Ditan Er BBQ House — Restaurant in New York

Ambiance: I came into this restaurant in a group of 7, and we fit very comfortably. This space is perfect for big groups. You're given paper plates and disposable chopsticks so it's definitely a casual vibe--which can be cool for casual friend hangouts. Unfortunately, it smelled like cigarettes.

Service: The waiters were kind and the food came in quickly. When we ordered different skewers, they came out fresh. I feel like satay food requires water on standby so I wish drinking water was more accessible. We were given tiny cups so it was hard for me to stay hydrated.

Food: The food was great! The skewers were tasty and a bit fatty:

Beef skewer (5/5) - my favorite Lamb Skewer (5/5) - delicious Chicken skewer (4/5) - tasty but dryer Squid (4/5) - small portion but tasty Man tau (bun) skewer (2/5) - interesting idea but I don't recommend Chicken heart skewer (1/5) - too adventurous for me

The other dishes were amazing as well. I highly recommend these dishes:

Green papaya salad (5/5): so refreshing and has a bite to it Crispy Pork Intestine with Pepper (4/5): so tasty --kind of resembles popcorn chicken but more salty Sautéed Water Spinach with Garlic (5/5): perfectly made. So refreshing and balances out the satay. Scallion...

It is one of the best spots for authentic Northern Chinese food with a very different vibe and decor restaurant. We ordered the whole chicken pot that is heated in the middle of the table, this is not hot pot style, cook yourself. It is cooked in a sauce that is so delicious and it goes well with the plain steam buns and the clear noodles and mushrooms we picked. Even asked to take home the leftovers for a second meal! The BBQ meat on the stick is cooked outdoors in a real charcoal grill located in the back of the restaurant. It goes great with lots of ice cold beers! Make sure to dress appropriately because it can get pretty warm, due to the spicy food and hot pot cooking. Definitely will go again and this time we will know what to try and how to order. Went with my ABC boys and they even enjoyed the meal. They experienced the tissue packet on the table and a bucket to trash the bones and used skewers. hehehe Did I say authentic Chinese food! Highly recommend others to try this place. The price was reasonable and the food was YUMMY! The waitress was attentive and I was able to communicate and got what I wanted, yes I don’t even...

We came to this restaurant around 11 PM for some late-night drinks and food — it was the first time for all three of us. For the first round, we ordered the Northeastern-style liangpi, Xuzhou-style chicken stew, and smashed cucumber. Everything was pretty decent. The liangpi had a unique sesame paste flavor, and the chicken stew was well-seasoned and flavorful.

After a few drinks, we ordered a second round: spicy bullfrog pot, garlic okra, and tomatoes with sugar. Unfortunately, this round was quite disappointing. The garlic okra was undercooked and tasted raw — it clearly hadn’t been properly blanched. The bullfrog in the pot was tough and clearly frozen, which is surprising for a restaurant in New York, where fresh bullfrog is usually expected.

A sincere suggestion for the owner: please taste each dish before sending it out. If it’s something you wouldn’t enjoy eating yourself, it’s probably not ready to be served...