Lili's 57
Address:
200 West 57th St. (at 7th Ave.)
City:
New York, NY
Zip:
10019
Phone:
(212) 586-5333
Fax:
(212) 586-5345
Site:
Visit the restaurant site
Map:
Map
Cuisine:
Asian
2nd Cuisine:
Sushi
Area:
West 50s
Entree Price:
$10-15
Takeout:
Yes
Delivery:
Yes
Payment:
Amex Visa Mastercard Discover
Review:
We all know how to get to Carnegie Hall (practice, practice, practice), but we don’t all know where to eat in that area. If money is no object, such top-tier choices as Estatorio Milos, Molyvos, Trattoria Del Arte and Redeye Grill easily present themselves. But those of us on a more modest budget can give thanks for the recently opened Lili’s 57, the newest branch of one of the city’s more appealing Asian restaurant mini-chains.
This clean-lined, welcoming space offers both Chinese fare along with an enormous selection of sushi and sashimi (as well as the choice of sitting at the sushi bar or a regular table). On our visit, we opted to sample the restaurant’s Chinese fare, with mostly excellent results. The house’s sesame noodles, which can be served either warm or cold, are exactly what they should be -- and not the spaghetti-covered-in-peanut butter found at less impressive eateries. Fine barbecued spare ribs – the most expensive appetizer at $9.95 – are nicely meaty and coated with a slight honey glaze. Other appetizers range from traditional faves such as egg rolls and dumplings to more unusual fare such as a chilled Saigon roll filled with mango, avocado and soba noodles or shrimps wrapped in filo dough.
Entrees lead to even more complex decision-making, with more than 50 options available from noodle and rice dishes to hearty soups to sizzling platters of beef, salmon, tofu and even Chilean sea bass. We were more than pleased with banana leaf shrimp, in which the firm, tasty crustaceans mingle with onions and pepper in a delicious curry-tinged sauce. Less thrilling was Borneo orange chicken, which was overly breaded -- although its sauce had a lovely, citrusy kick. Even with that one slightly disappointing dish, we definitely got a kick out of Lili’s 57.
Review By: Brian Scott Lipton
I am never disappointed. The take out experience is equally good. I have to say the Bird's Nest and the Dragon Fly are my favorites...the presentation is to die for and the service is not overdone...a friendly, courteous and attentive staff who appear to be genuinely happy to greet you. I hope with their growing popularity they will will not lose their notable charm and delectable menu to the face paced theater goers and tourists in the area.
Leona
June 30, 2005, 7:33.24 am ET