53

“Cool Asian restaurant in Midtown. Got the eel club sando, oyster with unni, cod clay pot, and kung pao quail. Eel club sando was super flavorful and juicy. The strawberry/fruit involved changes based on season, and I thought it complemented the umami-ness of the rest of the appetizer pretty well. The oyster with unni was solid and tasty, although not memorable. Cod clay pot was honestly below average, not very flavorful nor unique at all. The kung pao quail was solid, although also not memorable. Ambience was nice and cozy, and the service was impeccable. Overall, not the top of the top, but holds its own and would recommend trying.”

“Excellent experience at this restaurant. We went for dinner, feom the beggining we loved the ambience and look of the place. We ordered cucumber salad as a starter and followed ordering 4 more dishes, our server explained very well the menu options and her suggestions were perfect in taste and quantity. Everything was delicious, we ended our dinner with an exquisite dark chocolate desert accompanied by a famous monk coctail. Will return on future trips to NY to keep trying other menu options.”

“I went here with my friends, and everything this restaurant served deserves a standing ovation! The food is amazingly good—every dish comes with beautiful presentation, and you can really tell they use high-quality ingredients. I loved everything; even their simple cucumber salad was incredible—spicy, fresh, nutty, and perfectly balanced. I absolutely love this place! The ambience is great, and our server was very friendly and attentive. If you’re looking for a restaurant that serves food made with love, you must visit 53. Shout-out to Chef Mark, Chef Adam, and the entire team for the amazing food. Highly recommended! ❤️”

“This is a very nice Asian fusion Chinese restaurant with a great atmosphere, but you need to make reservations in advance. Overall, the flavors are very solid. I highly recommend their Foie Gras Custard (Foie Gras Steamed Egg) — it was incredibly rich, and the addition of mushrooms enhanced the overall umami. However, the Foie Gras on Toast set had a slight flaw: the toast was a bit over-charred, which slightly overpowered the dish, and the Eel component was hard to taste. The Lamb Ribs were decent but nothing extraordinary. The strong barbecue glaze slightly masked the natural flavor of the meat, though the preparation was quite creative. The Kung Pao Quail was tasty and innovative — so tender that you wouldn’t even guess it was quail. The Black Cod Clay Pot with Rice was rather average, nothing remarkable. Overall, this restaurant is quite innovative. The flavors and techniques are authentic while keeping the creative fusion style. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a unique dining experience.”

“I recently visited 53 in Manhattan to celebrate Mother’s Day, and while we were excited to try it, the overall experience was disappointing. For a restaurant charging over $150 per person, chipped bowls should never be brought to the table. When we asked the busboy to replace them, his reaction felt noticeably annoyed, which made the service feel unpolished for this level of dining. I also think management should better train the team on menu guidance and recommendations. We mentioned that we were sharing plates and wanted to try a variety of dishes, but no one pointed out that we had ordered three rice-based items. A simple suggestion would have helped us balance the meal better with steak, seafood, or other options. Instead, we ended up eating multiple bowls of rice each. The food itself was average. The highlights were the appetizers, especially the oysters with uni and the eel club, but neither felt especially memorable from a culinary standpoint. The lobster rice was the biggest disappointment. At $88 per order, the lobster tasted bland, mushy, and not very fresh. The ikura added most of the flavor, but without it, the dish would have been very flat. I also could not taste much aroma from the lotus leaf, so it felt more decorative than functional. The clay pot rice dishes were better and at least met the basic expectations of what proper clay pot rice should look and taste like, but they were not enough to make the meal feel special. Overall, this was probably a one-time visit for us. We dine around the city often and were genuinely looking forward to this meal, but between the chipped bowls, uneven service, limited menu guidance, and underwhelming food, the experience did not match the price point. For a restaurant at this level, these basics should be handled much better.”