Where to eat authentic Chinese cuisine in New York: Uluh.

Last visit: December 2024

My rating: 8/10

Price range: €€€€/€€€€€

Website: https://www.uluhny.com/

Cuisine: Chinese, Sichuan, Asian

Uluh is one of the most interesting contemporary Chinese restaurants in New York, capable of combining refined technique, impeccable plating, and a modern interpretation of cuisine from mainland China. This is not the typical “fusion” spot trying to please the local crowd: there is a clear culinary vision, a confident hand, and genuine respect for original flavors — filtered through the aesthetic sensibility of an upscale restaurant.

The setting is elegant without being pretentious: dark wood, well-calibrated lighting, comfortable tables, and an atmosphere that manages to be sophisticated without feeling rigid. Service is efficient, knowledgeable, and attentive to the details and characteristics of each dish.

The menu is extensive and not the easiest to decipher if you’re not familiar with Chinese cuisine. On the waiter’s recommendation, we order the glazed duck — the restaurant’s signature dish — and it is nothing short of spectacular. It’s served with tortilla-like wrappers, a selection of vegetables, the cooking juices, and a few sauces; you fill the wrappers as you like.

The skin has impeccable crispness, almost “glossy” thanks to the brown-sugar lacquer, while the meat stays moist and aromatic, with that classic sweet-savory profile of tradition, here executed with great precision. It’s a modern, richer take on traditional Peking duck, served with care and a balance that never slips into excess.

Undoubtedly the best duck I’ve ever eaten.

Then… well… here’s the thing: I hate cilantro. But I have this stubborn determination to step out of my comfort zone, challenge my own beliefs and habits, and dare — all in the name of discovering the flavors of every cuisine in the world. So, once again on the waiter’s recommendation, with a certain sense of trepidation, I ordered the stir-fried beef with cilantro.

Let me clarify: this wasn’t just about ordering a dish where cilantro was the dominant flavor — it was also very, very spicy.The first bites were a shock; the cilantro was so intense that I felt like I had swallowed a spoonful of stinkbugs (to me, cilantro tastes exactly like stinkbugs smell).

To be clear, the dish was excellent: incredibly fresh ingredients, outstanding and tender beef, highly aromatic, perfectly cooked. But while I struggled to chew the cilantro, the chili hit.

Dante’s circles of hell, Gustave Doré engravings, the eruption of Mount St. Helens, Pink Floyd walking through the Phlegraean Fields, Mexican wrestling — these were the first images that flashed through my mind like lightning bolts.

Eating that dish required courage, but the more I insisted, the more I appreciated it. In the end it was an intense ordeal, and yet now, months later, as I write this review, the flavors still appear vividly on my palate.

As a side, we chose jasmine rice, simple but perfect: each grain separate, a clean fragrance, and spot-on cooking. An essential companion to enhance the other dishes — but above all, an indispensable ally when facing both chili and cilantro. I strongly recommend ordering a couple of bowls in advance and keeping them ready if you decide to take on that challenge.

The prices are consistent with the level of the experience and with the neighborhood (East Village): not inexpensive, but fully justified by the quality of the ingredients and the care in presentation. For the dishes mentioned above and a bottle of sake, we spent $120; considering that the very same morning I had spent almost $50 for two cappuccinos, two muffins, and an orange juice in some anonymous café on Fifth Avenue, the price here is more than reasonable.

Uluh is a solid choice for anyone seeking refined, modern Chinese cuisine with real personality — far removed from the clichés that often define Asian restaurants in the United States. It’s a place one happily returns to, especially if you’re looking for a dining experience that combines comfort, precise technique, and a strong culinary identity.