Louie and Chan
“Kale salad gets an A, the pastas and appetizers I've had are all awesome.”
“The space was totally decked out for Halloween and really felt like I was transported back to the Prohibition Era.”
“I love that they make it at point to highlight the San Marzano Tomatoes D.O.P., these letters mean they are from a specific region of Italy, very cool.”
Louie and Chan
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Happy Hour: Yes
Coat Check: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
Rate and write a review Cancel reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
I overheard a patron say this is her favorite restaurant. Good for her. Place is pretty decent. Staff is attentive and friendly. Decor is quaint and inviting. I liked the mushroom pizza, they weren't skimpy there. The sea urchin pasta was on the sparse side for the amount you pay. However, the presentation fits the bill, so take with you whatever you learned from those two cents.
I was quite annoyed with a gnat flying around my wine glass at the bar. Another gnat (or maybe it's the same one?) was irritating us when we were at the table. It was really stuffy inside since the AC was off and had the windows and doors opened. With a pizza oven going on the inside and 80something degree going on the outside it was not the most pleasant feeling to dine in sweat. The small space and tiny tables didn't help either. Lucky for us we were there early so we didn't have to exchange sweaty limb rubs with other patrons.
This review is only for the lounge. I loved the lounge here. The set-up is really nice. In the back, it's like a cocktail bar with sleek 1920's inspired booths. There's a definite speakeasy vibe. The bartender (didn't get his name, but he was Greek) took his time and made us delicious drinks. I told him to make me something sweet with either vodka, gin, or tequila. Although I loved the drink he handed me (The Happy Ending), I was a bit disappointed he chose something off the menu versus pulling something from his repertoire. I felt like it was an opportunity to be creative, but perhaps he'd prefer something tried and true. Regardless, it was delicious.
The dance floor was really really cold. I'd never been so cold while dancing before. The AC was way too strong. Maybe they anticipated more ppl, thus more body heat, which would require stronger AC? The lounge was pretty deserted until about 1am and even then there was still plenty of space to move around. All in all, loved it!
Visited the fine establishment last night for a wonderful 35 cents happy hour. You read that right! Each Tuesday, they have the happy hour drink of the week and you line up to sip sip sip from 7-8. Watch out for the morons who will cut the line in front of you. Seriously. Come in early as lines are out the doors and it's rapidly cramped in the basement!
I love the atmosphere! It's very speakeasy-ish, boudoir and dark. We had a mini concert playing 1920's tunes- it was awesome! And there was a always a burlesque lady dancer…
I've heard the food was magnificent and therefore will plan to dine next time to sponge off the delicious happy hour cocktails.
Came here for the 35 cent prohibition happy hour and the uni pasta. Disappointed by both 🙁
They were no longer doing prohibition (they said they were revamping and will continue in September).
So we ordered from the current happy hour menu – $5 wines (red, white, sparkling) and beers.
We had the uni pasta and also a $5 fusilli pasta and $7 pizza from the happy hour menu to share.
Uni pasta was really cool because it came in an actual spiky uni shell. There was not a lot of pasta inside however, and only a small amount of uni mixed in with the sauce. The flavor was only slight, mostly masked by the cheesy sauce. I've had better uni pasta elsewhere, but this was enjoyable nonetheless.
Fusilli was a really good deal. Big bowl of pasta with chunks of mozzarella and sliced grape tomatoes. Only $5, so can't complain!
Pizza (bacio diavolo) on the other hand was disappointing. It just slightly bigger than the palm of my hand, and barely had any toppings that was listed on the menu. Didn't taste any honey drizzle. Beside it was a happy hour special, it was only $7 but I don't think it was even worth $7 of the normal portion. I really wish they would specify that the size is actually less than that of a single slice of NYC pizza.
Complimentary bread was decent, as was the service. However, I probably won't return here any time soon, at least not until the prohibition happy hour comes back.
All of my dining experiences at Louie and Chan have always been excellent, so I'm adding a 5th star, which I basically never do. Most recently, a group of 5 of us came for a Saturday dinner at around 8pm. I was very puzzled, because I booked the night before without a hitch. I guess it's still somewhat of a hidden gem, so I'll allow it.
Anyways, we went crazy with the ordering, getting 3 pizzas, 2 pastas, and a whole mess of small plates.
For pizza , we went with the usual favorite Bacio del diavolo (San Marzano tomato D.O.P., 'nduja, Calabrian chilies, mozzarella, buffalo ricotta, honey drizzle), Egea (spicy blue crab, grilled artichoke purée, guanciale, tomatoes, sheep's milk Feta, lemon), and a plain margherita. The Egea was very unique, and definitely something that you should try if you like the taste of crab. However, if it's one pizza you need to order, it's still the Bacio del diavolo.
As for pasta, we got the tagliatelle with uni and caviar, served in a hollowed out sea urchin, as well as the duck confit lasagna with mushrooms and fontina. The tagliatelle has always been my favorite, but after trying that lasagna, I may have to change it. The confit duck was super velvety and rich, and the fresh pasta just gave the dish a nice chew. Unreal.
We also got the foie gras arancini, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli rabe. One of the alternate waiters accidentally brought us shishito peppers and fried artichokes, but after realizing his mistake, they ended up just giving us the shishito peppers and fried artichokes for free, which we didn't complain about. Couple all this food with a board of their delicious free bread, and we were bursting at the seams by the end of the meal.
Even with the little hiccup, service remains excellent, and our drinks were always promptly refilled. The prices in general are slightly more expensive, but if you stick with the pizzas, you can easily get your money's worth. After ordering all that food, it was only about $50 a person, including cocktails, tip and tax. Not too shabby. Not to mention, I would definitely go back for that lasagna alone. Hoo wee.
They have a daily $5 food and drink happy hour from 5-7 and even 35 cent drinks from 7-8 on Tuesday downstairs in the "parlor." 35 CENTS. Bring a date here on Tuesdays and go crazy for an hour. I can't really say enough good things about Louie and Chan. Easily now my go-to place in LES for a casual get-together or date night.
Maybe I came on an off night, but the pasta here is horrifyingly undercooked. I know al dente and I love al dente, but this is not that. The pasta is doughy, like fresh made pasta that was never dried and then was undercooked. Like I'm eating cookie dough. The noodles stuck to my teeth and didn't immediately break when I bite it. What am I eating?? Like a bowl of play dough. So disappointed.
The uni pasta is great for pictures because of the uni shell, but the actual uni is not fresh. It's very fishy and the pieces of uni I did find were very rubbery which is a weird texture I haven't encountered with uni.
Oh and the burrata. Even that was not good. It wasn't very creamy and was over salted. Like if just bought burrata and prosciutto from trader joes, dumped it on a plate with some arugula, sprinkled too much salt, and served it.
Lastly, why do they bother giving you chopsticks when nothing on the menu is Asian and you therefore don't need chopsticks?
So much gimmick. Too bad too because an Italian Asian fusion is such a great idea with so much potential!
I love you Louie and Chan! This review is for their basement discoteca only. Not sure what's happenin' upstairs, but if you're ready to listen to some good house music without paying a cover, you've come to the right place. I was blown away by the dj lineup. The service at the bar was on point too. I have nothing but good things to report about this establishment. Looking forward to returning to you, Louie and Chan!
4.5 stars. Close to 5 but not quite there. Louie and Chan in a nutshell: creative and delicious food menu, upscale cocktails featuring a separate negroni menu, excessively loud at times, spotty service, tiny yet bustling. The size and decor lend themselves to a date, the energy lends itself to a fun night out with a close group of friends. As long as you can tolerate the LES Saturday night energy, Louie and Chan is for you.
Came here at 8:30pm on a Saturday night (hopefully the redundancies stop there…hold on, I feel another other bubbling up). For whatever reason, I imagined the space to be quite a bit bigger than it actually is. While making a same-day reservation wasn't hard, there aren't many tables in the main dining room. Can't speak for the lounge downstairs (we didn't end up venturing down there). Interesting, old-timey decor meets 21st century New York mania – a bit dissonant in terms of energy (that's not the fault of the business though – just an observation).
The host here greeted us warmly, but service from then on out wasn't great. While everyone working there was bubbly and personable, wait times – especially for cocktails – were borderline unacceptable. I appreciate when a bartender tries to put out the optimal product, but don't take 15-20 minutes to do so. All about balance, friends. But about those drinks…
My first drink was the subtly adventurous Bacca Rosa (gin, fresh lemon juice, basil leaves, fresh ginger, pink peppercorn, absinthe rinse), which is really an ideal drink to start with. It's fresh and wakes up the mind and palate. I was worried about the absinthe (I'm always curious as to why licorice is so repulsive to so many people..myself included) but I know that when used properly, it can round a drink out well. Such was the case for the Bacca Rosa.
Next up, La Trinita: Angostura, Rittenhouse rye whiskey, Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao, Orgeat syrup, fresh lime juice. Another very well-balanced drink from what's most certainly a seasoned crew of mixologists (just look at the menu for the downstairs venue and you'll be convinced). Nutty and sweet and sour and boozy and delicious. If you don't like rye but are still into whiskey cocktails, don't count this one out – while more boozy than the Bacca Rosa, the rye flavor isn't overpowering.
Now for the food. And what glorious food it was.
Polpettine (lamb meatballs, San Marzano tomatoes, smoked mozzarella, basil & mint puree, sourdough): A-
These grew on me over the course of the night. I think my palate was initially taken aback, because when I first lay eyes on meatballs, I don't instinctively think "lamb". So the taste didn't grab me at first. That said, once I acclimated, I liked this dish very much. I'd say it was my least favorite of everything we ordered, but this is RELATIVE – everything qualified for the good-great spectrum.
Arancini (Foie gras stuffed wild mushroom arancini, goat cheese mousse, vincotto, fresh thyme): A-/A
Mushrooms and goat cheese as a combination rarely fail. Add foie gras to the mix and it's nearly impossible to go wrong. While I didn't love the preparation (at first glance, they look like deep-fried meatballs), what lay beneath the crude exterior was a delirious amalgam of flavor. If you're like me and prefer loud (as opposed to muted) flavors, this dish is a must.
Burratine (burrata, short-rib pastrami, roasted leeks, mascerated currants): A+
I've said this is previous reviews, but the clouds in heaven surely were conceived out of sweet, sweet burrata love. And I mean sweet in all senses of the word. This burrata is fluffy, delicious and pairs beautifully will all accompanying components. The currants provided bursts of sweetness and the short-rib pastrami provided some much-needed salt and texture. I'm telling you, deities were involved here.
Bacio del Diavolo pizza (San Marzano tomato D.O.P., 'nduja, Calabrian chilies, mozzarella, buffalo ricotta, honey drizzle: A+
What a challenging dish to end the night on. This pizza does everything right – and this is coming from someone who rarely eats pizza/pasta/Italian. If you appreciate when sweet, spicy, salty and umami come together in perfect harmony, you must get this pizza. The word "challenging" is due to my dismay when there was no more pizza left on the platter. What a sad moment. I moved on, but that's beside the point. Hard to say which component was my favorite – I'd say that's damn good evidence of a well-balanced/executed dish. The chiles add the spicy kick, the buffalo ricotta (quite possibly a heavenly cousin of burrata) and honey contribute the sweet/soft/mild…beautifully rich.
When I return, I'm nosediving straight into that sea urchin pasta with the sole hope of it making a convincing case for a 5-star review update. But for now, I'm rounding down to four. A very, very solid four.