Ma Peche

Doesn't Recommend

Maria from Mellerud

Joined 3 years ago

A money making machine with awful food. It felt like coming into a factory that had only one sole purpose and that was to make as much money as fast as possible. Young kids serving and cooking without much experience, food that was bland and over priced, the drinks small and overpriced, no ambiance and loud music… Not a place that my friends and I would ever go back to again. If you want to eat “family style” as the girl suggested you are better off at a dim sum place in China town. Maria from the Upper West side

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Athena Chang

Joined 3 years ago

Delicious Fusion cuisine. I was never big on David Chang's restaurants. I mean I love Milk Bar but I was not a big fan of Noodle Bar and Saam Bar is just too overhyped for me. However, when I dined at Ma Peche, I was truly delighted.

We tried the Pork Ribs as appetizers and I got the steak with rice fries as entree. The pork ribs were surprisingly good! They are well seasoned and the meat was so cooked it was falling off the bones. My steak was cooked well and it tastes amazing with their homemade mayo sauce. The rice fries are the best. What a brilliant concept and it is even better than fries in my opinion.

The bill was not cheap but I was glad to try this place. Now I am hungry for more!

Doesn't Recommend

dcork2000

Joined 3 years ago

Over-Fuku. After a memorable lunch at Nougatine including appearance of the owner of the building with lots of secret and open body guards we tried Ma Peche next day. What a disappointment! This pastel colored cave deep down in the Chambers hotel does not justify the hype. Simple Asian food mostly on the sour side, mediocre service and a high price tag. Don´t let the complicated online reservation system fool you. There is nothing fancy to it. The place was half empty when we were there and they pretended to have almost full booking on the internet. Waste of time and money!

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ellen818

Joined 4 years ago

Ma Peche -- Welcome addition to Midtown!. I've been to Ma Peche four times in the past 2 months for both lunch and dinner, and I've enjoyed all of my meals very much. Since my office is only two blocks away, Ma Peche is a welcome addition to the midtown lunch/dinner scene. I've been a regular patron of Momofuku Ko, but Ma Peche is so close, it's hard for me not to become a regular patron of Ma Peche. The food is both creative and delicious. I've loved the fried cauliflower, the pork ribs, the scallops, the steak frites with the yummy rice fries and the corn niblets with lardo.

While lunch may be crowded, early dinner is almost serene. Service has dramatically improved. I could not have imagined more attentive service.

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silverblue

Joined 3 years ago

Chang's French-Vietnamese Fare: Good but not Great. I came here for an impromptu Sunday brunch, having heard that David Chang just opened his latest restaurant at Chambers Hotel midtown. The entrance to the hotel boasted grand floor to ceiling wooden doors that greeted you like royalty; this is the first cue that this place is not going to be pocket-friendly. The location of Ma Peche was a little confusing since it was located at the back of the hotel lobby; there are two or three areas to dine at; the main restaurant area, the bar area (stately, dry and monotone bar with high stools), and the airy open mezzanine level, which we opted for. Here, you dine on exotic wooden coffee tables and oversized leather couches, which may feel awkward at first, but I like this sort of casual, ad-hoc dining experience… something not everyone will appreciate.

The menu has a strong French-Vietnamese influence to it, which was a pleasant surprise. We ordered the cassava chips to start, which reminded me of my Southeast Asian childhood snack treats; the chips were delightfully crispy and had an addictive spicy kick to it. Next, we had the squid salad with scallions and peanuts, which was refreshing but maybe a tad bit salty from the fish sauce. The short ribs braised with carrots and spaetzle were bursting with strong, rich flavors. We also ordered the famous fried cauliflower, which was easily the highlight of the meal. The cauliflower had a monotone burnt color to it and did not look very appetizing but the moment you bite into the little trees soaked up in curry, mint and fish sauce, you wonder how on earth this dish was created to have that sort of crisp on the outside and buttery softness on the inside. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever tried before! Although I thought the individual dishes were all good, the combination of it all may have been a little bit overpowering and rich for lunch. I thought that the portions were fair for the price (some don’t) and the 2 of us could barely finish the chips, appetizer and 2 entrees!

I would still recommend this place for a casual brunch, especially appropriate for catching up with an old friend or a new acquaintance. Just beware that the price point is to be expected of any David Chang establishment at about $60+ for what the two of us ate (includes 2 pots of mint tea), so don’t complain about the prices if you want to dine here. Final verdict: I’m a huge fan of the Mfk empire, having been to every single one of them (Ko, Ssam Bar, Milk Bar, Noodle Bar) and I would rank Ma Peche at 3rd place before Milk Bar and Noodle Bar (ramen too salty). I would give this place 3.5 stars if I could.

Doesn't Recommend

Frau Frieda

Joined 3 years ago

Ma Disappointment. What a let down. I had such high hopes but should have known better when they were able to seat me at 8pm without a reservation. Service was slow and unaccomodiating. They would not substitute fries for veggies "no substitutions allowed" she barked! Sorry - I thought they were in a client service industry??? The steak (without fries or substituion) was fat and chewy. Perhaps most disappointing was that I paid $5 for a rocks glass potion of diet coke while an imported beer from Korea was only $6. What's all they hype for? I'd rather have eaten at the Astro diner!!!

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prlgirl

Joined 7 years ago

Good Lunch. Stopped in for a late lunch recently. Thankfully there was no wait desite all the buzz. We sat at the bar and received excellent service and our visit included a David Chang spotting. For all the hype, the food was good, but not outstanding or memorable for what they charge. We had the calamari that was incredibly fresh. The mussels had a very flavorful broth and was accompanied by a huge piece of bread to savor it with. Had the branzini which was good, but again nothing spectacular. They do not serve the Milk Bar items in the resto, so we had to take those to go which was the best part of the meal, but not really part of the Ma Peche experience. Loved the composte cookie and crack pie, because the name alone is worth getting a slice. I'd go back to try the midtown lunch special or for the Milk Bar only.

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foodieNYC

Joined 5 years ago

Good food. Nice crowd downstairs. great service. I'm a fan of anything Chang does, and he's brought the love to midtown. Nice spot in an otherwise dreary neighborhood. Great place for a more upscale lunch.

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TardyKat

Joined 10 years ago

Lunch prices reasonable. I was pretty excited to enjoy the Momofuku experience in midtown for $10 at lunch!

A friend and I were seated promptly. The 2 seater we had was right over the mezzanine but with a low table, it was a bit uncomfortable to eat.

We ordered the banh mi maison and banh mi au poulet. The banh mi took awhile to get to us probably because they were made from scratch? Fortunately, the pate in the maison was not overwhelming and the poulet was pretty moist. It was more like a chicken meatloaf rather than a piece of chicken. For the $10 lunch menu, each entree came with a Coke, diet Coke or Keeper Springs water.

It was pretty tasty with a contrast of flavors (meat, daikon, cilantro and hot sauce makes a great combination). My only complaint was the banh mi could've been a bit bigger.

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Alexis Korman

Joined 5 years ago

Citysearch Editorial Review. Foodies who flock to the much-hyped Momofuku restaurants for a taste of David Chang’s modern Asian cuisine usually have to endure long waits for a table. Not so at Chang’s latest eatery, Ma Peche (which means “mother peach” in French), though reservations are still not accepted. Hidden away on the mezzanine level of the Chambers Hotel, Ma Peche successfully brings tasty, upscale Vietnamese fare (courtesy of Ssam Bar alum Tien Ho) like banh mi sandwiches and rice noodles with pork sausage to midtown, along with some American classics like a cheeseburger and strip steak.