good with the vinegar sauce, the pork tasted great, I was really happy with this, and so was the rest of my family.
Lion's Head Cassarole -- this is pork balls, vegetables, and some cellophane noodles in a soup. This one I really wasn't sure if my family would like it, but it turned out to be their favorite! The broth was really good, very flavorful. Highly recommended!
Yellow Fish with Chives -- My cousin ordered this. In other Shanghainese restaurants that I've tried in Manhattan and Flushing, ordering yellow fish dishes was hit or miss since I don't think they ever actually use yellow fish....it's indigenous to China, so they understandably have to make substitutions here in NYC. This actually tasted very good, was nice and light, and became one of my favorites of our lunch.
Shredded Beef and Tofu -- this looks like it was sauteed in dark sauce, so I thought it would be more flavorful (especially since the Chinese name for it has the word "fragrant" in it). Personally, I thought it tasted fairly bland, nothing too special, and I opted to eat more of the fish instead. My family didn't complain about it, but between five people, they didn't finish more than half the plate either.
There was a vegetable dish we ordered, a soupy thing with mushroom caps in it, but I forgot the name of it. It wasn't too remarkable to me, but everyone else liked it well enough to finish it. I wanted to try some of the Shanghai rice cakes, but we had too much food already. Maybe next time, since there's definitely going to be a next time :)
Overall, the service is great, the interior feels great, price is slightly higher than average in the neighborhood but it's well worth it for the quality of food. -
Review from jae z.
11/19/2009
If I have to go to a Shanghainese restaurant [I'm Shanghainese, so...I eat Shanghainese food errday at home], I go here.
I had so much soup dumplings as a kid that it has completely lost its luster to me. But, as it is all the rage for anyone eating at a Shanghainese place, it's a requisite item to review. They're tasty here, I'd say better than Joe's Shanghai if only because they're more like the ones I'm used to eating. A good dumpling should have paper thin skin and loads of liquid inside without breaking until it meets your teeth. There's a place in Shanghai where they actually come with straws. Anyway, I believe no restaurant in the US makes it quite properly for the same reason that they use vermicelli and call it sharkfin. [/digression] Anyway, if you must, get it here. It's on every table, so hop on the wagon. But, it's not actually an appetizer. A real Shanghainese appetizer is like...jellyfish tossed with cilantro, dash of sesame oil, "vegetarian duck" [it's sexier than it sounds], etc. Eating scallion pancakes, or heavy foods like soup buns as an appetizer and filling up is a completely barbaric - I meant, American - concept. It's a standalone snack type thing, in my opinion.
Beyond recommending the "rice cakes" [which again, something I'd eat if I wanted to grab a quick bite, but if I'm sitting down to an actual meal, I just wouldn't get a noodley or fried rice dish], I may not be too helpful, because I order in Chinese, sometimes off the menu. One thing I always get is a stir fry eel, though, I'm not sure it's the right translation. It's more like baby eels? They're the size of worms chopped up. The only thing added to the dish is fresh ginger bits, spices. Also, there's this fish head dish, it's soy saucey.
But this is a real deal homey Shanghainese place, and not some Cantonese imposter. PAH -
Review from Carrie K.
Brooklyn, NY
1/14/2006 2 photos
What can I say? Great food at reasonable prices, and most importantly, the atmosphere is excellent. There's a neat little bridge you cross over with little gold fishes under it. The waiters may look at you if you are one of the few customers though. Nothing else to do I suppose...
Listed in: Top Restaurants
