S. Dynasty Restaurant

We made last minute reservations for a table of 9 during Restaurant Week. Staff was accomodating allowing us to be seated before the entire party arrived. The options on the pre fixe menu were broad, but I must say the food was up to par with what you would find at any standard Chinese restaurant, and probably for less $ (even w the pre fixe). We ordered 4 bottles of wine throughout the night. The staff was less than enthusiastic about serving us, and definitely took their time with attending to our table. At one point the waiter spilled a glass of water across the table, and proceeded to soak it up without the mention of an apology. Crossing this off of my list of places to return to.

My boyfriend and I really wanted to eat dim sum, but live about an hour away from Chinatown, so we decided to take a chance on this restaurant, which was only 20 minutes away. The place was deserted, probably because it's hidden on the 2nd floor of the Raddison hotel. Anyway, we ordered the West Lake Beef Chowder, Szechuan dumplings in hot oil, stuffed eggplant dim sum, shu mai, and the steamed juicy buns. We're kind of Chinese food snobs (ie. we think PF Chang is "fake"), but every single dish was excellent. The Szechuan dumplings had such a unique flavor that we were dipping the shu mai in the sauce.

Granted, the meal was a little more expensive than what you'd expect to pay in Chinatown, but the restaurant was beautiful and clean, and the service was excellent. If you don't feel like fighting the crowds in Chinatown, this place is a great substitute.

Pros: Beautiful and clean restaurant, tasty food, fantastic alternative to Chinatown
Cons: Pricier than Chinatown, dim sum choices limited

Dynasty is bar none the best Peking Duck house in New York City. I started going to Dynasty because it offered a pleasant, quiet atmosphere for business lunches, but it has become a family favorite as well. The Szechuan dumplings in hot oil are authentic (and cannot be found too many other places in the city), as are the garlic green beans. There are few, if any, dishes that disappoint. Zelda's review noted an increase in prices for take-out; bear in mind that those prices were well below the dine in prices and were due for an adjustment!

Pros: Authentic cuisine

We came here for lunch, without a reservation. The restaurant wasn't very busy, no doubt due in in part to its second floor location. I was impressed right from the start. The tablecloths were starched, the grand piano was polished to a shine, and the service -- just perfect. The food was also declicious. My favorite was the beef with mushrooms and bamboo shoots. The most impressive aspect of the meal was that the lunch entrees were around $8. That would not be so cheap for regular Chinese food, but this is a truly upscale place, and it could easily get away with charging $18-$20 for entrees. This place is definitely on my list as a great weekday lunch spot.

A friend of mine who has lived in the neighborhood for over 8 years swore to me that this place was THE BEST chinese in the city and told me to give it a try if I doubted her opinion. Well, after being a doubter, I am now convinced that S. Dynasty might actually be the best, at least in the neighborhood. The food was hot and delicious. The menu had a ton of variety, but the most impressive part was the affable and friendly service. I would definitely recommend this place!