Blu Ember — Restaurant in New York

We booked a table for ten friends and family on a recent Friday evening. We had high expectations given the new restaurant was located in the recently opened, first five-star hotel in Queens, NY.

The atmosphere was inviting, unique, divided into about three sections with a very comfortable bar area separated from the main dining room. Our table for ten was already preset for us. Likely much attention was paid to room acoustics as the dining room was reasonably quiet.

Service was excellent. After we were seated we were greeted by a lead server and offered drinks. We waited a bit for another couple to join us. We never felt rushed by the server. The lead server was very familiar with all of the dishes and confidently made recommendations. I am a Martini drinker and rarely order fancy cocktails. One of our friends had a Ramosa Carlos fancy cocktail from the bar. He highly recommended it as did our server. I am glad I ordered one for myself!

One of the benefits of dining with a large group is the ability to try a large variety of food! They have an excellent variety and selection of "small plates" including raw bar, appetizers, sushi and what they refer to as "charcoal". Well, we went to town and enjoyed everything. The sushi was excellent. I am not one to order Beef Tartare, but some in our group did, so I had a taste and then asked for more. The pork cheek was excellent. My wife and I love charcoal grilled octopus. Their Spanish Octopus may be the best we ever had, incredibly tender and tasty as were the accompaniments with this dish. Excellent food is as much about esthetically pleasing plating as about taste and textures. Everything was very well plated,

The selection of entrees is a bit short. But, better to offer ten dishes you have perfected, rather than 25 that are so-so. The steaks with black pepper sauce were quite popular at the table. I had the Prime Ribeye, MR, which was cooked to perfection, presented on the plate sliced. I ordered a side of mashed potatoes, smooth and creamy, plated separately. My wife ordered the Seabass Tom Kha (Thai influenced) served with a coconut broth that was poured over the dish at time of serving. The dish was very good, but best suited for someone with a smaller appetite as the portion of fish was delicious but likely about 4 ounces. She ordered a side of asparagus which were excellent and luckily she was willing to share with me.

All ten entrees were delivered hot, at the same time, by 4-5 servers. Given all of the starters etc. we had to accompany our entrees, we decided to skip desert.

After our meal we decided to peruse around the new five-star hotel. The unique and beautiful lobby etc. were very comfortable. I believe the hotel is about 15 stories high, with maybe five floors dedicated to personally owned condominiums, the rest are hotel rooms. As a result, the hotel is big enough to have top amenities, including an indoor pool, but small enough to give it a boutique hotel like feeling.

We will be back again, likely for dinner and a hotel stay during the next US Tennis Open. BTW, the hotel is surrounded by numerous, authentic Asian...

I had originally planned to try Blu Ember for lunch, but due to a packed schedule, I ended up visiting for breakfast instead and I’m so glad I did. This place is a quiet morning escape with refined flavors and thoughtful service that sets the tone for the day.

My friend went with the Breakfast Your Way, a customizable classic done right. He opted for the chicken sausage, scrambled eggs, and white toast. The eggs were perfectly soft and buttery, cooked low and slow for that delicate fluff. The chicken sausage was a pleasant surprise juicy, lightly spiced, and flecked with herbs that brought out its natural savoriness. The potatoes were crisped golden and tossed in fresh parsley, giving them just the right pop of freshness. Even the tomatoes, simple as they were, added a sweet, juicy balance to the plate.

As for me, I couldn’t resist the Steak & Eggs, and I’m still thinking about it. The tenderloin steak was beautifully grilled ,a nice crust on the outside with a tender, medium-rare center that melted in every bite. What elevated it even more was the chimichurri sauce it was served with a vibrant, herbaceous, and garlicky, it cut through the richness of the beef with bright acidity and fresh parsley-garlic notes. A classic pairing done exceptionally well.

The sunny side-up eggs were textbook-perfect, with golden runny yolks and delicate whites, and the breakfast potatoes were again impressively crisp and well-seasoned. The cherry tomatoes, halved and glistening, added a needed burst of brightness that kept the dish balanced.

The service was warm and accommodating, and coming early meant I got to enjoy the meal in a calm, quiet setting. The plating was clean and intentional ,utensils properly placed, food beautifully arranged, no detail overlooked.

I can’t wait to return next time for lunch or dinner. If breakfast was this impressive, the rest of the menu is bound to shine. Blu Ember is a welcome new addition to Flushing’s dining scene, with an upscale yet approachable vibe and food that’s both comforting...

Overpriced and Overrated

I see a lot of good reviews for Blu Ember, and at times I feel almost alone in my experience. I genuinely wanted to enjoy this restaurant and gave it two chances, but both times it fell short of expectations. While the ambience is attractive, the food and service simply do not measure up to the price tag.

Brunch was mediocre. The truffle fries were excellent, but the avocado toast was uninspired and overpriced at $17, and the acai bowl was so watery it was nearly inedible. The matcha tasted like diluted water, and although the server was accommodating enough to replace it, the quality should have been better from the start. For a neighborhood with so many great coffee shops and smoothie spots, this felt like paying premium prices for subpar execution.

Dinner, however, was the real disappointment. Our waitress greeted us in such a condescending tone, which was both unprofessional and startling for a restaurant positioning itself as upscale. She openly disparaged items on the menu while we were trying to order, and gave us pointed looks whenever we asked for something she clearly did not approve of. I have dined at many restaurants, and never have I encountered staff who undermined their own menu and created such an unpleasant atmosphere. It was distracting, unnecessary, and frankly unacceptable.

In fairness, the truffle fries and handrolls were enjoyable. But beyond those, the experience does not warrant the high prices. Blu Ember relies on ambience and optics instead of substance, and in a city like this, where excellent food and genuine hospitality are abundant, there is no reason to...