Cheli: Experience Authentic Shanghainese Delights in NYC

I loved Che li! It was slightly expensive but the presentation and flavors of the food were so delicious! The service was amazing and they were constantly checking in or helping us out with ordering. The ambiance is dark and has a lot of decorations reminiscent of China! The shrimp was DELICIOUS!

This is hands down THE BEST hangzhou/shanghai food I have had in the United States. For people who don't know, it's a more sweet and salty type of cuisine in China. We were in nyc for 4 days and had to go there twice because it was that good. My husband whose family is from northern China also loved it. We loved an eel dish, squirrel fish (very hard to find in the US), and soy braised pork belly. Their osmanthus rice cake was also ON POINT! It was that good that I cried at the dinner table lol I have been in the US for 11 years without my hometown food, and this was such a treat! I hope they have more locations in the US!

Food 4.5/5.0 Service 4.0/5.0 Value 3.0/5.0 Decor 4.0/5.0 Overall 4.5/5.0 Very good Shanghainese dishes. The pork belly is a must-get. The beggar chicken comes with a bit of a show, love it or hate it. Most dishes here are pretty good. Prices are healthy but I'm for it. Would go back. This place can get pretty busy in the evening.

Authentic and high standard Shanghainese fare. Specially enjoyed the freshly cut eels in oil with the right amount of water bamboo (茭白). The rice cake with shepherd's purse (荠菜) was also Shanghainese standard. The lions head was ok, and the drunken chicken's rice wine sauce was sweet and favorable, unfortunately the meat was a little on the tough side. Also loved the Shuchow opera induced ambiance.

Authentic Chinese food served in an immersive environment. Mao xue wang, garlic eel, pea shoots, and osmanthus cakes were my favorites. Shaoxing wine and garlic were a not-so-invisible presence in most of the dishes, lending a subtle complexity of flavor. The wait time was ATROCIOUS though. They said 45 min when we joined the waitlist, and we ended up waiting an HOUR AND A HALF. We would've had to wait longer if not for fighting tooth and claw.

Made reservations for 2 on a Saturday for an early dinner and the place had a few tables eating already. Me and my date got the braised pork belly, which I really enjoyed since I do prefer eating fattier meats. I would recommend ordering a side of rice, just because the flavors can get overwhelming and rice will mellow it out a bit. We also got the sweet and sour tenderloin which was also really flavorful. Both dishes were larger than we expected, and had to take the food home. The pictures make it seem as if the dishes are small, but they have depth! The soup dumplings are on the smaller side, so if you come hungry, I'd recommend getting two orders. The milk tea with white wine was also extremely enjoyable, had a distinct flavor that I really liked.

I absolutely loved this spot! The food was so delicious, ambiance is great, and service was so friendly and efficient. We made a reservation ahead of time for 3 so we were able to get seated quickly. They have some pickled veggies as an appetizer when you sit down. We got quite a few dishes: yang zhou meat ball, the che li "squirrel" fish, qianlong's favorite eel, chinese crispy lava, and green beans. We also ended up getting the osmanthus rice cakes complimentary because they accidentally brought out the fish with pine nuts after we specified that there was a nut allergy. This was super generous of them, and our waitress spotted the error for us immediately. Out of all the dishes, the fish and green beans were my favorite! The fish was so crispy and the sauce that coated it was delicious. The green beans had such a savory yummy flavor. I also really enjoyed the chinese crispy lava for dessert which had a mochi texture and salted egg yolk flavor filling. All the food was fantastic though, and I was so pleased! Definitely recommend this spot for some delicious Chinese food, It's right next to the infamous Szechuan Mountain House, and there's also Mango Mango right next door for dessert too :)