Silk Road Palace

08/07/2008 Posted by Gemsee82

My last night in NYC and I wanted to have dinner with a friend, 'ok' food, good prices but 90 mins after we arrived the manager came over and told us to 'get out' he said they had people waiting and wanted our table so we were kicked out, 5 mins after leaving i realised my camera was missing. I went back and told him someone had taken it and demanded he find it, after much arguing and threating to call the police he told us to wait outside and 5 mins later came out with a brown paper bag with my camera in it and said 'my staff stole it because you didnt tip'. I explained we were going to tip 50% because of the price etc but after they had been so rude we didnt tip anything. He smiled at this and said we were rude.......BECAREFUL!!!!!!

Pros: Cheap Food

Cons: Thieves

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

05/30/2008 Posted by nycinephile

Five members of the New York City Thrifty Gourmets Meetup Group and I field-tested Silk Road Palace this past Tuesday. The restaurant was clearly popular that night. Every table was filled at 7:45 PM, and about six diners were waiting in the entrance. The hostess greeted me in a lukewarm, perfunctory manner and noted the number in my party. Within about 15 minutes of our gathering, a waiter wiped down and prepared our tables. Our server was almost robotic. She did not greet us or introduce herself, and simply asked if we were ready to order. Our order was delivered promptly and correctly. The hot and sour soup was flavorful, but bland. The steamed fresh, prepared to order, was light, flaky, tasty and the standout of the evening. Our other dishes, which included beef Szechuan, chicken with peanuts, shrimp with walnuts, green beans with garlic, and baby ribs, were filling but not memorable. Some of the ingredients in some of the dishes did not seem fresh or of the best quality. The free-flowing white wine, served from a white box with a familiar brand name beginning with an F, relaxed my fellow diners and me, brightened our spirits and dulled the sensitivity of our palates. With each glass, we overlooked the unexceptional nature of our dishes and lost ourselves in conviviality. Our dinner cost $17 per person.

Pros: Free-flowing white wine; fresh steamed fish, prepared to order; reasonable prices.

Cons: Perfunctory service; unexceptional dishes

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

05/22/2008 Posted by wisebrain

Cash only. I didn't know there was free wine?!?! Food was okay... prices were average. Service was okay.

03/08/2008 Posted by improvisediety

I'm not sure what Silk Road Palace is like on weekdays, but some friends and I decided to check it out on a Friday. We waited two hours to be seated and ended up losing half our party because of it. Those of us who decided to stay, however, were very satisfied. While you wait, the bar will provide you with free boxed wine. While this is definitely not a place for sommeliers or anyone in any kind of hurry, the free wine and sizeable wait provide for a rowdy and entertaining crowd as most people are pretty schloshed by the time they get their table. Once seated, you can expect an inexpensive and extremely tasty meal as well as more free wine. My friends and I ate our fill and only spent $15 each, including tax and tip, and we had a blast. Next time, I think we'll try a Tuesday or Wednesday night in hopes of minimizing our wait time. I'd also recommend putting your name down for a table and going somewhere else for a bit if the crowd puts you off. <b>Pros:</b> Cheap and tasty food, free wine, fast service (once you're seated), entertaining atmosphere <b>Cons:</b> Long wait

02/17/2008 Posted by NYCLee10460

You cant beat the free wine. You never see the bottom of your glass or wine carafe, it is constantly being refilled. Very "hole-in-the-wall", complete with hand-typed menus, which I personally love. Well lit and loud, friendly atmosphere. The food is decent, fast, inexpensive, and pretty decent sized portions. The place was packed with the line outside the door on a Saturday night. The service is excellent, but I got the feeling they were rushing us out to make room for more customers. Great place for a group dinner. I would go back.

Pros: Free wine, fast service, decent food and portions, inexpensive, close to 1 train

Cons: Small restaurant with limited seating, very loud and bright, staff could be more friendly

09/20/2007 Posted by jenusya

I have been coming to this restaurant for years. And even tough I don't live in NY full time, I find myself going back to this place for the food and the atmosphere. I myself am not much of a drinker, so it is not the wine that makes me return, but the people and the food. The environment of this place is friendly and somewhat noisy (go figure, with all that wine), so if you want a quiet, romantic dinner, this won't work quite well for you. But if you are looking for a hip, fun place to have good chinese food - this it perfect.

Pros: Great prices, tasty food

Cons: On a busy night, there's quite a wait to be seated

09/14/2007 Posted by hyeny

You don't like free wine. But if you happen to like free wine, decent Chinese food, and eating cheap in NYC, then go to Silk Road. I've been going for years, since I was an undergrad at Fordham (lots of college kids, so also don't go if you aren't a fan of them) Everytime we go my friends and I get drunk and full for prob $10 a person. The wait can be over an hour or more on the weekends -which is sometimes a good thing - there's little room to wait inside but if you can manage to wait by the bar you can start drinking that free wine ASAP. Be prepared for rowdiness. And to those who have complimented the staff, you obviously are not drinking enough of that free wine. It's not a Silk Road night until you are (un)politely asked to leave.

Pros: free wine, free wine, and free wine

Cons: they WILL kick you out if you eat extra slow to get more free wine

07/14/2007 Posted by h7dunc

I’ve been to NYC twice and each time been here. The first time our niece who lives in the city told us we had to go here. I’ve never known the name our niece just called it Chinese and wine. I tell all my family and friends whom go to NY they have to go there. They ask me the name and I tell them I don’t know just tell the cabbie 81st and Amsterdam right side of street and step on it. This is the most fun at a restaurant I have. I tell people about it back in California and they don’t believe me. The first time I went I thought any place called Chinese and wine couldn’t be any good. Both times I’ve been all the food was great. I like the schezwan beef and my wife loved the salmon dish. I’ve been there with a total of 10 different people and everyone loved the food, cramped conditions and different atmosphere. I wouldn’t go there on my anniversary, but when we have it’s always fun. This is the only restaurant that serves my favorite wine: FREE. I forgot my video camera last time I went, would someone please take a video and post on youtube. Looking forward to my next Chinese and wine visit.

06/20/2007 Posted by wvcrabapples

We were in the mood for Chinese in the early afternoon and this place was convenient to our hotel. We did not know about the free box wine, and wouldn't have thought twice about it, but after a few minutes next to an obviously drunken woman at the next table, we got to thinking that the box wine might not be so cool. She was obviously plastered, with a loud free-flowing way of managing her sneezes and coughs. If my wife had not suggested that the food was "very average" before noticing the drunken lady, I might have given the place a break, attributing my lack of enthusiasm to the irritating presence just a couple of feet to my right. I pitied the solitary diner on HER right who received most of her attention (until he demanded she leave him alone.) The poor lady was a mess, as was her table and the floor around her. As we paid our bill, I mentioned to the hostess that they might have a problem, and she just shrugged. If you've got to have the wine, go for it, but you'll find much better Chinese and a much better culinary experience somewhere else. BTW, they offer a reprint of a positive review from citysearch on their printed menu. So I guess I've got some license to complain.

Pros: None noticed, maybe price

Cons: Free wine should not be unlimited - especially impaired people

06/02/2007 Posted by jenny715

I tried out this restaurant today for the first time after reading the reviews on citysearch Admittedly the one thing that attracted me to this place was the free wine! I came with a group of about 6 and we were treated very kind. Our waiter was VERY attentative. Even before our wine bottle was empty he would refill it. He also continuously refilled our rice bowl. The staff is very friendly. I ordered the shrimp/pork dumplings which was sooo good. I also ordered the 3 delux which was very filling! My family ordered the salmon with plum sauce...the suce was very sweet and tasteful and the salmon was VERY tender and came in delicious chunks of flavor. I will definitely go back. I would say teh drawback to this place is the small size. When we went it was not that crowded but as the night ensued there was aline of people waiting to be seated. It was kind of rude when one of the staff members came and took away my nieces plate without asking her if she was done. She was pretty much done but she still had some salmon i'm sure she could have finished if not for him taking the plate away. I understand that they're in a rush to sit more people but they should handle it a bit better or try to get some outside dining. Overall it was a fine experience! I'll go again.

Pros: Free WINE, great food, affordable prices, clean dining area, good location

Cons: small dining area/rushed to leave once it began to crowd