Flor De Mayo

One of the best restaurants I’ve been to in NYC! They have the most delicious chicken and rice combo platter, came with avocado and sweet plantains. The menu is a little bizarre– half the menu lists Americanized Chinese dishes and the other half is Latin American dishes. I’m not normally a person that likes fusion but this place does it pretty well. The décor is a little kitschy but it works for the place. Staff is very friendly. I will definitely return!

For much of the UWS faithful, Flor De Mayo (五月花) is about as close as one will get to legit Latin American fare without having to venture north to The Heights or taking a trip out to the boroughs. Chino-​Latino (typically Peruvian) fare has been well established in NYC for years, and literally this location might be among the most well known of them all.
This location is one of two (Other is here:
) Flor De Mayos on the UWS. I’m still not entirely sure why it’s only these two branches at close to 20 blocks apart, but of the two this is the larger and more visited space. The table situation is plentiful for group dining action and usually bustling on weekdays /​weekends.
To those of you delighting in the all Chinese staff speaking Spanish/​Cantonese, it is no illusion. Bonus points to those of you who can also rock both languages well. One thing not so delightful however, are the prices. Fried Rice for $ 17? Half a roasted chicken for $ 13? Welcome to the Upper West Side. Let’s just be happy they accept credit cards.
There is an entire section just devoted to Peruvian stuff, which is what they do best. Their various ceviches ($ 14 – 17) are underwhelming, but I am all for their papa rellena ($ 5), a stuffed potato that satisfies before diving into the bigger platos. When it comes to the main plates, both the tallarin /​lomo saltado ($ 15 both) are hearty and fan favorites. The tallarin verde ($ 9 – 17) is truly green and there is also an arroz version that is cilantro based for $ 5. The winning dish is still the aji de gallina ($ 16), a shredded chicken thats been doused in aji, nuts, and cheese.
Not into Peruvian? No problem. They have an entire «Spanish food» section that includes everything from chicharrones ($ 13) to ropa vieja ($ 15). While those are fine choices, I would recommend anything with a pollo a la brasa aka roasted chicken ($ 14 for a whole) and I would also vouch for the Dominican style arroz con pollo ($ 14). The gluttonous can shoot for the carne guisada ($ 15), their version of Latin beef stew which is chunked out to the point where there is barely any broth.
The real laughable part of the menu is the Chinese American options. It takes up a majority of the menu and is crazy overpriced. Who wants to get shrimp with broccoli for $ 19? All of the seafood options are $ 18+ and even the lo mein is a hefty $ 13+. My last time here was a true test of endurance: my group of Chino food lovers decided to order young chow fried rice (揚州炒飯 — $ 12), «lobster Cantonese» ($ 36), shrimp chow mein ($ 18), and beef curry ($ 15). It was so bad that even the staff looked at us like we were weird. Luckily, the guy who wanted to make this happen ended up paying for everything. 3.5÷5 stars.

Authetic Peruvian food with amazing sangria! They don’t serve chicha morada which is a popular staple of any peruvian restaurant. Also their stuffed potatoes have chicken instead of meat. Otherwise amazing restaurant with great staff!

Knowing the foodie that I am my brother-​in-​law & sister-​in-​law decided to take me on a food journey for my birthday. They brought me to one of their favorite restaurants Flor De Mayo. The first Chino-​Latino restaurant I had ever heard of or been to.
We walked in and, their favorite waiter Louis was there so we requested him and he was fantastic. He showed us the drink menu which was out of this world, however it was a Thursday night and I had a long Friday ahead of me so I skipped the liquor.
Louis gave us time to look over the menu while getting us beverages and then came back to give us some suggestions. He suggested our whole meal basically, and everything was DELICIOUS.
We ordered a few entrees and sides and split everything. We ordered the house special fried rice, which was exactly what you would get at a Chinese restaurant in NYC except better. I have not had Chinese food since my dinner here and I know any fried rice I order will be sub par to FDM’s fried rice. Next up was the maduros, aka sweet plaintains, fried perfectly I couldn’t get enough of them with the rice.
For entrees we ordered: Pork chops, marinated in the herbs of heaven, I am not a big fan of pork. Don’t get me wrong I love bacon, but I never think of ordering pork chops. These pork chops however made me a believer. We also ordered the Verde Beef Stew, the beef chunks melted in your mouth. It was like eating soup your friends abuela made.
I always save the best for last: the third entrée we ordered was the Lomo Saltado — it is a mixture of steak, french fries, onions and tomatoes. Now, look at my picture, this food looks weird and sounds weird when you hear the ingredients together. This dish was in the top 5 best things I’ve eaten.
I will be back to Flor De Mayo and I will definitely recommend it to any one looking for amazing affordable food and a unique experiance.

Basically the same as their location further uptown. Their fried rice is pretty good, the peruvian chicken is done very nicely. I’ve always gone when it’s been pretty empty (late-​lunch or early-​dinner hour), and service is fast, though not particularly friendly. No AMEX.

After years listed on my bookmark, finally gathered enough crowd to dine here. Family style is the way to go and stick with the Chiva (Peruvian Chinese) dishes. I didn’t know this until I visit Peru, but there is a huge Chinese population there and hence Chivas are quite good. Reservation is recommended since even on a Sunday night, we had to wait 15 min for a table.
Fried cassava — very good. Especially the one with the spicy sauce. So get one each.
Chevice — decent but just average.
Squid ink fried rice — unique and very good. Skip the cilantro rice.
Roast chicken — get it, different than pio pio. More flavor and very moist.
Lomo Saltado — Basically stir fry beef with fries mixed in. I wish the fries are not this soggy. Good flavor but the beef is a little chewy.
Pork stew special — super tender. The stew sauce is perfect with rice.
The sangria is a little on the sweet side but perfect for the mood. Our server was very friendly and prompt (except for the front lady who is so uppity wouldn’t even talk to customers). I’ll definitely come back if I have a big crowd in the area again.

I’ll admit: growing up in a traditional Chinese household, never once in my life, have I ever thought Chinese-​Latin fusion would ever blow me away. The game has changed because Flor De Mayo has put me in my place.
Paul H. was in town and I joined him & his fiancé and a few of his friends as a group of 6 for dinner. The wait was very long for a Sunday night and was roughly close to 45 minutes. It is totally a hit among families with kids. They placed us in the back next to a fish tank, which made this experience seem more like a stereotypical Chinese restaurant!
The food was great – either we ordered too much, or the portions were just huge. Anyhow, the latter was definitely evident throughout the night – my eyes widened as the plate of chicken sat as the centerpiece of our meal. It didn’t take too long for the food to come; everything started rolling in well after we ordered. We started with the Aquadito rice soup with cilantro and there is a huge cilantro presence. Even though I’m not the biggest fan of cilantro, I really liked the flavoring and the pairing of the rice complemented the soup very well. The yellow rice was really delicious and went well with the chicken. We also had the Paella a la Valenciana, which is fried rice, and it was decent – cubes of ham and peas all over with seafood. I think the meat portions were pretty adequate but I wasn’t a fan of it overall. I prefer the yellow rice over the yellow fried rice a lot more. Finally, the chicken was delicious – tender and flavorful. Eat slowly because it can easily fill you up before you know it!
Since Flor De Mayo changed my view on Chinese-​Latin fusion, I think I’ll be heading to another Chinese-​Latin fusion restaurant pretty soon.

Stay away from their Chinese menu. Explore everything else.
When I first moved to the UWS, I was so excited that I got to live right down the block from Flor De Mayo. Their food is solid here (again, not the Chinese food). The restaurant is super casual, but it gets packed on most nights and I’ve seen people go on dates here– kind of cute and a lil odd since it’s not a very romantic place.
Food: my go-to’s are…
1) Squid fried rice: so good!!!
2) Roasted chicken: solid– super juicy and well seasoned.
3) Lomo saltado: epitome of Chinese-​Peruvian fusion. I’ve always thought beef stirfry, fries and rice is an odd combo, like creative drunk food, but it’s surprisingly delicious!
4) Spicy seafood stew: so much flavor but they don’t always have it.

One of my favorite casual places to dine in the entire city. It’s always consistent good food and I’ve never had any problems or issues with service.
Every time I come I order the lomo saltado and it’s always amazing. Good sized portion and I always end up taking what I can’t finish to go. My husband usually gets the squid ink fried rice and ½ rotisserie chicken. Never disappoints.
Sangria is good and strong. Doesn’t take ressies so if you come Thursday or Friday night expect a wait or get there early for dinner.

I stumbled upon this gem of a restaurant when every other restaurant on Amsterdam was full to the gills with brunchy patrons and I had a very hungry brood after a long day at the Museum of Natural History.
Chinese and Peruvian on the same menu. AMAZING!
The soups are outstanding (chicken, spicy seafood as well as the green rice soup with fish), the roast chicken is fantastic (we order it, plantain and yucca at least once a week for delivery). They have awesome combos of both cuisines if you just can’t decide and don’t have enough friends to share multiple dishes.

First impression walking in wow it’s super busy, went to the bar since we had a 20min wait bartender did not say 1 word to us. Didn’t even ask if we wanted to order anything. So eventually after about 18 mins the bartender said hi so I ordered our drinks. While he was making our drinks they called our name and we proceeded to our tables the bartender said he would send our drinks over. Boom server comes up to us and ask if we were ready to order. We literally just sat down so now I’m feeling rushed but I’m hungry so I’m like whatever.
Server comes about 10 times in less then 2 minutes so we say f it and just order. We place our orders now, food comes very fast we start eating and the bus boys keeps coming to the table to collect whatever was on the table we could barely hold a conversation because they kept interrupting. I felt so rushed!!! He even brought out the check before asking if we wanted the check.
1 star because of the horrible service
Food was actually pretty good but I will not return I prefer to give my money to a place that doesn’t make me feel uncomfortable and rushed.

Amazing food, I must admit I’m a super picky eater and this place was on point.
As you get older your pallet starts to change and this place has something for everyone. It’s a good place for a dinner date or a family night out.
Plus this have some amazing cocktails and who doesn’t love a drink to top off their meal.
Also their pricing is good for the quantity of food!
Def a top recommendation!!!

Busy, busy place! I went last night with friends. The wait was short. Only about 10 minutes. For a Tuesday it was pretty busy. I’m guessing a little extra because it’s the holiday season.
My friends and I were seated and immediately asked if we were ready to order. I ordered the caipirinha drink which was just ok. I’m used to a slightly sweeter drink.
For our meals we ordered:
–Ginger and scallion shrimp
–Ribs with fried rice
–Lomo Saltado
My meal cost the most at $ 24.40. The others were between $ 14 and $ 15 each. While it was very good, I noticed most tables decided to eat family style and share. I think that would have been a better way to get more variety.
Overall it was a good experience. I would return again.

I used to come here at least every other weekend for lunch/​dinner. The servers speak fluent Chinese, Spanish, & English which is pretty cool. I have tried the curry rice, ceviche, & steak options and all of them are okay. Good service but nothing too special with the menu they have to offer.

Delicious Peruvian food! They have both Spanish and Chinese food. The menu is extensive. Everything is very good here. My personal favorites are: the spicy shrimp soup (i forgot the name of it), the spicy seafood soup (only on Sundays), and they have the best Lomo Saltado! (sautéed sliced steak with french fries and tomato over rice). Large portions. Simply devine! The place is always packed so expect to wait. I usually have a glass of sangria while I wait patiently for my table.

Went back numerous times and never left disappointed. Besides pollo a la brassa y arroz chaufa, I also love lomo saltado. Not sure how or why, but I love it. Peruvian-​Chinese food has grown on me like crazy, but my loyalty will stay strong with Flor de Mayo!

I would’ve liked to have been a fly on the wall during Flor De Mayo’s creative meeting for their menu. I’m thinking that it went like this:
«So. what can we all do well?” — Owner
«Hrm, I can make chicken really well?” — Chef
«Okay, done. What else? What can you make really well *points to another chef*” — Owner
«Uh, I can make a mean fried rice but that doesn’t really fit into the…”-Chef #2
«DONE! Everyone else, scribble down what you think you can make on this list and let’s get this thing printed!»
The menu is crazy. I mean crazy. If I had to think of two foods that don’t go together on a menu, it would be Peruvian and Chinese but Flor De Mayo did it. If I were you, I’d stick to the Peruvian pages but to each his own. If there is one dish that you have to try on the menu, try the PERUVIAN CHICKEN. I swear by it. Also, just a heads up, the cocktails are really strong!
Service is quick, a little too quick. Sometimes they’ll bring over the check and take things away a little too early, if there’s a line but that’s the only negative.

Mastercard and VISA only. 15% gratuity for parties 6+
Décor: ⁴⁄₅
Service: ⁵⁄₅
Food: ⁴⁄₅
A bit cramped and packed inside. There is a round table near the fish tank that seats six comfortably. Service was excellent, they were very attentive and constantly cleared the tables. The dishes didn’t take long to come out also.
–Aquadito rice soup with cilantro was a great starter. It is a comfort dish and goes great with their tasty bread which is unlimited
–Plantains are large, plump and delicious
–Whole chicken was moist and seasoned well. The vinegar dip adds another layer of lfavor.
–Paella was less than stellar. There was too much rice and just a few pieces of seafood and protein.
Excellent value. Total came to less than $ 19 per person including tax and tip. We even had leftovers to take home!

Flor De Mayo (Mayflower) has been around for over 20 years. Chinese/​Peruvian this is their second location after the original one located by 101^st and Broadway. We waited maybe 10 minutes to be seated and our food came out in less than 15 mins. The Steak Palomilla is thin and never fatty although most may find it that it can use more flavor they have always done it this way. I simply add a little salt, pepper and squeeze a lemon over it. Most of the time if i went anywhere else it would probably bother me BUT this place has history with me and its the way its always been. The rice and red beans were great. The dish came with shredded lettuce tomato and I ordered a side order of Plantains.
We also ordered Chicharron De pollo (Deep fried Chicken crackling) and that was on point with taste. Let me point out it is a Friday evening so they are gonna be busy and there happen to be this one obnoxiously rude guy by the bar who forgot kids were in the place including mine. He was cursing and carrying on sharing some story with his friends. Not a moment more before I was about to get up and in a Gentlemanly style advise him he needed to curve his tongue did the staff at the restaurant politely asked him to tone it down. Two thumbs up for FLOR DE MAYO.
I will continue to be a fan of this place as long as they continue to think of customers first. Bravo Flor De Mayo, Bravo!!!

El pollo a la brasa es magnífico. Dos personas comen bien con arroz frito, medio pollo a la brasa y media jarra de sangría, por menos de $ 50. Uno de mis lugares favoritos para comer en NYC.

Flor De Mayo is a very strange, strange (but wonderful) place. When you first open the menu, you see «Polynesian drinks» (tiki bar style), the next few pages are Spanish and Peruvian specialties, then flip again and you’ve got Chinese food. I mean… what?! But I must say that although this is bizarre I have loved everything I have ever ordered from Flor de Mayo.
Their roasted chicken (pollo a la Brasa) with yellow rice and sweet plantains is a classic and so fantastic. The spicy scallion sauce that comes with it is addictive. We’ve also tried the ropa vieja (shredded beef dish), the lomo saltado (steak strips mixed in a sauce with onions, tomatoes and french fries), the Cuban pot roast, and the Chinese style squid ink fried rice. All were wonderful. The Peruvian dishes also come with a choice of white rice, yellow rice, green rice (cilantro) or rice mixed with beans. Portions are HUGE so definitely recommend one dish per two people.
So in concluding, Flor de Mayo does not disappoint either for take out or dine in and I highly recommend it!