Upscale Chinese restaurant Philippe Chow has been a New York City staple since 2005. After 20 years on the Upper East Side, the original location closed to make way for a new flagship, which opened March 27 in Midtown Manhattan on East 52nd Street.
The brand also operates a New York location in the Meatpacking District and has outposts in Nashville, Washington, D.C., and Kuwait City.
The new restaurant occupies a two-story space on Luxury Row, sitting alongside high-end hotels and retail stores. It features an expanded footprint, with multiple private dining spaces and a 20-seat bar that anchors the first floor.
Washington, D.C.-based firm 3877 led the architecture and interior design for the Fifth Avenue flagship as well as for Philippe Chow’s D.C. location. The New York restaurant features mixed materials and textures, including glossy wood paneling, brushed brass, polished black marble, crocodile leather accents, and leopard-print carpets.
Roasted duck is carved tableside and served with scallions, cucumber, plum sauce, and house-made pancakes. | Philippe Chow
Lighting shifts throughout the day to create a bright setting for lunch and then a moodier environment for the evening.
There are multiple private dining rooms across the first and second floors, plus the option for full buyouts. And there’s a private wine cellar that’s tucked away for intimate dinners and has its own private entrance for discreet access and departures.
“Guests come to Philippe Chow because it always feels familiar, yet very exciting,” said general manager Edis Julevic, a longtime veteran of the restaurant. “They know the faces, they know the rhythm of the room, and they know they will be taken care of. When guests walk into our new Fifth Avenue home, they’ll see the same team, the same smiles and feel the same sense of welcome they’ve always felt.”
The new restaurant has a larger footprint and multiple private dining rooms. | Edward Menashy
The menu continues its focus on modern Beijing-style cuisine. There are hand-pulled noodles and traditional dumplings, and the popular whole Peking Duck, which is carved tableside. Other favorites include scallion pancakes, chicken satay with peanut sauce, salt and pepper lobster, prawns available in a variety of preparations, kung pao chicken, honey-glazed spareribs, and filet mignon with green beans.
In addition to the à la carte menu, there’s a three-course business lunch for $42 and a three-course pre-theater menu for $60. Dinner guests can also select a tasting menu that features a variety of shared starters, plus an entrée and dessert for $85 per person.
There’s an extensive collection of wines to complement the food, and the bar pours lots of classic-leaning cocktails, like a smoked maple Old Fashioned, White Negroni, and a Margarita variation called the Yuzu Mezcalita.