Milu

Came here on a weekend for lunch, and there were plenty of seats available. This is a fast-casual but also nice sit-in restaurant with lovely interior decor and a nice vibe. There was also Chinese pop playing in the background.The waiters were extremely friendly, and the bathroom was very clean. The waiter even offered chili crisp for the salmon dish and we had lots of choices from the dim sum weekend menu.We ordered the salmon bowl entree and dim sum items for the rest (lotus leaves with rice, wontons, shrimp toast, and turnip cake). The food was all fresh and tasty!

I love the black sesame soft serve with mochi! It's rich in toasty black sesame flavor and the right amount of nutty flavor!The miss for me was the Yunnan beef, it was wayyy too salty. I ordered it with the lucky Noodle salad and I barely finished it because I couldn't handle the sodium.

Milu has some really tasty dishes that are more exciting than a make-your-own salad place and definitely more Americanized and hip than an authentic Chinese restaurant. I loved the variety of veggies and creativity on the menu, but I kept asking myself, "why is everything so salty!!?" It's a shame because the food was otherwise really nicely executed in terms of texture, presentation, and quality. Everything we ordered was just super salty! Overall, Milu gets slightly less than a 4/5 for me for that reason. There are seasonal menu items on the screen display that aren't listed on the paper menus so take a look there too! * Broccoli and cremini mushroom wontons-- shaped like a wonton but textured more like a dumpling. The filling was mushy but pleasant, the only item that I didn't think was overly salted! * Tofu and seaweed salad was bursting with dill and cilantro, which was super tasty-- a little a heavy on the salt. The textural contrast with crunchy seaweed and chewy tofu strands was fun and nice :)* Chinese greens-- a plate of Yu Choy (the veggies you get at dim sum) with piles of a super salty, savory, and slightly spicy chili sauce. Even after scraping the sauce off, it was still too salty for me. Would ask for the sauce on the side. * Poached ginger salmon bowl-- the salmon was nice, tender, and not overcooked, super yummy with the ginger sauce and rice. Loved how it came with broccoli and the salad which was super tangy or vinegary, but those were also, again, too salty so I was unable to finish this one. It was a really nice dish otherwise. * Brisket bowl-- the meat seemed dried fried which left a crunchy exterior and chewy meaty interior... and yes, it was too salty! Cucumbers were pleasantly sesame and vinegar flavored, and the same side salad came along too. * Chili crisp chicken-- Very crunchy fried chicken bites. Slightly too crunchy and on the hard side with a very high batter to meat ratio. A few bites I had were just fried fat nuggets, but the meat part was tasty (but overly salty). * Egg tart soft serve-- more of a custard powder or custard bun flavor. I didn't really register it as an egg tart flavor until I had a bite of the puff pastry which was reminiscent of egg tart crusts. The soft serve texture was nice with a slightly stretchy and thicker consistency that didn't melt as quickly as most soft serves. This was really nice after such a salt-heavy meal. *pant pant* Service was nice-- it was pretty quiet and empty the night we went but the workers were still friendly when tending to us, and the place is clean. Happy that they had water on the side to refill yourself even though it was room temp. If I tell people about this place, I'd say to request less salt on everything for a tastier and way healthier experience!

This is my favorite "day to night" fast casual spot! Adding this place to my favorites list for both solo and group dining. In the day, this place operates as a fast casual spot that's great for takeout. At night, they dim the lights and it's a great place to catch up with friends without breaking the bank. I tried the roast duck bowl, Yunan brisket bowl and a side of chili crisp chicken (amazing!!). I was thinking that I could bring a zip loc to take the rest of the chili crisp oil home, but thankfully they sell premade bottles at the front counter. We ordered at the front counter and the staff kindly brought our nicely plated meals to our table. Our whole group loved this place and will put it on our regular rotation!

Delicious fast casual asian restaurant in Kips bay!The bowls are well sized and priced and the food is delicious. Love the ambiance and design of the store as well. Not too busy and service is fast!

I came on a weekday and it was not busy when I ordered and sat down but it quickly became busy during the lunch rush. You order at the counter and then find your own seat. The interior is clean and spacious, and the only natural lighting is at the front of the restaurant. I was only getting a snack so I got the hot duck bun, the seasonal pineapple bun (peaches and cream), and the egg tart soft serve. The egg tart soft serve had a light flavor and the caramelized puff pastry went well with it. Both buns were made of the same bread with different fillings. The bun itself was soft and fluffy, but very small, and the top of the buns did not have the typical crunch or flavor as traditional pineapple buns. The duck bun came warmed and I thought the filling was tasty, but I wish there was more filling/a bigger bun for the price. I wasn't a huge fan of the seasonal peaches and cream filling as it didn't taste strongly of any flavor. The peaches and cream bun and the soft serve weren't too sweet, which is good. However, next time I'd rather go to a traditional asian bakery to get a bun. I would come back if I was in the area and needed a casual place to eat.

The service was outstanding, especially for a casual dining spot. The dishes aimed for a fusion style while still maintaining authentic flavors. We couldn't decide between the brisket and the chili crispy chicken, so we ordered the brisket as the entree with a generous portion of the chicken as a side. The brisket was incredibly tender! I wish they would open another location on the west side.

Service was fast and ambiance was really good. Went on a Tuesday around noon and was not very packed.Food was...ok. Definitely a solid attempt at elevating Chinese food but the flavors were at times odd and frequently not Chinese at all.

I'm actually surprised how good Milu is considering how it looks really unassuming. The chicken was ACTUALLY crispy. It's literally what you think popcorn chicken should be, especially with the chili powder on it, which in and of itself isn't actually that salty or spicy. The duck fat rice is also really soft and flavorful. Yunnan Brisket is good too though it's really quite salty so I definitely prefer the Spicy Crispy Chicken. Unfortunately, I can't say I love this because the portion truly is really really small. The rice and chicken only filled maybe half of the bowl (which also curves inward from the bottom btw). Then it's fluffed up to maybe 80% capacity via charred broccoli, so much of this bowl is empty. Service is really quick though, perfect for lunch time.

I had a great first visit to Milu today, which will not be my last. Cool, relaxing vibe in a modern space with food that lives up to the hype. While the bowls were tempting, I decided to try the broccoli and mushroom wontons and a duck bun. The wontons were packed with veggies and little discernable filler, with prominent broccoli flavor. I enjoyed them, but they only came with chili oil. They really needed some vinegar for balance. The duck bun had a tender, savory filling that could have used a little more duck, but was great nonetheless. The highlight was the egg tart soft serve I went back to the counter to get, which I couldn't pass up despite being pretty full. It was a good portion adorned with crispy pastry. It was a pretty good mimic of the Portuguese egg tarts, and the pastry made it. Service is friendly and at the counter, and you bus your own. Water is available off to the side near merch. All in all, this is a lovely little oasis with great food, and I'd definitely return.