Nai brother LiC — Restaurant in New York

Despite often passing by and noticing a consistent crowd of noticeably Asian customers, I never felt compelled to dine in. However, a friend's strong recommendation finally led me there, and I am so glad it did; it has since become my go to spot for both dining in and takeout.

Upon walking in, you first encounter a somewhat odd bubble tea and grab and go station. However, once you enter the seating area, you discover a spacious, light filled dining space. Its high ceiling and large windows create a very expansive feel. Despite my personal aversion to direct sun, I found its bright atmosphere quite charming.

Regarding the food, I have tried several soups: the Signature Sauerkraut, which I liked; the Green Pepper Sauerkraut, which was less memorable; the Sunshine Tomato, which I found too tomato-ey; and the Chili Boil, which offers a great mala kick. While some soups were not standouts, they were all perfectly fine, a matter of personal preference rather than complaint. All of them worked well with fish, though for the Chili Boil, I sometimes add beef along with a side of bean noodles. I have not yet tried the Cold Dishes, which are next on my list. Given the spiciness of many dishes, their bubble station made perfect sense as a cooling dessert.

The servers and waiters have consistently been great. Like many authentic Asian restaurants, they avoid the "fake smile" approach, being direct yet efficient in their work. I appreciated their work ethic and professional, no nonsense attitude. The serving robot going around was also a cool touch (see video).

A large size, in my experience, could comfortably feed two men or three women, though naturally, portion needs vary. I am always surprised at how affordable the total comes out to.

I have not been to the bathroom as I am scared to see it, especially with the spicy foods and bubble tea that are offered here.

I will absolutely come back, highly recommend this place, and wish it maintains...

This review is for their delivery practices. I have no problem with the food. I’ve liked everything I’ve gotten, the mushroom soup in particular is a standout. But each time I’ve ordered delivery, it comes in these tiny structured plastic tote bags. Think those small lululemon totes. They’re very nicely made and pretty and I’m sure the restaurant thinks it adds to the brand appeal. But they are the worst!

They’re structured so you can’t reuse them to line a trash can. They’re tiny so you also can’t reuse them as grocery bags. And also because they’re tiny, they need to use multiple to deliver one order that could have been put in one large paper or regular plastic bag. There’s nothing I can do with these nicely made plastic totes except throw them out. It’s so wasteful - not to mention this type of bag also takes more energy and material to produce than regular plastic bags.

It’s not just them either- I’ve gotten similar bags from the other newly opened Chinese restaurants in the area. Maybe it only bothers me but this actively stops me from ordering delivery from these restaurants. I don’t want to have to throw out any more of these bags so I don’t think I’ll be ordering delivery...

Food 10/10 Probably one of the few restaurants that I frequent often and have ordered from multiple times, so definitely a rare and hidden gem. Every time, we order the classic sauerkraut fish, and can I just say that both small and large sizes are massive and will fill you right up. I always add in the glass noodles for that extra chew, and some beef slices to round out the fish. The bowl literally has every ingredient you need for a balanced meal, and even though it can be spicy, I fully view this as a healthy and balanced meal that is reminiscent of home.

Atmosphere 9/10 Plenty of seating inside, and the coolest part is they have these robots that will bring the bowls out to you. There’s a lot of natural sunlight, and the tables aren’t situated too close to each other.

Service 9/10 Good service, efficient, and I like the way their...