#InauguralReview #NewYorkVybes by #RobertChen #Chinese 109 Mulberry Street #Downtown #Manhattan
Where else can you find black truffles on shrimp at a Chinese place? Pinkies out, readers!
Robert's favorite dish: Fish filet with green beans. We also adored it!
You'll also be impressed with the Beef and Broccoli:
It's not who you know, it's WHOM YOU KNOW and now we know Robert Chen, above, founder and owner of New York Vybes, brand new since December 2023. The son of a founder of a car company in China, Robert hails from Taishan and is a documentary filmmaker as well. At age 13 in China, he told his Dad he'd immigrate to the USA and started working at a banquet restaurant in China for two years starting then. Robert went to Seward Park high school in Manhattan on Grand and Essex and spoke no English when he arrived on American shores as a teenager. His original language is Taishanese and he speaks Mandarin and English too.
New York Vybes seats 200 on the main floor, 50 more on the mezzanine, and 100 downstairs. Also, there's a roof deck opportunity for private events of up to 50.
It's a miracle we found this: New York Vybes is vastly different from other Chinese venues we have seen previously and have not mentioned. Many of these only say "Takeout?" in English; Robert is far more evolved and has tremendous hospitality enthusiasm and he can speak English. He is the celebrity at New York Vybes and has twenty times the personality of most Asian restaurant owners we've met.
The food itself at New York Vybes is not oily or salty: it's healthier and lighter. Peachy always knows what she wants to eat; this is never a problem. However, Robert had a myriad of suggestions and we were happy to try them.
We began with the Kung Po Chicken. It was colorful and flavor-motivated by vegetables of onions, chili pepper and bell peppers and the obvious chicken. It was a fresh, welcoming start. As you know, Peachy rarely orders Chinese in Manhattan and finds the Chinese places here very different from the ones she knew in Connecticut (and did not publish on.) Her favorite food is spare ribs: the ones on the whole bone that are a dark red. These are ribs, but steamed:
We have never had them before and they were tender and delicious also. This is the dim sum variety we understand and some mild green pepper and black beans come to the party. This next dish is representative of Robert Chen's native Taishan he tells us: Sweet and Sour Pork.
The hometown special boasts ginger, onion, pineapple, tomato and green bell pepper, giving it an amalgamation of contrasting flavor notes that will wow you.
Robert tells us his favorite is this dish: Fried Fish Filet with green beans, fried onions, scallions, ground pork and olives. Though many of the dishes at New York Vybes have a lot going in the ingredients, when you taste them you'll see that they do go together well even if you might not initially expect so. This was delicious. Also many of the dishes at New York Vybes are not the usual suspects on the Chinese menus of America so trying everything new is entertainment in itself.
Though they are inventive, you readers that want the classics probably are thinking how about me? Well the beef and broccoli is also standout and note we never edit pictures. You excel like Robert, or we do not publish. Also the lighting here is thoughtful which should surprise no one because we told you HE IS A FILMMAKER!!! Some people's food may look less spectacular because they didn't think about and invest in great lighting. Peachy likes to always see her dinner and no candles.
Italians rule this column like no other nation and they are always feeding Peachy black truffles and she loves it. Robert is in it to win it with the Black Truffle with Shrimp and Pork Shumai. You absolutely have to have them and they were the first item totally gone from this review. Actions speak louder than words readers! Black truffles at Chinese restaurants are basically unheard of as far as we have seen so far.
The green you see above are the chives! They do not fool around with them and these chives are triumphant with the shrimp inside. Pan-fried chives with shrimp dumplings is their formal name, and meet below: crab meat and chicken soup dumplings! We love love love crab, and note at the apex of these you will find them topped off with crabmeat. This is a lovely nuanced dish with vinegar, ginger sauce and they sport a lovely tangy quality that you can eat with both a fork and spoon.
Peachy is super American and is devoted to silverware but of course if you want chopsticks, they have them just for you.
Robert suggested this shrimp with cashews which is a nutritionally-forward selection as far as we see with the peas, celery, carrots, and of course, shrimp. Order it if you are looking for something on the lighter side. However, Peachy really loved the shrimp with lobster sauce! Green peas and ground pork also make an appearance in the firework entree and Robert tells us it was a most popular dish in 1986. Let's bring it back!
Chicken with Broccoli is also a tremendously flavorful staple and a bit healthier than the Beef with Broccoli. It hits the spot and we surmise has wide appeal. Robert owned a restaurant at Ground Zero prior to 9.11.01 at 8 Murray Street called "Chen Hall" like City Hall. Robert showed us the roof; not many restaurants in Manhattan have a roof.
Finally, we finished on the healthy side with the Braised Vegetable Deluxe, a must have for everyone! We want to eat more vegetables and this one showed us many we have never had, a real feat after 29,000 posts and counting. Meet Black Wood Ears which are mushrooms, White Yams, Green Zucchini and Lotus Roots. They all had contrasting flavors and textures that nicely balance out anything naughty and fried you might have eaten. We're told that the national day in China is October 10th (like their 4th of July) so surely Robert will be celebrating. We have spare rib ambitions for next time and we look forward to seeing what New York Vybes does next! We also hear their duck is amazing.
