Chi Restaurant & Bar
Chinese restaurant · Hell's Kitchen
492 9th Ave, New York, NY 10018
Highlights
Innovative Chinese cuisine, stylish ambiance, and creative cocktails
Innovative Chinese cuisine, stylish ambiance, and creative cocktails
"Over the last few years, Ninth Avenue has established itself as a go-to for Chinese restaurants, with over a dozen places running the gamut, including Cantonese dim sum shops, Sichuan fish restaurants, and Hunan spots. When Chi appeared not long ago as the southernmost of these, it quickly established itself as a destination with extra elegance, a full bar, higher prices, and a menu that includes fare from Sichuan, Dongbei, and Xianjing." - Eater Staff
"What’s this place doing across the street from the Lincoln Tunnel? It’s almost like it’s avoiding you. But don’t let it. Chi isn’t just one of the best-looking restaurants in the area, it’s also where you’ll find some of the most impressive food. If you’re planning a group dinner and need something a little more upscale, snag a gray leather booth and split some mapo tofu under a hanging glass sculpture. The menu is mostly Sichuan, but it also has everything from dim sum and Peking duck to general tso’s and great spicy cumin lamb." - bryan kim, willa moore, neha talreja, hannah albertine, will hartman
"This Hell’s Kitchen newcomer is both fancy for Hell’s Kitchen, and fancy for a Sichuan restaurant, and lies at the bottom of the neighborhood’s 9th Avenue restaurant row, a few blocks south of 34th Street. A cocktail bar is the first thing you see when you enter, but the menu is filled with splendid, well-prepared dishes: cumin lamb, ma po tofu, and whole fish presentations." - Robert Sietsema
"On my four or five visits to Chi, the flavors are occasionally less lusty and more restrained than I’d prefer, yet I’m reminded of what it’s like when you glimpse professional athletes or dancers: the chef is clearly well trained and super fluid in the kitchen. Lei reportedly studied regional Chinese cooking at a Beijing culinary school before coming to New York to consult on high-end Chinese openings. The vibe is not fancy but clean and well‑lighted, with hexagon tile floors and a glass dragon sculpture in the back room; I wish they’d dim the lights, add votives, and swap the current ‘doctors’ office’ playlist. The crowd includes big groups of Chinese students and couples sharing dishes; I’m always tempted to sit at the bar but end up in the giant, cushy booths in the back when I want a private conversation. Chinese gong fu–style teas are interesting, served in a clear teapot kept hot at the table, while the booze list features cocktails like “the Double Tom” (a yuzu collins), Young Master Black Beer from Hong Kong, Albarino and Soave wines, and sake. The food highlights for me were the amazing cucumbers that punch above their weight—laced with spicy oil, Chinkiang vinegar, and soy, dappled with Sichuan peppercorns and dried chiles; a vegetable treated with duck yolk that tastes like Cool Ranch Doritos ($18); a very savory mashed eggplant and peppers; and a family-declared “best thing” of the year, the classic fish in pickled cabbage soup (we chose flounder) stacked with enoki mushrooms, delicate white fish, a hint of spice, and plenty of pickled greens ($35). I also liked the double-cooked pork with leeks cut on the bias and the sliced beef ($18) that pops after a dry-wok toss with lotus root, peppers, chiles, and onions. The only real miss was a slick, underseasoned stir-fried cabbage. Prices felt fair—two appetizers, three dishes, and four glasses of wine ran just over $200—and I can see myself becoming a regular who stops by the bar for one or two dishes I especially crave." - Melissa McCart
"Chi Restaurant and Bar, which opened late last year in Midtown West near a corridor that’s seeing an uptick in Chinese restaurants. You might call it fancy, because it’s sleek decor, or hand-crafted cocktails, or a beef tendon and caviar dish that happens to have been inspired by Wylie Dufresne." - Daniel Meyer
