China Blue - NYC

3.6 (32)

$50 and over

Chinese

135 Watts St, New York, NY 10013

OverviewReviewsDetails

About this restaurant

China Blue is an elegant Shanghainese and Dim Sum restaurant. The interior is roomy and filled with antiques that set the mood for a classy dinner. Come in with a friend for lunch or with the family for dinner. Start out with an appetizer like the thousand year eggs in pickled chili sauce or the ribbon fish in wine sauce. Several dishes are gluten free such as the bean curd in spicy oil or the drunken chicken. China Blue offers several house made dim sum options such as the crab soup buns, Shanghai shumai or the radish puffs. Finish the meal with desserts like the red bean puff, the gluten-free pumpkin donuts or the eight jewel rice pudding. China Blue has paired several wines and drinks to the dishes and indicates them on the menu, making it easy for you to know what to order for a perfect drink.

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Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$50 and over
Cuisines
Chinese
Hours of operation
Monday - Sunday: 11:00am - 11:00pm
Website
http://www.cafechinanyc.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual

Location
135 Watts St, New York, NY 10013
Neighborhood
SoHo
Cross street
between Greenwich and Washington
Parking details
Street Parking Free after 6pm on weekdays. Weekend has free parking all day. Garage parking also available before 6pm on Washington Street
Public transit
A,C,E, 1 to Canal Street. 5 minute walk west

Savory Bean Curd Wrap$8.00
Marinated shiitake mushrooms in a tofu wrap
Marinated Duck (bone-in)$12.00
Smoked Carp Suzhou Style (bone-in)$12.00
Marinated and smoked carp lightly browned
Kaofu, Ningbo Style$8.00
Marinated wheat protein cooked with mushrooms
Crispy Eel Wuxi Style$14.00
Drunken Chicken$11.00
Free-range chicken marinated in rice wine
Pan Fried Prawns$12.00
Skin-On prawns sautéed in Sugar and Vinegar
Edamame$6.00
Tossed Fava Beans$7.00
Poached fava beans tossed with scallions and vegetable oil
Jelly Fish with Aged Vinegar$12.00
Cooked and chilled jelly fish marinated with garlic-vinegar sauce and cucumber
Baby Cucumbers$6.00
Tossed in garlic and vegetable oil
Bean Curd in Spicy Oil$8.00
Mixed with cilantro and sesame Oil

House Made Dim Sum

Steamed Soup Buns
Pork
- (6)$8.00
Crab Soup Buns
Pork, king crab meat
- (4)$8.00
Pan Fried Pork Buns
Pork, sesame, scallion
- (4)$8.00
Crispy Lotus with Shrimp
Fried lotus root sandwich
- (4)$8.00
Shrimp Shumai
Shrimp, pork, caplin roe
- (4)$8.00
Shanghai Shumai
Sticky rice, sausage, shiitake mushrooms, dried shrimp
- (4)$6.00
Shanghai Spring Rolls
Pork, bamboo shoots, shiitake mushroom, cabbage
- (4)$8.00
Radish Puffs
Fried pastry with ham, scallion
- (4)$6.00
PotStickers
Pork, cabbage
- (6)$8.00
Vegetable Potstickers
Bok choy, shittake mushroom, carrot, cellophane noddles
- (6)$8.00
Steamed Vegetable Dumplings
Bok choy, shiitake mushroom, carrot, cellophane noddles
- (6)$6.00
Scallion Pancakes
- (6)$6.00
Chinese Chives Pancakes
Chives, egg, dried shrimp
- (2)$7.00
Curry Chicken Puffs
Basil, condensed milk, chicken, curry
- (4)$8.00
Crystal Shrimp Dumplings
- (4)$8.00
Leafy Dumplings
Wild greens, bamboo shoots
- (6)$8.00

Soup

Yan Du Xian (shared)$16.00
Pork Belly, Chinese Ham, Bean Curd, Bok Choy
Winter Melon and Ham Soup (shared)$10.00
Hot and Sour Soup
- Single Serving$3.00
Corn and Chicken Soup
- Single Serving$3.00
Wild Green Tofu Soup (shared)$10.00
Wild greens, soft tofu, clear soup
Auntie Song's Fish Stew (shared)$12.00
Ham, Shiitake mushroom, Egg White, Cilantro
Shanghai Wontons
Pork dumplings in clear soup
- Single Serving$6.00

Entrees

Crispy Duck$29.00
Duck, Chinese broccoli, Marinated duck cooked and lightly fried
Shredded Eel Sautéed with Chives$22.00
Eel, chives, bamboo shoot, ginger
Fish Blossom$23.00
Lightly fried striped bass, pine nut, carrot, pea
Fish Fillets in Rice Wine$18.00
Lightly sautéed fish fillets in white rice wine sauce
West Lake Fish Fillet$19.00
Sautéed fish fillet in vinaigrette and ginger
Salt and Pepper Fish Fillets$18.00
Fried fish fillets with salt and pepper
Sliced Squid with Chives$18.00
Lightly sautéed squid with chives and bell peppers
Fish Fillets with Pickled Greens$17.00
Fish fillets cooked with pickled greens and garlic
Braised Tofu with King Crab Meat$19.00
Shrimps with Crispy Rice$16.00
Fried Crispy White Rice, Seasonal Vegetables
Slow-Cooked Bean Curd with Chicken & Ham$18.00
Shrimp, shredded tofu, shredded chicken and ham
Braised Chicken with Chestnuts$18.00
Dongpo Pork$18.00
Pork belly slowly braised in brown sauce, with bok choi & steamed buns
Pork Ribs, Wuxi Style$18.00
Slow-roasted pork rib, caramelized sugar sauce
Pork Belly with Mustard Greens$18.00
Steamed pork belly over savory pickled mustard greens
Eight Delicacies in Spicy Sauce$16.00
Sautéed chicken, pork, shrimp, edamame, smoked tofu, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, peanuts
Crab and Pork "Lion's Head" Meatball$16.00
Chinese meatball, crab meat, bok choy
Braised Lamb with Chestnut$22.00
Shredded Beef with Asian Chili$16.00
"Lion's Head" Meatballs Stew$15.00
Slow-cooked in a clay pot with bok choy
Lamb Stew$21.00
Smoked bean curd, bamboo shoot, shiitake mushroom
Chicken with Chive Flower$16.00
Lightly sautéed shredded chicken and chive tips
Wok-Seared Carp in Hot Sauce (Bone-in)$18.00
Carp belly, minced pork
Steamed whole Bass with Ginger$22.00
Fried Fish with Salted Duck Egg$22.00
Fish fillet coated w/ salted duck egg yolk batter
Carp Belly in Brown Sauce (Bone-in)$16.00
Carp belly cooked with traditional brown sauce
Meatballs in Tofu Puff$16.00
Pork meatballs with wild greens, bok choy & tofu puff
Shredded Pork with Pickled Greens$12.00
Lightly sautéed pork with smoked tofu and pickled greens

Delicacies from Other Provinces

Three Cup Chicken$16.00
Soy sauce, sesame oil, Rice Wine, Basil
Shredded Pork, Beijing Style$16.00
Pork, sweet bean sauce, seafood sauce, scallion
Savory Tofu with Shredded Pork$15.00

Vegetables

Egg Tofu with Enoki Mushroom$13.00
Chinese Okra with Bean Curd Puff$13.00
Slow-cooked Chinese okra with savory bean curd puff
Lightly Sautéed Snow Pea Shoots$16.00
Sautéed Mixed Mushrooms$15.00
Sautéed Bok Choy$12.00
Bok choy, garlic
Lotus with Scallion and Ginger$12.00
Stir-fried lotus root with scallion and ginger
Savory Tofu and Bamboo Shoots$12.00
Sautéed smoked tofu with bamboo shoots and mushrooms
Eggplant in Garlic Sauce$13.00

Noodles/Rice Cakes/Fried Rice

Fried Rice with Chinese Sausage$12.00
Vegetable Fried Rice$10.00
Sautéed Rice Cakes with Chives$16.00
Shanghai Pan Fried Noodles$12.00
Fried noodles topped with chicken, pork, and shrimp
Tossed Noodles with Dried Shrimp$12.00
Noodles mixed with dried shrimp and scallion sauce
Rice Cakes with Salted Duck Egg and Shrimp$15.00
Sautéed rice cakes coated in salted duck egg yolk batter, with shrimp

Tea

Jasmine$4.00
2013, Fujian
Tie Kuan Yin$6.00
2013, Fujian, An Xi
Snowy Lake Green Tea$6.00
2013, Sichuan, Er Mei Mountain

Reviews

OpenTable reviews from verified diners

Reviews from people who have dined at China Blue - NYC.

3.6

(32)

3.8Food
3.3Service
3.9Ambience

Noise • Moderate

32 Reviews

n
nglee Gold
New York City62 reviews
4.0
Dined on June 15, 2014
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
This is a nice second effort by the team that brought us Cafe China. The food is very well done - the pork ribs were tender and melted off of the bone, the crispy duck had a nice crackle in the skin while being tender and moist on the inside. The soup dumplings were appropriately delicate. The restaurant is spacious, and broken up into various rooms so it doesn't appear cavernous. The decor transports you to Shanghai's Bund with little touches here and there of both contemporary and antique pieces.
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Cate
New York City16 reviews
3.0
Dined on June 8, 2014
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
Having been to the beloved Capsouto Freres many times over the years, it was bittersweet to try its replacement. The handsome room has been handsomely transformed to 1930s Shanghai quite successfully. We were a little disappointed in the food, but some of that may be due to the fact that we are not so familiar with regional Chinese cuisine.
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l
luca
New York City1 review
4.0
Dined on April 16, 2014
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
As a Shanghainese I know how hard to find a restaurant abroad that can really remind you of home. But this one serves dishes vary from home-cooking to nice restaurant quality dishes. The service is good too. However, you can not directly reserve from them. I had a party over 8, had to reserve for 7 on OpenTable and ask them to add more people in the notes.
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DR
DeborahR Gold
Greater Boston54 reviews
3.0
Dined on April 10, 2014
1. Overall 3
2. Food 2
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
We would like to like this place. It is in our neighborhood - the food is okay - not great but okay. We had the soup dumplings which were great, served blisteringly hot. Things are fairly bland and glutenous, especially for those accustomed to Cantonese or Szechuan dishes. The place is great looking, tables are nicely spaced, and they have furnished it with antiques that make you feel like you are in 1930's China. Worst aspect is the paint smell, which permeates the whole place. This was our second trip, several months after we had noticed the smell the first time. The first time, I figured it was because the place is new, but now it should have dissipated. What's up with that - it kind of ruins the whole ambience.
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Y
Yumminess
New York City3 reviews
5.0
Dined on April 6, 2014
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The food and service were outstanding!! I live in the neiborhood and have eaten here many times. The service was horrible when they opened but now they've got it under control. I trek to Cafe China, their sister restaurant but now I don't have to, its sooo good!
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A
Alicenico Gold
New York City63 reviews
5.0
Dined on April 5, 2014
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 4
Had lunch there. Good time and very good dim sum. Service was just ok :( may come back for the food!
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TW
TheodoreWhipple Gold
New York City18 reviews
5.0
Dined on March 29, 2014
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
very authentic. Also, a gorgeous interior. Space is a little big though - maybe they could create more private dining rooms?
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n
nati Gold
New York City4 reviews
5.0
Dined on March 27, 2014
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
I live in Tribeca and it's always frustrating trying to find authentic Chinese food in a beautiful space. China Blue is great! I'm from Shanghai and the food here is very authentic -- lighter than Szechuan or Cantonese food -- and very fresh. The cocktails are fun and tasty. The space is beautiful. They gave it a fashionable Old Shanghai feel that's also laid back. The location is quite and cozy and there's a patio. I've enjoyed quite dinners there, but it also looks like there's a lot of space for accommodating big parties.
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IL
IdoL
Los Angeles96 reviews
4.0
Dined on March 16, 2014
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 2
It was surprisingly nice. Fresh and flavorful. The Fish in rice wine is to die for.
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b
bastabob Gold
New York City61 reviews
2.0
Dined on March 8, 2014
1. Overall 2
2. Food 2
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 3
I took a friend here for dinner, who had been wanting to go since they first opened. While the food was "okay", there was not one dish that stood out, in any way. Service was rushed and when people are ordering dim sum and then a variety of mains, should be more relaxed. One of the dishes, scallops with Chinese cucumbers, tasted like nothing but boiled water!
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Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$50 and over
Cuisines
Chinese
Hours of operation
Monday - Sunday: 11:00am - 11:00pm
Website
http://www.cafechinanyc.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual

Location
135 Watts St, New York, NY 10013
Neighborhood
SoHo
Cross street
between Greenwich and Washington
Parking details
Street Parking Free after 6pm on weekdays. Weekend has free parking all day. Garage parking also available before 6pm on Washington Street
Public transit
A,C,E, 1 to Canal Street. 5 minute walk west

Not available on OpenTable

Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable booking network. To check availability, please contact them directly.

Is this your restaurant?

Claim this listing

China Blue - NYC

About this restaurant

Not available on OpenTable

There’s more to explore

Additional information

Appetizer

Savory Bean Curd Wrap$8.00

Marinated Duck (bone-in)$12.00

Smoked Carp Suzhou Style (bone-in)$12.00

Kaofu, Ningbo Style$8.00

Crispy Eel Wuxi Style$14.00

Drunken Chicken$11.00

Pan Fried Prawns$12.00

Edamame$6.00

Tossed Fava Beans$7.00

Jelly Fish with Aged Vinegar$12.00

Baby Cucumbers$6.00

Bean Curd in Spicy Oil$8.00

House Made Dim Sum

Steamed Soup Buns

Crab Soup Buns

Pan Fried Pork Buns

Crispy Lotus with Shrimp

Shrimp Shumai

Shanghai Shumai

Shanghai Spring Rolls

Radish Puffs

PotStickers

Vegetable Potstickers

Steamed Vegetable Dumplings

Scallion Pancakes

Chinese Chives Pancakes

Curry Chicken Puffs

Crystal Shrimp Dumplings

Leafy Dumplings

Soup

Yan Du Xian (shared)$16.00

Winter Melon and Ham Soup (shared)$10.00

Hot and Sour Soup

Corn and Chicken Soup

Wild Green Tofu Soup (shared)$10.00

Auntie Song's Fish Stew (shared)$12.00

Shanghai Wontons

Entrees

Crispy Duck$29.00

Shredded Eel Sautéed with Chives$22.00

Fish Blossom$23.00

Fish Fillets in Rice Wine$18.00

West Lake Fish Fillet$19.00

Salt and Pepper Fish Fillets$18.00

Sliced Squid with Chives$18.00

Fish Fillets with Pickled Greens$17.00

Braised Tofu with King Crab Meat$19.00

Shrimps with Crispy Rice$16.00

Slow-Cooked Bean Curd with Chicken & Ham$18.00

Braised Chicken with Chestnuts$18.00

Dongpo Pork$18.00

Pork Ribs, Wuxi Style$18.00

Pork Belly with Mustard Greens$18.00

Eight Delicacies in Spicy Sauce$16.00

Crab and Pork "Lion's Head" Meatball$16.00

Braised Lamb with Chestnut$22.00

Shredded Beef with Asian Chili$16.00

"Lion's Head" Meatballs Stew$15.00

Lamb Stew$21.00

Chicken with Chive Flower$16.00

Wok-Seared Carp in Hot Sauce (Bone-in)$18.00

Steamed whole Bass with Ginger$22.00

Fried Fish with Salted Duck Egg$22.00

Carp Belly in Brown Sauce (Bone-in)$16.00

Meatballs in Tofu Puff$16.00

Shredded Pork with Pickled Greens$12.00

Delicacies from Other Provinces

Three Cup Chicken$16.00

Shredded Pork, Beijing Style$16.00

Savory Tofu with Shredded Pork$15.00

Vegetables

Egg Tofu with Enoki Mushroom$13.00

Chinese Okra with Bean Curd Puff$13.00

Lightly Sautéed Snow Pea Shoots$16.00