Asiate

Twice my daughter and I have tried to go for tea. We were turned away both times with various excuses that made no sense, even after calling for information and being told that although they did not take reservations, we would probably have 'no problem' getting a table. We were told that we could be seated until 4:30, but upon arrival at 4:18 we were told we were too late, but if we had been staying in the hotel, tea would be served. We were told that seats were being held for guests, but when I had called on the phone they said they were not busy. Evidently they only seat VIPs - we were nicely dressed, and in fact, stay at the Mandarin when we travel. The hostess was quite unpleasant and off-putting. more

We went to this restaurant based on the reviews we read here. Pros: view Cons: service and decor more

... thankfully, the food is great too. I'm basing this on an experience at Restaurant Week, which I think compliments the restaurant any more. A lot of restaurants skimp on their Restaurant Week menus, but not only was Asiate's more than plentiful, our waiter actually encouraged us to get it. Such a nice change of place from expensive restaurants that participate in Restaurant Week only to then sneer at you when you order off the menu. I'll be back here in a heartbeat, especially with out-of-town guests. It's the perfect way to show off the city and its cuisine. more

We had dinner at Asiate and were incredibly shocked and disappointed by the service. We enjoyed our meal very much. However, we all know that it is the entire dining experience that makes the evening enjoyable. We found most of the staff inattentive and unprofessional. The bartender kept us waiting for quite a while even though the bar was not full. We could see him on the other side the wall chatting. We were completely unable to get anyone's attention. Pros: Beautiful space. Great View. Cons: Inefficient, inattentive, unprofessional staff more

The entire experience was well worth the trip for restaurant week. The waitstaff was pleasantly attentive and politely discreet. The view was visually stunning. I imagine it would be even more spectacular if Central Park had one of its limited engagements like the orange arches thing. The food was okay. I would go to Asiate for the ambience/ experience not the food. Pros: The view was amazing. Cons: Food was average. Could be because they did not want the food to distract from the view? more

The views of the park are simply breathtaking, but you can accomplish something similar by going to any... more

The views of the park are simply breathtaking, but you can accomplish something similar by going to any... more

The views of the park are simply breathtaking, but you can accomplish something similar by going to any number of bars or restaurants at the nearby... more

The views of the park are simply breathtaking, but you can accomplish something similar by going to any number of bars or restaurants at the nearby... more

great place for japanese-french fusion. very nice view of central park also more

great place for japanese-french fusion. very nice view of central park also more

great place for japanese-french fusion. very nice view of central park also more

great place for japanese-french fusion. very nice view of central park also more

I'm all about the food, and I was warned Asiate is more about the view, less about the food. Sometimes it's better to have lower expectations! We had the 3 course tasting menu. The prawn risotto was a huge success and all 4 of us ordered it. For my main course I got the pig 4 ways, which was delicious, my husband got a fish also good. The portions are surprisingly huge, almost too big. An oversized slab of fish does not make for good presentation; they may need to work on their plating. For dessert I had the chocolate fondant and requested a substitution of ice cream. I got the macadamia nut and if you are a lover of nut desserts this was the BEST I've had in a long time... excellent dessert. We weren't lucky enough to get one of the tables near the window with the fabulous views ( but we got to witness a guy proposing to is girlfriend, she cried for a full 20 minutes so weren't sure she actually said yes!), so good food, good entertainment, what more could you ask for? Pros: food, viws, service Cons: portion size more

My girlfriend took me to Asiate on my birthday on a Saturday night. We had been to the MoBar before which is across from the restarant and I had always wanted to come back and dine at Asiate. She was able to get reservations 2 weeks in advance and we were seated with a view of the city although unable to get a table window side. May have had a better chance if we had requested this in advance. We both had the 3 course pre-fixe which is about $75 per person along with a couple of drinks. A spring tasting menu ($100/person and with wine paitings $180/person) is also available. Needless to say the total bill was $248 before tip. They brought us about 4 sample dishes from the kitchen during our meal, most of which was mediocre or less in quality. For apps I had the prawns which were average and she had the crab which was good. For the main course had the beef which was good and my girfriend had the seabass which was also good. For desert the chohcolate with sorbet is great! Overall the atmosphere is wonderful most of which is the view. Make sure you are seated close to the window. You don't have to be right against the window but you have to be at least a couple tables away. If you are seated in the first or second row of tables it is not the same experience at all. The service was good and the place wasn't overly stuffy. Overall the food is average to good, service is good but one criticism is that the menu is somewhat limited for a la carte dining. There wasn't even a chicken dish on the menu when we went. I think it is defintely worth trying once on an occasion but whether I would go back is uncertain. Pros: View Cons: Limited menu selection, average to good food overall more

Very simple.....almost everything about this restaurant is perfect. Loved everything - decor, food, ambiance and very professional service! more

I took my husband to Asiate for our 10th anniversary. Despite making reservations a month in advance, and having the reservationist promise us a table by the window, when we got to the restaurant the night of, apparently we were not ""VIP"" enough for them to give us a window-side table. As we ate dinner, all those tables stayed empty, while I was increasingly angry about the attitude I experienced from the hostess and the manager. Trust me, for special occasions, do not risk going to Asiate! There are so many great restaurants in New York that will treat everyone with the same level of respect, no matter how ""VIP"" they are! Also - we ended up paying $450 for a meal for two, for really mediocre food! more

If you have not been inside the Mandarin Oriental, then Asiate is your excuse to go! Went here for the prix fixe lunch with colleagues and got the seafood bento box - probably the best lunch of my life, and I'm not even normally keen on these types of seafood. Be sure to get a booth for the amazing central park views. Pros: prix fixe lunch, atmosphere, decor more

Atmosphere off-the-charts, but so pretentious I could not identify one thing I was forced to order from the very limited unconventional menu. To make matters worse, the chef kept sending out complimentary ""samplings"" to impress us. Avocado mousse gratefully served in tiny demitasse cups, followed by a salad with ""hazelnut and vanilla"" dressing served in a slant-bottom bowl that I almost dumped all over the table when I speared a lettuce leaf (at least I think it was lettuce), a clear rectangular platter with 4-5 peas on a smear of a green paste, two glazed beige lumps and a perfect 3"" diameter of flesh-colored meat that resembled the processed coldcuts you see in those kids' Hormel lunch boxes in the dairy case. The lumps were supposed to be mushrooms and the circle? RABBIT! This was followed by a reappearance of the diminutive coffee cups, this time bubbling over with a clear froth that we were told was, of all things, ""caesar salad soup"". My ""main course"" when it came (ordered out of sheer desperation) , was two finger-sized slabs of what appeared to be processed and smoked white chicken meat decorated with three different unidentifiable sauces, with equally unidentifiable chopped up wilted purple stuff in the center of the plate. I sent it back because it was pink, but it came back just as pink. Pros: Atmosphere, service Cons: Food more

This is a great place to ""do"" lunch or take a date you really want to impress. Great service, VERY creative presentation, and the quality is amazing. The best value is the bento box at lunch- at $35 it is a steal!! Staff is attentive and sincere...the decor and atmosphere is modern/progressive and I always leave smiling. Pros: amazing quality, decor, inventive food more