Emmie’s Global Cuisine

This is soooooooo good! I’m so happy I found this place on Unilocal right before they close! Cutest interior mix of elegance and comfort. Owners came out to shake my hand and talk with me as well. Service is amazing!!! I think I will definitely have to come back here!!! I have nothing to say but LOVED MY MEAL!

What a fabulous place! As a visitor from Washington, DC, I’m used to great ethnic places, but Emmie’s was a real standout. The menu is fairly long and varied, but everything we tasted was delicious! Whether it was the Filipino, Korean or Thai dishes, they were fresh, flavorful, unique and authentic. I would definitely come here again!

Good tasting food. Friendly staff. But the kitchen was incredibly slow and disorganized. My fiancé and I treated both of our mothers to brunch here for Mother’s day. We were a party of 9. We were the first table to be sat but for some reason they served food to 2 tables of 2 people that came in about 15 mins after us. About 30 minutes after placing our order the waitress came over and asked my mother if she wanted her fish fried or broiled. All and all I’d say we waited 45 total minutes to be served our first dish, which coincidentally happened to be mother’s fish. I also say «first» because each person was served individually clockwise around the table over the next 30 mins. The first person served was done eating before the 5^th person even received their food. One omelet was also made with the wrong ingredients. Unfortunately my fiancé’s mother was last to be served and had to eat alone. This place has potential but for a small place with only 7 tables, 2 hours to serve your the first table of the day is just too long

Very eclectic menu that leans Asian. Emmie was very nice and she introduced herself while I was waiting for my carry out order. Food was really good. My wife devoured her green curry and my kids loved the teriyaki salmon. Fish and chips were also spot on.

We stopped here for lunch on our way to Rochester, and I’m so glad we did… so much better than a Thruway rest stop! It was very quick and easy to get to. We ordered off of the Sunday brunch menu but it seemed pretty close to the regular lunch menu.
I had the Caribbean Chicken rice bowl (curry style with awesome fried plantains and a refreshing slaw). The flavors were really good, although it reminded me more of a Japanese curry than Caribbean. My husband had the Filipino Adobo bowl and he liked it a lot. It was just spicy enough and the pickled vegetables on the side were interesting. Each bowl was $ 12, a good value for lunch since it filled us up for the rest of the drive.
This restaurant has a unique and cool concept, and good food to boot.

I stay over in Utica sometimes and am familiar with a few places to eat. Last night after a long drive I decided to try something new. Emmie’s Global Cuisine came up on Unilocal and although it only had a handful of reviews, it looked interesting. I checked the menu, liked what I saw, and went there. It’s a small place, but it is very welcoming. I was greeted at the door (turned out to be Emmie’s husband), seated, made to feel right at home. They had Jerk Chicken as a special, but I opted for the Pansit Bihon, which is a Rice Noodle dish with Chicken, Veggies, and Crispy Pork Belly pieces. I asked for them to make it spicy. When it was served, I was really pleased with it. This was only my second experience with Filipino Fare, but it was delicious. They made it spicy just as I had asked. Then a woman came out to ask how I liked my meal. It was Emmie. She was really concerned that everything was to my liking, and wanted to make sure I was happy. The food was really fresh, served hot, to my request, by people who genuinely care. I will definitely eat there again. Nice job Emmie!

I am very happy to have found this place. The food is excellent — it is full of flavor and clearly fresh and not overly greasy. The owners and staff are friendly. Highly recommended!

Largely Filipino and Caribbean influenced, the food is consistently delicious. The chances that an owner or the chef will visit your table to make sure that everything is to your satisfaction is likely, and if you’re not sure what to order, they will guide you. Definitely order the lumpia, bibimbap, Caribbean curry chicken, and anything with the purple yam!

As featured in a recent episode of Mohawk Valley Living,“there is a rather new place turning heads in Utica. Emmie’s is offering a different twist to the area and it starts with a very selective menu.
Located on Bank Place off of Genessee Street and right next to the iconic Gold Dome, sits a tiny restaurant with no more than 25 seats. The menu has only twenty items to chose from ranging from specialty appetizers to entrées. The feeling when first walking in is Middle Eastern meets Western Europe.
Our meal consisted of two appetizers: Siu Mai, a Chinese dumpling made with ground pork and shrimp, mushroom and scallions. Each was very delicate and savory, a great way to start. The second, a traditional Beef Sate marinated and grilled served with a peanut sauce. If ordering for more than two people, consider a third appetizer. The portions are relatively small especially the Sate.
The main course was Braised Oxtail served in a spicy Moroccan style gravy rich in cinnamon and spices over rice with fried plantains. Very tender, very tasty and easy to enjoy.
The Shrimp Green Curry was excellent (order it mild or medium, any more spacey may destroy your pallet!) I chose to order it medium in heat — a good choice there. The broth was very clean and bright and featured Thai eggplant, something I have never tried. Imagine the consistency of zucchini but taste of tomatillos and squash. (See picture!)
The third member of the party ordered the Kal-​bi, a beautifully cooked portion of beef short rib in a soy and sesame seed sauce. While the menu advertised it as served in lettuce cups, it came with a side of rice and asparagus. Still a very tasty bite.
You may also order additional sides at a small cost. I highly recommend the collard greens… Mildly spicey with a light vinegar bite… Absolutely the best I’ve ever had!
From what I’ve heard, the menu changes often according to what is readily available and of course what the chef has available. The only real criticism I can offer is that the waitstaff seems to be a bit flustered all the time and it often takes a while to get refills on drinks or to place orders. We also found out pretty late in the game that a few menu items we had ordered were not available which is bound to happen in such a small atmosphere, it would’ve been better though to of been notified upon ordering. I will be returning as soon as I can to try more exotic eats right here in our own city.

«Global» is often a vague description of a menu, but Emmie’s focuses on well-​chosen comfort food from a few cuisines. Caribbean, Korean, Filipino dishes dominate, but there are some American and Southeast Asian influences as well. The lunch menu is short, but each option was so tempting that I had trouble choosing.
I ended up getting the Caribbean Chicken Rice Bowl, which came in a curry sauce with fried plantains on the side. The plantains were just the right texture and rice bowl was very filling. I was just sad I didn’t have room to try any of their desserts afterwards.
The space is small, but bright and eclectically decorated. I enjoyed sitting by the large front windows, even if I did feel a bit wedged into my seat. The service was excellent and the menu offers options I haven’t seen anywhere else in Utica. I was there for lunch, but the waitress showed me the dinner and brunch menu so I can’t wait to go back!

My first time in Utica tonight. I Checked out Unilocal and most of the restaurants listed were Italian and I was not in the mood for it. I came across Emmie’s; read the reviews; looked at the pictures. I reviewed the menu, and it wasn’t overwhelming, and everything listed sounded very good, so my coworker and I went. Just as we stepped inside, we were already impressed. Small place but elegant in its own very charming way. The service was great. Our server was very friendly and cheerful. We ordered the shumai, Korean bimibap, pork adobo, and cheese ice cream for dessert. Everything was excellent. We both enjoyed every bite and along with the super friendly service, the dinner definitely was an amazing experience. And here’s another plus, the chef/​owner met us to make sure we are enjoying our dinner, and we also learned that our server was her daughter! I absolutely recommend this small family owned friendly restaurant with excellent food and dining experience! You will not be disappointed at all… I guarantee it!!!

We’ve stopped at this cozy café twice while driving thru Utica. Both times we’ve enjoyed our lunches with the freshly made entrees. The short menu has a neat ethic diversity reflecting the backgrounds of the owners — Caribbean, Filipino and Korean. Our waitress, January, was friendly and responsive to our requests. Looking forward to going back on our future trips!

Excellent food, great space, wonderful service. If you haven’t been yet — you need to go!

What a gem to come across on a quiet Sunday morning! A friend and I were staying at a nearby hotel and were searching for a nice breakfast place. The city seemed deserted. But, then we heard some nice music and a lovely waitress welcomed us in to Emmie’s. What a nice surprise! The place is adorable, the owner/​chef came out and chatted with us and the waitress was the owners daughter who was very accommodating. The food was superb! Challah French toast with fresh berries and Croque Monsieur. Great coffee too! I am so glad to have found this cute place & I hope it will be in Utica for a very long time!

Excellent in everyday. Couldn’t decide what to order so we tried a bunch of items. Prices were low enough to do that. The chicken satay app was very juicy and flavorful. The fried chicken was the best I’ve hard north of Savanah Ga, my wife had the Koren BBQ rice bowl filed with crazy delicious ribeye, jasmin rice, sprouts, and a fried egg, all perfectly cooked. Collard greens were spicy and tender. Despite being full we still did desert. I cannot emphasize enough how good the homemade key lime pie is. Don’t expect that green plastic looking stuff or a dry cracking crust, this one was the perfect balance of sweet and tart, the graham cracker crust was moist with butter and fantastic. Can’t wait to go there with a group of friends. The chef came out and personally checked on us and gave us some great insight into their new place. She said they serve family style to groups. Recommend making a reservation for a group so we could all get a taste of their very diverse menu. It’s unusual to find such a small place that can do such an eclectic menu so well. The décor remind me of the Ritz Carelton hotels with teal and brown undertones. Really unique seating too, a couple of old suitcase turned into comfy bench seats.

Loved dining here! The food is spectacular and the atmosphere is so charming. I look forward to returning to open my friends eyes to delicious Filipino food. The lumpia is just like I grew up with. The staff is friendly and I’m so excited to see a restaurant like this in Utica flourish!

I gave it two stars because the people were nice and the décor was elegant, yet simple. Other than that, everything else was pretty bad. First of all, I was there on a weekday evening and we were the only party in the place. They were out of three things on a very limited menu. The prices were high, portions were small and absolutely no substations or changes were allowed. We ordered water and were served glasses of it with no ice. We later found out that we were given bottled water without asking for it or being told we would be charged for it. I complained about this and it was taken off the bill. I can’t imagine how anyone can run a restaurant and not realize how such a scam will anger people. I have been to restaurants all over the country and in many parts of the world and have never seen anyone pull such a scheme in order to add some more money on the bill.

Excellent! Emmie met me with a kind smile and a handshake as she sat me on the repurposed church pew in her quaint, tidy, and personable café. I ate off the Sunday brunch menu. The omelet was perfect — my choice of addings was properly cooked in and tasted wonderful! Everything around was closed, but am happy I found this place. Will definitely be coming back.