Mr Tang of Mott Street

Well, as a bunch of hungry Jews on Christmas, we kinda got stuck here because we just couldn’t decide/​agree on anything better. Add that to the fact that it was raining… and there we found ourselves, on the corner of Mott and Bayard at Mr Tang. The place is kind of dingy, has an uninspired menu and a fairly unreceptive waitstaff. The food was cold, greasy, flavorless. The cold sesame noodles had only a passing resemblance to their namesake. The meats (I don’t know why, but someone ordered the Peking Duck) were lukewarm and oily.
Just about the only thing halfway decent was the fried rice and the beer.
And the check was surprisingly high for six people.
So we now know, and won’t ever be returning. Do yourselves a favor and skip this place.

I met a family member here for dinner — their choice, not mine. Walking up to it, I was a bit disappointed in how many tourists there seemed to be inside. (Yes — I’m one of those Asians that normally decides what Chinese restaurant to try based on how many Asians are eating inside.)
The food was «Meh.» Since there were just two of us, we decided to order very basic fare — wonton soup, kung pao chicken (not my choice!), and the tofu with mixed veggies. Just a side note — the tea is not brewed in the teapots — for some that makes a difference, for tourists, maybe not.
Maybe I’ve just grown up on amazing Chinese food places in LA and San Fran, but I felt that I’ve had better Chinese food delivered to my apartment.
Next time I visit Chinatown, I’m going somewhere with less tourists and more Asians eating inside.

Prominently located on a corner on Mott Street, and with an attractive interior, this place, as you might imagine, does draw its share of tourists. But the food is decent, so not all is lost on a visit here.
I began with the steamed dumplings which were fairly good. I was surprised at how quickly I ate all 6 of them (I was dining alone). The spices were just right with these. For the entrée I had the braised duck served with 8 ingredients. The 8 ingredients were not specified, and I can only remember 6 of them: carrots, snow peas, shrimp, scallops, broccoli, and squid. I was not expecting the inclusion of seafood, but it worked fairly well. Each of the individual items was appropriately cooked. The duck wasn’t extraordinary though. I felt that it was too smothered by the sauce, and the skin wasn’t crispy. Nonetheless the dish was still good and not that expensive given the selection of quality ingredients. To drink I had a glass of house red and some tea afterwards. The wine was fine and very inexpensive as well.
The service was a bit gruff, but I find that is typical at Chinese restaurants in the city for some strange reason. The bill included an automatic gratuity of 15%. I am not sure why. I was dining alone, and I typically tip more than that. But if you want 15%, then fine, more money in my pocket. Just be aware of this, before you unwittingly supply an additional tip.
3.5 stars

is mr. tang in queens related to this mr. tang in chinatown, manhattan, ny? mr. tang of mott street was my first introduction to all the mr. tangs in nyc. my guess is that mr. tang in queens followed the success of mr. tang of mott street. i did enjoy the flounder fish i ordered at mr. tang of mott. the two mr. tangs are good in my list of chinese restaurants.

Was visiting Chinatown in NYC for lunch this past Friday and I read somewhere that Mr. Tang was a good, authentic spot for chinese food. Plus I like the name LOL. After eating there, I know it wasn’t the most authentic I’ve ever had, having worked with people from China for 3 years previously. However, I enjoyed everything i had. My girlfriend had the wonton soup, which was better than average. We had the steamed dumpling appetizer, which was only $ 4.95 for 6, but they forgot to bring it before our entrée and I had to ask for it 2 more times before they brought it («do you still want it?»). Yes, that’s why I ordered it, sir. Those were good too, but overall the service was kind of poor. We had to track the waiter down whenever we wanted something after our initial order, and to get the check.
It did seem a little touristy, being on the corner of the famous Mott St in Chinatown, which I believe is the main drag there. However, it was not all tourists eating there because I saw quite a few Chinese people there. I would have walked out if it was all Americans eating there, as I agree that’s not a good sign.
For our entrée we split the shrimp w/​garlic sauce (I think it was around $ 17), which was pretty standard but still above average. I kind of wish I had ordered something more adventurous, but the shrimp were nice size, cooked perfectly and the sauce was really tasty. You get a plate of orange slices with your fortune cookies at the end of the meal, which is a nice touch for citrus fans.
Prices were decent for Manhattan. I really have no complaints about the food, as everything we had was really good (only reason it’s getting 3 stars instead of 2), but next time I’m in Chinatown I will find someplace else. There are more authentic spots I would like to hit and the service was sub-​par.

I go to Mr. Tangs every now and then and I would say it’s pretty good for being a tourist hot spot. I would suggest the mayonaise shrimp or seafood specials.

Let me start with the service. It was poor. The waiter was not rude, but I think we saw him four times during the course of our meal, and we were there for about an hour. He came to take our drink order, to bring the food, to take our plates, and to bring the check and the requisite fortune cookies. It might be because gratuity is included…
The food was pretty much your standard Chinese fare. We ordered scallops with black bean sauce and pepper, chicken and broccoli, and veggie fried rice for entrees. We also ordered egg drop soup, wanton soup, and some steamed dumplings for appetizers. I think that the food is average for Chinese food, really. It wasn’t really anything special.
Luckily we weren’t thirsty, either, because our waiter never came to ask if we wanted more water or tea… And come to think of it, I think we ordered some white rice that we never actually got…

My girlfriend and I were exploring NYC on New Years Day and we wandered into Chinatown. It was awesome, so much to see, smell, and take in. We were hungry and decided to try to find some food. There is so much, that it’s overwhelming, but after seeing that Mr Tang was pretty busy, we thought it was worth trying.
I ordered egg drop soup, a spring roll, and the chicken lo mein. she ordered a spring roll and the veggie lo mein. (Admittedly, not the most varied selection to review) The egg drop soup come out first and was tasty and hot. Then the spring rolls came out. My girlfriend grabbed one, took a bite and put it down; her hand was a pool of oil. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much oil come out of a spring roll. And the flavor wasn’t too good either.
Then our lo mein came out. It was alright, but like the spring rolls it was swimming in oil.
The service was alright. Nothing too great. They added a $ 4 service charge on a $ 23 bill.

Mr. Tang say long life to you. Our experience of this C-​town restaurant was an overall positive one. You just have to go with the flow, especially when no1 in your party can speak the native tongue of the waiters and you don’t mind that they write the bill in Chinese.
The table was small for a group of four and we were able to jam pack it with food just like every good American who likes to eat Chinese food. Hot and sour soup, roast duck app, ginger lo mein, orange beef, braised sea bass (which was whole btw… the gf was NOT expecting that ha!), some shrimp dish and some chicken dish, all of which were tasted and well received.
On one hand I wasn’t blown out of the water, but on the other I wasn’t mega disappointed.

I give this one a one star opinion. I have been to this place twice and it was horrible both times. The food was very bland and just not that good overall. The only thing good was the food came out in a hurry but one of the dishes in my party was cold (not my food though). I regretted not going to my normal fav spot that first day I heard of this place because that was one of those days I just did not feel like waiting for Green Bo’s. It was just too cold. I hated this place you know, I mean rude server and unfriendly environment and all that mess. one of my friend’s ordered the duck he just asked «What does this come with? Does it come with rice or vegatables?» The guy responded back «You get nothing!!!» Rice is extra” I was like wow, you didn’t have to be that REAL about it. So now I tell them you get nothing and am never coming back there.

Hope you really trust the majority of reviews for this restaurant and AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COSTS!
This place is so bad, I won’t bother writing a detailed review — I was not even fuming as usual when we were done with this place — because I just want to forget this experience ever happened.
All dishes ordered were awful. The ONLY good thing brought to the table was the FORTUNE COOKIE. Never had worse chinese food in my life…
Enough said!

Catered more towards tourists, this place is priced accordingly.
Food is above average but comes at a price.
Must get: Crispy chicken

My friend’s mom warned her to be careful of her Chinatown-​raised boyfriend. The reason? «High cholesterol, especially because of so much seafood.» No joke. The Cantonese know their seafood.
And after grubbin’ at Mr. Tang, I can understand why.
I mean — did I go to a different restaurant than the other reviewers? Because we had ourselves a tasty grub feast last night.
Sure, there were some American tourists here. (Case in point: the group of old white folks trying desparately to order a fried rice without any meat or seafood).
… And yeah, that’s why Americans haven’t found this place to be good.
… stick with the authentic Canto-​cuisine.
We headed in last night, after seeing lots of tables crowded with Cantonese folks getting their feast on.
… In C-​town, just follow the general yellow: white ratio guidelines.
That said, we ordered a special combination meal (off the Chinese-​only small menu). None of that General Tso’s or whitey folk dishes. We were ready for some pre-​Chinese New Year feastin’ and to get a temporary cholesterol spike.
There were only 3 of us, but our table was covered with food. The special combination (~$ 75 total) included the following:
— Seafood and tofu soup
— Lobster, cantonese style
— Sizzling jumbo shrimp (prawns) + onions
— Braised flounder and bean curd
— Crispy chicken
— Sauteed Chinese vegetable w/​garlic
… and oh man, we cleaned house. All that was left on the table when we were done was some chicken (they did give us the whole thing), and a bit of soup.
Even my mom, the standard hard-​to-​please Chinese mom, was obsessed with the chicken. And loved the prawns (even though high cholesterol!). For once, she ate her fair share. Believe me, with her perpetual fear of getting fat, that’s a surprise.
Some helpful tips when you venture into Mr. Tang’s, be sure to bring a Chinese friend and skip the Americanized menu.

I came here for dinner last night with the SO. We’ve been here a handful of times prior and was always delighted with the food. Last night? Not the case at all… I’m not sure if it were the items we ordered but we were both really disappointed.
We ordered the Tofu & seafood soup, Chinese Veggies and Jumbo Shrimp with Salt & Pepper.
The soup came out tasteless. We had to ask for Vinegar and pepper to give it some taste. The Chinese Veggies came out missing the crab topping and the worse of the items was the Jumbo Shrimp. It was deep fried with batter that made it almost seem like it was Shrimp tempura! WTH?!
I am not sure what happened to this place because the many times we’ve come here to satiate our seafood cravings, Mr. Tang’s always lived up to our expectations! Not so last night… sad to say, we won’t be coming back here any time soon…

This place is just horrendous. Prime example of trick the Foreigner or Visitor place. Think about it — their General Tso’s chicken is their best dish…
This place still gets a fair share of tourists — not too many chinatown locals come to eat here. The setting is of a classic chinese dinner restaurant — with an aquarium for fishes, and tables with tableclothes, and clear windows. It is comfortable sitting in here, but the food is just lacking.
The food is pretty much oil, flour, and Msg. There are plenty of other places to go, and this isn’t just one of it. It’s such a good location, right in the heart of chinatown — but maybe that’s why it’s a tourist trap.

I think this place is only good for lunch, mostly because the non-​lunch prices are not really that great. However, the soup here is awesome. pretty authentic Cantonese homestyle stuff. And it’s free with your meal! Always ask for the house soup. i think if you’re not Chinese they automatically saddle you with some nasty kind of Chinese-​American soup thingey. Food in general is decent, haven’t had anything I didn’t like, and the «Chinese-​American» stuff like General Tso’s chicken is pretty good too. This is one of the places me and my coworker frequent quite often for lunch. Seating is plentiful during lunch and the crowd is an interesting mix of tourists, people who are on their lunch break from work and Chinese people from the neighborhood. And the waiters are nice. but they also love one of my coworkers so I may be biased.

Always crowded. So far only ate there once but it was memorable, the food was simply delicious and very authentic Chinese taste. I liked especially the Fillet of Steak with Black Pepper Sauce, the outside is crispy and the inside simply melts in the mouth. Service was great and gave very good suggestions. Have to go back there again soon! YUMMY! :o)

A nice place to sit, and good service, but the tea is terrible and the food inconsistent. I once thought this place was good because there was this fish omelette I got that was pretty tasty. I even took my brother here once when he came in from out of town, but after that first visit I was never able to figure out how to get the omelette again (I think they dropped that fish from the menu), and everything since has been either so-​so or bleh.
The reviews of this place reinforce my sense that Unilocalers have pretty good taste. Oh yes, one more thing. Should you come for lunch ask for the lunch menu. The dinner prices are outrageous, but the lunch prices aren’t that bad.

How I was duped into eating here is beyond me, but the point is I fell for it. The food and service reminded me of another nearby crapshoot, otherwise known as Wo Hop, except the restaurant is located in a very ideal corner area of Mott and Bayard, where it is super noticeable and magnet for tourists hungry for Chinese.
The place seems to be semi-​well decorated but has a tinge of tourist trap the moment one enters the doors. The waiters were not friendly to my group and I and pressured us to order quick even though the restaurant was not busy. Of the Chinese American dishes that we wanted to skip, we ended letting one dish slip by (General Tso’s — ugh) while trying to stay authentic with the rest of the dishes.
The food was disappointing but shockingly the General Tso’s was the best dish we ordered. It was sweet, fried just right, and with enough meat within each crispy bite. It was rather ironic the best item was an American Chinese dish, similar to preferring Taco Bell while being surrounded by more authentic stuff. The Peking Duck was outright terrible. It was dry, bland, and had no ounce of juice left in its meat, leading many of us to believe that it was hung dry for awhile before being tastefully decorated onto a plate.
The prices were also slightly higher than some of the other restaurants around, which was another punch to the gut. Pootie Tang was better than this Tang. I am shocked that this was ever a Zagat recommended establishment.

Went here last night and closed the place. It was ok had really good wonton soup with tiny little wontons which were really soft and tasty. We shared shrimp lomein, very good however we were still hungry afterwards and it was quite pricey. Would I go back?
No, it was overpriced and this is Szechuan style which is not my favorite. More of a Hunan, Cantanese type of person.