Fung Tu
“I thought the fried dates stuff with duck was tremendous with great savory and sweet notes.”
“Next, the small plates: kohlrabi noodle salad, fava bean curd terrine, China-quiles, and pork belly egg roll.”
“The char siu pork belly was incredibly sumptuous and had just the right amount of fat.”
Fung Tu
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
Rate and write a review Cancel reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Stopped here for a late night drink. The bar was really cool, and the bartender even cooler. When he overheard me mention to my friends that I needed to grab a little something to eat, he asked me if I wanted to see their dessert menu.
Normally, that's a very accurate question to ask a sugar monster such as myself, but in this case, I'd already had dessert and now needed dinner. People do that right?…or is it just me? We had a good laugh over that and he gave me the food menu.
I decided to go with one of the small plates, Kohlrabi Noodle Salad with Sesame-Peanut Dressing and Anchovies. Also ordered a cocktail, which unfortunately I forgot the name of, but it was well-made, sweet and refreshing. The noodle salad is actually a play on words, as the "noodles" were actually ribbon thin strips of kohlrabi, a vegetable which I happen to love. The sauce of sesame peanut with salty anchovies had a really nice flavor profile, sweet and savory and salty. It was a little overpriced for the portion, but I'm willing to let that slide since it was a really nicely made dish.
The bartender was also very cool to chat with, and didn't mind that the group of people I was with were getting a little loud and rowdy (the patrons, on the other hand…). He also gave me a sample of wine after we got into a conversation about wines. Very cool place!
Went to Fung Tu mostly for cocktails, though I did try some of their food. The restaurant is very Asian fusion inspired, and the cocktails are no exception. Well, some of them. Other ones are just normal drinks with Asian-inspired names. I gravitated more toward those ones. I liked the White Tiger (rum, cognac, cashew orgeat, sherry, lemon/orange) and the Remember the Mainland (Old Granddad whiskey, Salers, vermouth and Luxardo). Cocktails are reasonably priced at $13 a pop, and the bartender was fun to talk to. The decor of the place is cool as well. Very clean with a deceptively dining area. But I liked the bar most of all, not only because the marble(?) top was pretty to look at, but because.. y'know, I really like bars. Anyway, also tried a few bites of the udon. Not the greatest, and up there in terms of price-to-portion ratio, but always nice to have late-night options.
Hands down one of my favorite "Chinese" places in the city. Of course, this isn't one of those authentic restaurants that I'd… say… recommend to my parents… but trust me: super worth it–authentic flavors with new world techniques. Try the smoked and fried dates stuffed with duck appetizer. Honestly, everything here is bomb. I had a couple main dishes and even the tiny lacking bits were over compensated by creativity and the love that went into the dish. Just wish service and ambiance was a bit better.
I attended a private event here a year ago and recall the food was good but the event was chaotic. So it was nice to come back and experience the restaurant.
It has a very cool vibe and there was no wait on a Wednesday night. This place is a hidden gem and the food is delicious!
The food
Smoked and fried dates stuffed with duck – I had to try it based on all the great reviews of the dish on Yelp. It was definitely unique and very tasty. I am not a huge fan of dates but I enjoyed this dish.
Kohlrabi noodle salad – very different but I am not a fan of peanut sauce but love the take on kohlrabi noodles.
China-quiles – very different! After the first 2 bites I realized I liked it!
I heard the chef is leaving so go soon!
Visited during RW with a big party of friends. Staff are really friendly.
I had two glasses of Shanghai 75 with Gin. Ordered from restaurant menu, I got pork belly egg roll, short rib, and olong ice cream. Overall, the dining environment is great and food is good but the main dish is relatively too simple and small in portion (I had the short rib), and price is on the high end (compared to avg Chinese restaurants).
My favorite item is pork belly egg roll, the portion is huge (almost like a main dish, can for 4ppl to share!) and Shanghai 75. Main dish was short rib that had nothing surprising and small portion. Olong ice cream is good tho.
Overall, I enjoyed the food and drinks. But will probably not revisit because I also have many other cheaper and good choices in the neighborhood; or I would prefer Cafe China or chine blue in midtown or downtown for similar ambiance and food but more variety and cheaper price.
What a gem in Chinatown! A refreshing take on fusion cuisine that's a definite upgrade from the typical slightly-grungy traditional Chinese restaurant. "Americanized" but in a good way. Ambiance has a speakeasy-type feel, dim and intimate. Overall I was really impressed. Fung Tu is making really good fusion food that's creative and thoughtful.
For starters, the stuffed dates are great. They're powerful little nuggets: densely sweet and chewy, stuffed with savory duck, fried crisp exterior. The arepas showcase a great marriage of Asian and Mexican flavors-sandwiches are made for fusion. I loved the kohlrabi noodle salad, which tasted like the cold peanutty noodles from my childhood but lightened up. Really good way to get your veggies in. China-quiles were the most interesting dish. A bed of silky steamed eggs topped with saucy ground pork (like you'd find in mapo tofu) and chips. Do you dip it? Eat it with a spoon? Whatever you choose, I think you'll appreciate the creativity. Braised char siu beef short ribs… Order these. Fork tender, heavily flavored sauce that reminds me of hotpot dipping sauce (fermented black beans, sesame paste). The rice sitting below is a good call, it's perfect for mixing the sauce and little bits leftover.
If you're feeling like a cocktail, I highly recommend the baijiu bijou. Baijiu is uncommon stateside, and this cocktail showcases its fragrance. A sort of introduction to this (very) strong liquor, and dangerously good.
Although they offer a tasting menu, I think ordering a la carte is the way to go. Based on what we ordered for 2, I recommend ordering 4-5 small plates and 1 large plate. I usually prefer appetizers, which often seem more interesting than the large dishes. Will definitely be back – this place needs more love!
This was the first place we ate when we landed in NY. It was very good. The wine list is amazing and the workers there are great at what they do. Here is what I recommend:
// Steamed Fish – $32 – WOWOWOW, this was soooo delicious. I could not stop eating it. one of the best fish meals Ive ever had.
// Egg Rolls – $13 – I thought this would be a little bit better. It was OKAY. I would not recommend.
// Bok Choy – $5 – Skip. not worth it
// China-Quiles – $15 – This was amazing. I really like what they did with this chinese mexican fusion. It came out hot and tasty.
Wow, Fung Tu impressed me. We stopped in here early on a Saturday evening after attempting Mission Chinese and seeing the ridiculous wait. They seated us as walk-ins, with the caveat that we only have an hour with the table. It turned out to be plenty of time, and the service was still exceedingly attentive and warm.
We shared three small plates and a rice dish. Our choices included the Steamed Buns Stuffed with Smoked Trumpet Royale Mushrooms, China-Quiles with Sichuan Pork Sauce and Crunchy Yucca Chips, Shaanxi Arepas with Braised Beef and Napa Cabbage Slaw, and the Fried Rice with Brisket, Broccoli and Pomegranate. Everything was above and beyond delicious, except the buns with mushrooms we probably could have done without. The China-Quiles was such a unique and addicting dish, we both could've eaten it all night. The Arepas are filling and full of rich flavors, a must-try. And the fried rice had rhubarb instead of pomegranate tonight, which turned out to be just as sweet and satisfying. It would have been nice to enjoy the rice as a side dish with all the others rather than on its own served at the end, but that's just nit-picking. I can't wait to return to try everything else on this ever-changing menu!