From the chaps who brought Lever House as well as nearby Lure Fishbar to fame, in the massive space formerly known as Time Cafe comes a deluxe palace of dim sum meets Chinese brasserie. With 10,000 square feet and a $6 million renovation, if you remember brunch upstairs at Time and late nights downstairs at Fez, you'll be doubly impressed with the royal makeover here. When you walk in the door, think glam bridge over the River Kwai for the 21st century of supersize dining. If the extraordinary rock garden and painterly murals here don't meet your expectations, you could always fly to Shanghai or Suzhou (or take the 6 train to the Met Museum's Chinese Garden for those on a budget). The kitchen is run by powerhouse team Tyson Ophaso, the well-known ethnically Chinese Thai-born chef, and Joe Ng, dim sum chef.
But can it be as glamorous as in top Hong Kong restaurants? Decidedly not. For this restaurant is neither in Chinatown, nor a brasserie. Too many of the dishes lack subtlety or flavor, and that's a pity. Aficionados of great Chinese dishes would be wise to avoid this restaurant and head elsewhere. Weighing in at more than $45, the Peking Duck is decent enough, but certainly overpriced. And where's the duck soup to accompany, long-time fans of the world's most famous duck will ask. On the other hand, if your repertoire includes General Tso's Chicken and Moo Shu Pork, you've come to the right place. And you can have a gooey chocolate dessert to finish off your meal in these lush surroundings. Judging by the number of black town cars double-parked outside each night, it seems everything's just fine with the expense-account set. If
La Esquina down the road was the last big ethnic thing for that crowd, then now is Chinatown Brasserie's time in the limelight.
