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China Blue Brings Soup Dumplings And Shanghai Specialties To Tribeca
By
Nell Casey
Published Jan 7, 2014
Modified Jan 7, 2014
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By
Nell Casey
Published Jan 7, 2014
Modified Jan 7, 2014
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
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It took just two short years for Murray Hill's Cafe China to be awarded a Michelin Star and just a little longer for proprietors Yiming Wang and Xian Zhang to expand upon their successful first restaurant with a new offering in Tribeca. China Blue opened in December, taking over an expansive bi-level space on Watts Street and decking it out to channel early 20th century China. While their first restaurant explored the powerful and spicy flavors of Sichuan cuisine, the new restaurant focuses on the coastal fare of Shanghai, which specializes not only in seafood but also sees influences brought in from other points both in China and abroad.
Of Shanghai cuisine, xiao long bao enjoy the the most notoriety, but other dim sum like dumplings and puffs are also incredible popular. China Blue does their versions of all of them, like soup buns with crab meat ($12), shrimp shumai with salmon eggs ($12) and sweet red bean puffs ($12). The fish-heavy entree sections includes dishes like shredded eel sauteed with chives ($29), steamed bass with crispy soy ($29) and the beautiful "Lion's Head" meatball ($17) flavored with crab.
Vegetarians won't have trouble eating here, with options like egg tofu with vegetables ($16), bean curd with chinese mustard greens ($12) and lotus with scallion and ginger ($14). On the flip side, there are lots of pork and lamb dishes, including pork ribs wuxi style ($19) and lamb stew in a clay pot ($22). And no meal would be complete without an order of toothsome Shanghai pan fried noodles ($12).
As you can see from the photos, each area of the restaurant has a distinct personality, from the brasserie feel of the front room and bar to the airy back dining room that channels both a library and a high school gym. There are touches of China's pre-World War II opulence, like festive lamps, decorative blue vases and painted screens. Representations of old world innovation, which pass as retro twee these days, are positioned throughout the restaurant, like the lovely old Corona typewriter and an antique phone in the downstairs sitting lounge. A dedicated tea bar tucked under the staircase makes good use of a tricky design; it's also pretty adorable.
135 Watts Street, (212) 431-0111
Tagged
cafe china
china blue
new restaurant and bar radar
shanghai cuisine
tribeca
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Nell Casey
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