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4th Ave & 104th St. It is fun and just a little silly. Decor is like a "nice" hotel restaurant with all wood paneling, a big fish tank, etc. Waiters come and plate the food for you - no chopsticks here.
We are talking ca. $20 entrees.
Generally the dishes use really nice ingredients (nice large shrimp, lobster, steak), and seem to tend toward the sweet side. Lobster in a very sweet sauce seemed like a waste, but Grand Marnier shrimp, some sushi, a side of chinese broccoli were all winners.
So, I'd say try it if you are in a decadent mood. If you are a "serious" Chinese food fan, forget about it.
Another, slightly more fusiony option a few blocks away is Nouvelle. You lose the luxe atmosphere, though.
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re: scooter
Writing about Lai Yuen made my wife and I miss the place, so we headed back this evening. For the most part I stand by my assessment except for the word "luxe" to describe the decor (which, like I said, it kind of like a hotel restaurant or roomy "nice" suburban place.) The vibe was a bit on the tacky side, like Embers up the street, and everybody was dressed quite casually (including us.) Service was classy and attentive, though.
My crispy whole sea bass was a bit disappointing (sweet sauce was a bit too much, and a "whole fish" is smaller than you expect; it's the same at Grand Szechuan.) Wife's filet mignon in black pepper sauce was fine, bananas flambee for dessert was totally worth it.
Over all, I wish it was 30% cheaper, but it was laid-back and silly fun.
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