NYC’s New Stylish Chinese Spot 🥢✨

After work, I visited Chili Beautiful with friends — a Sichuan restaurant that exudes character even from the outside. Stepping in feels like entering a retro 1950s‑style townhouse, full of vintage charm and modern elegance. The food was equally impressive: 🐔 Appetizers: Mouth‑watering chicken (koushuiji) was tangy and refreshing, the lava custard buns oozed rich salted egg yolk, and the dan dan noodles were spicy and gone in seconds among the four of us. 🐟 Mains: Steamed sea bass was tender and light, steeped in a delicate broth. 🦆 Glutinous Rice‑Wrapped Tea‑Smoked Duck — soft, sticky, and incredibly fragrant — disappeared from the plate almost instantly. 🥩 Truffle Beef Cubes arrived with a dramatic dry‑ice mist — tender beef with diced radish, aromatic and satisfying. 🦞 Spicy Lobster was a hearty, flavorful showstopper — perfect with rice. 🌿 Cumin Lamb — tender, fragrant with cilantro — another rice‑worthy star. 🍸 Cocktails were creative and beautifully presented: Apricot Blossom Snow (chocolate‑infused whiskey with a fortune‑cookie flair) Purple Haze from the East (lavender‑forward, unique and smooth) Smoky Whiskey Mist (rich, aromatic — highly recommended!) Full Bloom (visually stunning with an edible flower, bold in taste) 🍮 Desserts: Warm coconut milk cake with a molten center and a rich, not‑too‑sweet chocolate mousse — both delightful. Overall, you really can’t go wrong here — every dish felt carefully crafted. Reservations are a must; the place was packed even on a weekday. 📍 Chili Beautiful 13 E 37th St, New York, NY 10016 💰 Around $50 per person #NYCFood #SichuanCuisine #ChiliBeautiful #NYCRestaurants #RetroChic #ChineseFineDining #CocktailBar #NYCEats #DateNightNYC #FoodieExperience #UpscaleChinese #NYCLife #MustTryNYC