Blue Blossom 青花 — Restaurant in New York

Let me start by saying that I'm all about lifting up my Asian brethren, and when a new, beautiful restaurant from the same folks that brought us Che Li and Szechuan Mountain House (both of which I love) opens in a prime location, I'm already pre-disposed to like it.

Unfortunately, the food was just mid, esp. compared to the aforementioned restaurants in the Dashan portfolio. On our initial dining experience alone, I would've rated BB 3 stars. It's what happened to us a week later that leads me to go full scorched earth. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

We ordered enough to feed a village when we came here:

Drunken Chicken: A bit bland

Cucumber Salad: Decently spicy but not garlicky enough

Pan Fried Kurobuta Pork & Shrimp Dumplings: Good, but Shanghai Times does this way better

Mala Beef XLB: Very good and worth trying

Grandma's Braised Pork: Okay, but too sweet for my liking

Mala Prawn: Tasty and yes, you should eat the shell

Sauteed Shredded Potato: My favorite dish, as basic as that sounds, because it was so deliciously spicy

Mixed Vegetables: So you don't need to take Metamucil later

Fish Fillet in Sour Cabbage Soup: A major disappointment, as this is my favorite Szechuan dish. It was too oily, too bland and not sour or spicy enough

Braised Rice: Fine

Salted Egg Yolk Lava Buns: The only dessert they had left that night, and these were fine, but you can get them anywhere for less.

Drinks: Fish Punch just okay, Split Pea Punch not bad, Lily Bulb most flavorful. And Apple and Hawthorn Juice most interesting for the non-ethanol imbibers.

On the Tues night we came, the staff were clearly overwhelmed with the large parties on the upper floor among which we were seated. The staff looked harried and stressed, and by the first hour, our food stopped arriving in a timely manner. They also continuously forgot little things like accompanying sauces and side dishes. But the biggest issue was they forgot our drink orders, and it took us two hours to get them. Fortunately, the manager comped us our original drinks and also sent a round of complimentary glasses of wine to make up for the delay.

We were so appreciative of the way they handled the delays that when our friend asked for suggestions for a centrally located Chinese restaurant in which to host a full buy-out private event, we recommended Blue Blossom. We had actually gotten the manager's contact info after our dinner, and texted with him to come in the following week when he was on duty so our friend could meet with him to discuss logistics. The GM confirmed the date and time he'd be available, and we told him we'd meet him then with our friend.

And here's the reason for the one star rating: The manager never showed. When we asked for him, it was clear no one had any idea we were supposed to meet with him. One staff person said he was offsite at another restaurant and wouldn't be back for hours. We tried contacting him several times, but he never responded. And none of the other staff were comfortable meeting with us to discuss a private event. In the end, our friend had to write down her details and a staff person promised to send them to the manager. As far as we know, he has never reached out to her. Nor have we ever heard from him again.

If you're a brand new restaurant operating in a high-cost location, I don't understand how you just no-show a potential client for a full buy-out. Are you making that much money from your mediocre buns and soups that you can just ignore business opps like this? Man, they did not teach me this way of making money in...

We came in right as they opened and within half an hour, most of the restaurant had been filled up! Highly recommend making reservations beforehand to make sure you have a seat! The service here was very good - even though they were super busy running around, our waitress made sure to stop by and check if we needed anything every now and then!

The interior is super chic and would be a romantic place to take your significant other or for a business meeting!

The dishes from blue blossom are from all over china - they have many different cuisines and this would be an amazong place to try them all!! All the food here was delicious!

The peking duck is a must try - the flavor here is exquisite! It’s also a fun experience to create your own wrap!

Duck dumplings were very delicious as well! I thought it was going to be gamey because duck usually has a strong flavor to it, but it was really subtle! The

Signature soup dumplings is full of flavor and delicious! You can’t go wrong with this dish!

Grandma’s pork belly was delicious! It’s sweet and tender and still full of umami! The braised flavor is really delicious! It really does remind me of my grandmother’s cooking!

Black truffle fried rice is also another must get - it’s a vegetable black truffle fried rice, but it still packs so much complex flavors! This dish was so yummy and fragrant! The perfect way to round out your meal

Hot sour soup was very intense! It’s more traditional and less like your chinese take out hot and sour soup! This will pack a punch and is full of flavor!

Crabmeat tofu is so fragrant! You can’t definitely smell and taste the crab! The tofu is so soft and melts in your mouth! Highly recommend this dish too! All you need is this dish and a bowl of rice and...

I recently had the pleasure of dining at this spot and I can't recommend it enough! The Signature Bao Platter ($14) was a standout, featuring a delicious mix of crab, truffle, pork, mala beef, chicken, and cheese – each bao was packed with flavor. The Signature Salted Baked Chicken ($39) was another highlight, offering a rich salted flavor that paired perfectly with the crispy skin.

For something a bit more hearty, the Beef Slices in Spicy and Sour Soup ($28) hit all the right notes with tender beef in a tangy, spicy broth, loaded with veggies, noodles, and rice cakes. If you're a fan of crispy fish, the Squirrel Fish ($42) is a must-try, with its perfectly fried crust and balanced sweet and sour sauce – great with a side of rice.The Eggplant in Garlic Sauce ($16) was a savory treat, with minced meat in a rich garlic sauce that complements the eggplant perfectly.

For dessert, the Jasmine Tea Jelly ($9) was smooth and fragrant, with a beautiful jasmine tea flavor that cleansed the palate.The Crispy Lava ($13) was a fun way to end the meal – crispy, sesame crusted pastry with a molten salted egg yolk center.

The ambiance is lively and vibrant, making it a great place for large groups, and the service was top notch throughout. Definitely worth booking ahead to avoid waiting – this place gets busy for...