The Monkey King — Restaurant in New York

Let me preface this by saying my review reflects my own tastes as an American-born Chinese (ABC) with an ABC palate.

I visited "The Monkey King" last night after seeing its high Google Reviews. While the food was decent and the atmosphere pleaant, I cannot recommend it for the price. If you're looking for similar or better food at a lower cost, I'd suggest taking the subway to Chinatown instead.

Service & Ambiance When we sat down, we were immediately asked if we wanted still or sparkling water, which felt like an unnecessary upsell. Tap water was available, but it wasn’t offered upfront. The tables were set with only forks and knives, which suggested that ABCs and other Asians aren't the restaurant's target diners (though, to be fair, I do have one cousin who doesn't know how to use chopsticks). We were asked if we wanted chopsticks and the ones provided were reversible -- an interesting but impractical design. Reversible chopsticks make it unclear which side has been used, making them more confusing than functional. We dined around 9:30 PM. Service was noticeably slow, though the restaurant was busy. At the start, a staff member took our coats, but when we left, no one was at the reception, so I had to find and grab my own coat.

The Food We ordered: Char Siu Soup Dumplings (pork & crab) (but only pork was available) -Beef Chow Fun Roasted Duck-Fat Fried Rice Crispy Garlic Fried Chicken

The Soup Dumplings came with small bowls instead of the usual Asian soup spoons, making them awkward to eat. We weren’t given an explanation for the bowls, and their ergonomics didn’t make sense. It seemed like an attempt to be stylish at the cost of practicality—form over function in a way that hurt the dining experience.

The Char Siu had good texture and flavor, but the addition of ginger-scallion felt off—it’s traditionally paired with Soy Sauce Chicken or Roast Duck, not Char Siu. This felt like a misinterpretation of Cantonese BBQ, as if someone unfamiliar with the cuisine saw ginger-scallion paired with roasted meats and assumed it belonged here. That said, as ABCs, my guest and I love ginger-scallion, so we still enjoyed it.

The Beef Chow Fun was okay. The ribeye used was a nice upgrade from the cheaper cuts in traditional versions, but I didn’t love the contrast between the soft noodles and the firmer steak texture. A more tender cut, such as tenderlion/filet mignon, might have worked better.

The Crispy Garlic Fried Chicken was the biggest disappointment. The chicken was overcooked and dry, and the large cuts made it difficult to eat. Traditional Cantonese fried chicken is usually chopped into smaller, manageable pieces, but this dish seemed to prioritize a Western-style presentation over ease of eating. It’s frustrating when restaurants sacrifice user experience just to make a dish look more refined.

Verdict While The Monkey King offers a stylish setting and some creative takes on Chinese dishes, too many choices seemed driven by aesthetics rather than functionality. From the impractical soup dumpling bowls to the oversized, dry chicken pieces, the experience felt like it was designed to look good rather than to be enjoyable to eat. For the price, I’d recommend heading to Chinatown for better food with more thought put into the...

Regarding my previous review and the hostile response. Please don’t dismiss my experience. We never asked for anything complimentary, we simply expected to be treated with basic politeness and respect as paying customers. People go to restaurants to enjoy great service, good food, and a welcoming atmosphere, not to be "educated."

I never claimed my party didn’t want to understand. I said they don’t not work in the industry, so they wouldn’t necessarily know about a pass, nor should they be expected to.

Having worked in hospitality myself, I have never encountered or received such unprofessional and confrontational service. That’s exactly why I left this review because the experience was rude, aggressive, and completely inappropriate.

We were mistreated and undervalued, and it was obvious. A lack of accountability, empathy, and basic courtesy does not create a memorable dining experience, in fact, it does the opposite.

At no point was my guest hostile when we were told not to take pictures. Additionally, my Resy confirmation email clearly stated a two-hour dining limit for parties of four or more. When I showed this to the owner, she acknowledged the mistake and apologized.

This was supposed to be a special occasion, my best friend’s birthday. Yet the cake was brought out when half our party was in the bathroom.

Your response only reinforces the poor customer service and defensiveness we experienced that night. The same host who initially welcomed us later brought our coats to the table and essentially forced us to leave, with no offer to accommodate us at the bar. To add insult to injury, a 20% gratuity was automatically added to our check despite everything that transpired. This is unacceptable.

The food was good , but the service completely ruined the experience. After spending $500 on dinner, our coats were brought to the table as a clear signal to leave. We weren’t offered another round of drinks and were abruptly told we had exceeded a 90 minute dining limit something that was never communicated.

With over a decade in the service industry and experience at top restaurants in New York, I’ve never encountered such rude and aggressive behavior. One of the owners even stated, “The customer isn’t always right,” emphasizing that she left corporate to “educate” guests and it certainly felt that way.

Dining out is about more than just food; it’s about the experience. Unfortunately, this restaurant prioritizes table turnover over hospitality. Sending staff to rush paying guests and treating them as an inconvenience is unacceptable.

A business thrives on good customer service, and this place completely missed the mark. Instead of feeling valued, we left remembering the hostility and lack of professionalism. Definitely not...

The staff are incredibly friendly, professional, and provided fast and considerate services. They cleaned the space quickly and were quick to satisfy whatever we needed, whether it were drinks, cleaning the table, or utensils. Now let's talk about the amazing Asian-American foods that they offer; below is my analysis of tonight's dishes:

Foods:

Chicken dumpling - thin skin which enable you to savor the filling which pairs perfectly with the sweet cinnamon-infused soy sauce! Highly recommend trying this if you're a dumpling fan!

Vegetable dumpling - colorful and aesthetically pleasing! The house dumpling sauce adds a great balance of sweetness with savory soy, enhancing the overall flavor the dish. Delicious and vegan friendly!

Shrimp toast - has a nice crunch with minced shrimp infused into the batter! The coconut curry sauce that accompanied it adds a nice contrast, creating a perfect melody of savory and sweetness! Highly recommend trying this!

Tea smoked BBQ ribs - very tender and sweet; you definitely taste the Chinese incorporated cooking technique and seasoning! Unlike your regular bbq ribs, if you had Chinese bbq pork before, it's incredibly similar. Although you can't really taste the jasmine tea, it is still incredibly delicious!

Pineapple and shrimp fried rice - unlike the pineapple fried rice from Thai restaurants, this dish is not served in a pineapple but it does have a generous amount of pineapple and shrimps. You can definitely taste the "Wok hay," which in Cantonese basically means the smokiness from cooking it in a wok, which is delicious!

Duck fat fried rice - you can definitely smell the duck fat infused fried rice with tiny bits of ducks in it. Incredibly flavorful and savory, pairing perfectly with the scallion and veggie bits! This dish would be even more amazing if they included more duck pieces into it so that you can taste the duck more easily!

Cocktails:

Baijiu Bliss - very strong with a hint of pineapple, so drink with caution because this can definitely get you very lit! A modern twist to regular baijiu that many Chinese elders drink during dinner time!

Jia Xiu Lou - sweet and citrusy! Has a nice hint of fruitiness for those who likes it! Strong as well but easier to swallow than the Baijiu bliss in my opinion!

Overall, our experience was amazing. Friendly host, amazing bartenders, and delicious variety of foods! Definitely worth trying if you like Bengali/Chinese-American foods! The staff here all strive to provide a community to share its culture with the rest of the world, so give them a shot to surprise you with a brand new,...