While the idea of a Chinese restaurant may conjure images of takeout places that serve Asian fast food or small, casual establishments in strip malls with little ambiance, a number of Chinese restaurants in the United States are upscale in nature. These eating places offer elegant surroundings or breathtaking views, and menus that range from authentic Chinese cuisine to experimental reinventions of classic fare. Many of the upscale Chinese restaurants in the United States are in major cities, such as San Francisco, New York and Miami.
The Grand Doubletree Hotel at Biscayne Bay in Miami serves as home to Tony Chan's Water Club, which opened in May 1991. The upscale restaurant is known for its dining rooms' views of the Atlantic Ocean, which create an elegant ambiance. Diners may also choose to sit in the bar area, overlooking the kitchen. The restaurant held Zagat dining guide ratings of "very good to excellent" for its food, decor and service as of October 2010. "USA Today" has named the restaurant one of the "Top 10 Best Places for Chinese Food in the United States."
The restaurant specializes in Hong Kong-style Cantonese cuisine and prepares dishes to order. Featured dinner entrees include abalone and sea cucumber in a clay pot, Maine lobster with Szechuan sauce and classics like beef with broccoli. All dishes are free of monosodium glutamte (MSG). The restaurant features more than 70 wine selections and four types of sake.
Tony Chan's Water Club serves lunch and dinner daily. Reservations are highly recommended and taken online and by phone. Casual attire is acceptable. The Grand Doubletree Hotel offers valet parking, or diners can opt to park along the street.
Situated in downtown San Francisco, Tommy Toy's Cuisine Chinoise transports diners to an elegant setting lit by candlelight and attended by waitstaff dressed in full tuxedos. Zagat had rated the restaurant "very good to excellent" for its food, decor and service as of October 2010. The restaurant also boasts numerous accolades, including the DiRoNA Award from the Distinguished Restaurants of North America, a Four-Star Mobil rating, a AAA Three Diamond Award and the American Academy of Hospitality Services 5 Star Diamond Award.
The menu at Tommy Toy's combines Chinese cuisine with French culinary traditions. Entrees include prawns with honeydew melon in a sauce made with vanilla and wasabi and wok-charred filet mignon with asparagus spears. A five-course prix fixe menu is also available. The wine list features more than 100 selections with California and French vintages heavily featured.
Tommy Toy's Cuisine Chinoise serves lunch Monday through Friday and dinner nightly. Reservations are highly recommended and taken online and by phone. A dinner jacket is the preferred dress code for men. For women, business or semi-formal attire is the norm. Valet parking is available at dinner.
Tse Yang Restaurant is in the east side of midtown Manhattan in New York City. The restaurant opened in January 1982 and features a dining room decorated with elegant bronze statues and large aquariums. As of October 2010, the establishment had Zagat ratings of "very good to excellent" for food, decor and service.
Dishes at Tse Yang Restaurant feature classic Chinese cuisine with many recipes that feature Asian delicacies. Featured entrees include stuffed sea cucumber, Peking duck and Mandarin orange filet of beef. The waitstaff presents meals on finely decorated Chinese porcelain dinnerware, adding to the upscale atmosphere. Featuring more than 700 selections, the wine list is a past recipient of the "Wine Spectator" Best of Award of Excellence, the second-highest honor awarded by the magazine.
Tse Yang Restaurant is open for lunch and dinner daily. Reservations are highly recommended. Business casual is the attire. The nearest parking garage is at the Seagrams Building on Park Avenue between 52nd and 53rd streets. The nearest subway station is at 51st Street and Lexington, a two block walk from the restaurant.
