Authentic Chongqing cuisine w/ a modern, sleek vibe. Known for its spicy Hunan & Szechwan dishes.
This Sichuan restaurant offers an authentic Chongqing dining experience with a modern, upscale twist. Customers praise its intensely spicy flavors and unique dishes, although some note that certain items can be hit or miss. The ambiance is described as sleek and contemporary, making it suitable for special occasions.
The restaurant specializes in authentic Chongqing and Sichuan cuisine, particularly noted for its spicy Hunan and Szechwan dishes. While many rave about the intense spice levels and unique flavor profiles, such as the Szechwan sliced beef chili pepper soup and Chongqing spicy chicken, some find the dishes to be hit or miss. A particular highlight, the dry chili chicken, has reportedly been discontinued. Customers also noted that rice is not included with entrees and incurs an additional charge.
"The Chicken Kung Pao is noted for its good spice and excellent sauce, and the restaurant is recommended for its spiciest Hunan and Szechwan dishes. Specific dishes like Szechwan sliced beef chili pepper soup are also mentioned."
Overall, customers have a positive sentiment, frequently recommending the restaurant for its authentic and spicy Sichuan and Hunan dishes. However, a few experiences suggest inconsistency in food quality and service, with one instance of a significant order error.
Important Note
Rice is not included with entrees and incurs an additional charge, which some customers found inconvenient. The dry chili chicken dish may have been discontinued. One customer reported a significant past error with a large order.
"The portions at Lunar felt smaller compared to Chili, and the practice of not including rice with entrees, requiring an extra charge, was found to be odd and inconvenient."
Negative"The Chicken Kung Pao from Lunar is good with a nice spice level and excellent sauce, though it lacks Sichuan peppercorns and has a moderate amount of wok hei. It does not come with rice, which is an additional cost not clearly indicated. The restaurant previously made a significant error with a large order, leading to a refund and a negative experience."
Negative"The commenter mentioned Lunar is located across the street and presumed it has a good Kung Pao, but found their other dishes to be hit or miss."
Neutral"The user ranks Lunar as a close contender to Birds of a Feather, potentially even surpassing it, for Sichuan cuisine. This opinion is based on their personal experience growing up with Sichuan food."
Positive"The user lists Lunar as their second favorite Sichuan restaurant in Manhattan, after Mountain House."
Positive"This user reported that Lunar has discontinued the dry chili chicken dish from their menu."
Neutral"This commenter listed Lunar as having a better version of the dry chili chicken dish compared to Han Dynasty."
Positive"The user recommended LUNAR for Szechuan cuisine."
Positive"Lunar is mentioned as a restaurant that also serves the specific Sichuan dish the original poster is looking for, identified by its Chinese name and as 'sliced beef in chili broth'."
Positive"A user recommends Lunar as a good option for takeout."
Positive"LUNAR in Manhattan was listed as a recommendation, likely for Szechwan sliced beef chili pepper soup or similar Szechwan dishes, in response to the initial post's query."
Neutral"A user particularly likes Lunar, noting its Swedish minimalist decor and authentic Chongqing food, and suggests it might be the easiest to get a reservation for despite being bustling."
Positive"A user generally states that Lunar is good."
Positive"Recommends Lunar specifically for the spiciest Hunan cuisine."
Positive
