Mr. Chow Tribeca
The famous Mr. Chow! After going to Philippe, and enjoying it very much, I just had to go to the place where it all started. Okay fine, it did happen to start in London and eventually worked its way over to New York where Mr. Chow blew up on 57th street, but never the less, the Tribeca outpost is still owned by Mr. Chow and shares a similar menu to the 57 street location (the main difference is the prices are slightly lower). What attracted me to the Tribeca location as opposed to the Mr. Chow on the east side was the “Recession Buster” menu offered only at the Mr. Chow Tribeca. This menu is a $38 two course pre-fixe menu containing some of Mr. Chow’s greatest hits (Ma Mignon, Velvet Chicken & Chicken Satays just to name a few). But remember to ask for the special $38 menu as its not given to you along with the regular menu. The regular menu consists of Mr. Chow’s famous pre-fixe menus (starting at $54) where the waiters decide your fate, I mean dinner along with an a la carte section. Mr. Chow Tribeca is a bit trendier and more modern than the Mr. Chow on 57th st and is definitely better looking than Philippe. White lacquered wood light fixtures hang from the ceiling and black & white portraits line the walls. Fortunately the service and food were just as good as the decor. Being allergic to peanuts as well as all nuts and lentils, going to a Chinese restaurant can be almost lethal. But the service at Mr. Chow assured me that I wouldn’t be ending up in the hospital that evening. Yes the bus boy placed a spicy peanut sauce on my table, but the attentive manager quickly removed it from my table before I could even tell them to bring it back. The waiters also made sure that none of my dishes contained any nut allergens. For my 2 courses I ordered the Mr. Chow’s Noodles and the Ma Mignon. The Mr. Chow’s Noodles tasted exactly like Mr. Cheng’s Noodles served at Philippe (I wonder why? Perhaps both restaurants share the same exact recipe). The noodles at Mr. Chow happened to be longer and better cooked how ever. The sauce was flavorful and went with the dish very well. The Ma Mignon was just as good as the noodles. The fillet Mignon was cooked well and the sauce was perfect, not too thick. The vegetables were a good side but nothing to rave about (they were an assortment of steamed vegetables with corn starch). The rice at Mr. Chow was really good. It was almost a fried rice, but it was very smooth and not greasy like other Chinese restaurants. It also helped that portions were generous, almost too generous as I had to take half my entree home with me! Over all Mr. Chow was a great experience. From the stellar decor and food to the fantastic service who helped assure my meal was peanut/nut/lentil free, its a restaurant that shouldn’t be missed! Now to check out Mr. Chow 57!
Ambiance: 8
Food: 8
Service: 8
Overall: 8
Verdict: Oasis
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