Hutaoli Music Restaurant & Bar

This place is so cool! I wasn't expecting to find this awesome Chinese restaurant in the middle of Ktown in NYC. I was browsing for places with scallion pancakes and I came across this restaurant. I saw they had a scallion pancake beef rook which I'd never seen before. It was fried and crispy on the inside with tender beef on the inside, that was slightly savory slightly sweet. I had the roll on its own, which made for a light meal, but it can also be enjoyed as a large snack. It was a little greasy, which can be expected, but not sure if I'd get it again. I did think it was innovative though. The most impressive thing about the restaurant was actually the space. I came to pick up my food and was surprised to see this beautiful place. The outside is unassuming and nothing special but inside has the aesthetic of an old Shanghai restaurant. It's ornate and slightly quirky. It's also really big, bigger than I expected. Even the bathrooms had traditional Chinese flare with the sliding doors. Definitely worth checking out,

Hutaoli is a music restaurant and bar that specializes in Sichuan cuisine. We came here for Saturday dinner and we were quite impressed with the lady singer that sang both in English and Chinese. We were also surprised how big this restaurant is.For a hot summer night, we started our dinner with a nice bottle of Sauvignon blanc and went straight to the dinner menu. We ordered Hutaoli fried rice, pork belly with spicy garlic and a stir fry beef with vegetables. We found the dishes delicious with good portion, the 3 dishes are adequate for 2 people. The food also came all at once.We found our dinner here truly enjoyable with good price point, live entertainment and friendly service. We will comeback back to try their other dishes

I came here for a birthday dinner, which fits the vibe check. Upon entering, you're blasted with music and live singing throughout the restaurant. It's also nicely decorated, which makes you feel like you're in China. It's definitely for a younger crowd with how loud this place gets. We had a huge party, so we ordered an array of dishes to share family style. Some of the most memorable dishes were the Mapo Tofu ($13.99), Hutaoli Roast Chicken ($43 for whole), Spicy Pot Potato ($19), Roasted Green Beans ($22), etc. All of the food is good, but definitely pricey. While the food also came out quickly, our drinks came out towards the end of our meal.It's a good spot for big parties as it never got too busy even on a Saturday night. They also have private rooms. The live music was fun, but also made it hard to have conversation.

Ocean battle: contains crab, shrimps, and tripe. The plate is a bit of a mess, but tastes decent. It's quite heavy and fried, and the spice gets a bit old after a while. I did really like the underside of the crab heads (the creamy stuff), and I think they cooked it with some cheese or other. I wouldn't necessarily recommend, but it is a decent dish.Roast chicken: this is really good, though I wish they marinated the chicken more. The skin is SO crispy and delicious, yet the meat tastes like regular chicken. I also thought the sweet and sour dipping sauce was too sweet and didn't pair with the savory chicken.I loved the ambiance and the singer came on once in a while which was nice. I loved the service as well, the server (in chinese) was very attentive and gave us a lot of good descriptions and advice.

Checked this spot out for the first time, the decor was beautiful inside and had a lot of greenery hanging around. It got a little overwhelming with all the decor and the large screen that played throwback live songs. Eventually a lady performed live and it sounded amazing however, the background screen still played other videos which made it quite distracting. Food was overpriced and the waiter wasn't able to describe the dish that well in English so I wasn't sure what to expect for some dishes. The eggplant was super saucy and delicious!

They suggest reservation, but on Sunday after Thanksgiving, they were empty. Loved the ambiance, especially the live music performed by a talented and beautiful musician. The Hutaoli chicken was delicious with the skin like Peking duck. The shrimp fried rice was a revelation about how this ordinary dish can be elevated by talented hands. A great place.

Came for a large table reservation on a Saturday night. There's a lot of space and the decor is interesting. Service was nice. The singers were good. The food can definitely get spicy. My favorites were the crab meat tofu and the pumpkin puff with salted egg yolk seasoning. The Water Lily cocktail was also good.

Good were great, service could be improved. Their rice wasn't fully cooked but they did offer replacement. Environment was pretty nice with live music, cost around $20 for 1-2 songs per request. Overall is good. Easy street parking.

Food was pretty good. A little bit on the saltier side but overall it was okay. I don't think anything really stuck out though. We came on a week night so it was quiet and there was one singer periodically performing songs on stage. The decor inside was really unique and pretty. Lots of photo opportunities. Service was good. Food came out in a timely manner and our waiter was attentive and friendly.

After coming back twice already since my last review, I had a way better experience, thanks to my dishes the next time around.I do feel like the menu upgraded since I first visited. The Hutaoli Roast Chicken is a MUST get. I had it twice, and I'm still not over how deliciously soft, tender, and juicy it is. You know it's good, when even the breast meat is swiftly snatched up. The Lamb Chop ($39) was also delicious, although majority of the dish is just a pile of chili peppers. Some non spicy dishes, like the Hutaoli Fried Rice ($22) are a must get, for breaks between the spicy. It was also fresh and savory as well!I personally don't recommend the Spicy Hot Dry Pot ($39), since it was literally just spice, with no other flavor or sauce whatsoever. The cauliflower was so bland. Aside from the amount of peppers dumped in, there was also way more vegetables than meat. All the dishes are solid platters, meant to be shared. These prices cannot be justified otherwise! Come with a group for sure, with the live music being a plus.