Blue Whale Restaurant & Lounge

We had a wonderful Chinese new year eve dinner with friends at Blue Whale! The original concept was related to Empress By Boon. The interior was sleek and beautiful: curved royal blue booths, the patio is a multi-level perfect for a good day in the summer for brunch, sleek mirrors are backlit like ring lights.Perfect spot for a birthday bash with multiple cocktail rounds, or a date night, you'll have a great time!We ordered the yummy shrimp toast, the pan fried dumplings was a hit and Instagram worthy! The mains such as the Chilean sea bass and the shirt ribs all hit the mark!Service was on the slow side but looked like they were slightly understaffed. But the dishes were all worth the wait!

I'm not sure if blue whale is new or if I just haven't heard of it, but it was so so good more people need to know about it. The food was delicious & had so much flavor. So good that I forgot to take photos of them lol. The duck noodles was amazing, as well as the pork crab XL bao, shrimp & pork baos, & a few other dishes we got. The place is a hidden gem on Union. Definitely more of an upscale restaurant. The staff was super sweet & not trying to rush you out which was great. They had the patio closed since it was so cold but it looks adorable out there. Highly recommend.

Blue Whale is a hidden gem on Union Street known for their creative cocktails and unique approach to classic Chinese dishes. On the outside, Blue Whale could be mistaken for just another American restaurant, however once you step inside, you'll see a classy modern interior thoughtfully designed filled with a cozy ambiance. Whoever designed the interior of this restaurant can honestly design my future dream home. From the heavy gold cutlery, textured plates, to the warm pendant lights, everything comes together harmoniously to exude elegance and sophistication. We made reservations to celebrate my husband's 30th birthday and we are so glad we decided to take a chance on this place. All of the staff were so sweet and friendly. I believe our server's name was Jhonny and he was the main reason our visit was so memorable. He was so warm, polite, and friendly. He brought us complimentary champagne to celebrate the occasion. He recommended three dishes to us and we ordered two of the recommended dishes.. we absolutely loved both! * Duck salad - This $34 salad is everything you want in a meal. Its got various textures, sweet and savory tones from the duck and plum sauce, and the freshness from the greens. I would go back for this dish alone. The duck meat is incredibly tender and some parts are crispy.. Those are the BEST bites! The pomegranate and pomelo together adds a sweet brightening flavor. This is a must order. * baked Bqq pork bun- This dish was $18 and the pork buns are so small.. but so full of flavor. This dish is unique in that the buns are pineapple bun style with the classic crackled cookie topping. The bun itself is light, slightly sweet, and airy. The pork inside is super soft and savory. I couldn't tell it was kurobuta pork filled because these pork buns are traditionally doused heavily in a sweet sauce and generally very fatty. However, we still enjoyed the fantastic quality of the pork buns. * Pumpkin puffs- I was most excited about this dish and it surely did not let me down at all. The puff itself reminds me of a fried glutinous meat dumpling that you usually get in dim sum. The skin is chewy, mochi-like, and very tasty on its own. The roasted duck filling is so savory with some nice chewy mushroom, I believe? I savored every single bite. Pair it with their chili oil and its *chefs kiss* * Braised seafood noodles - Laksa is one of my favorite Malaysian dishes so I knew I had to order this. The broth is coconutty and rich. The linguine noodles were perfectly cooked. I enjoyed the sweet scallops and shelled shrimp. The tofu pouches soaked in the curry broth were the best part. * mango coconut cake - This was the perfect palate cleanser as recommended by our served. The mango is a bit tarte but in a refreshing way. The gritty coconut texture is a nice contrast to the silky soft cake. This was a great way to end an incredibly meal. * coconut panna cotta- we couldn't decide between two desserts but our server was so kind to bring us both so we could try. The presentation was so cute. The panna cotta is thick, on the heavy side with a subtle coconut hint. I think this should be named coconut pudding or coconut jelly since it is more gelatinous in texture. Each dish is presented beautifully, thoughtfully curated, and made with quality ingredients. I love how each dish has unique contrasting textures which really make each of them stand out in their own way. Service was fantastic from start to finish. Blue Whale is deserving of 6 stars in my book. I will be back to celebrate another special occasion. Be sure to book a reservation! Cheers!

First time at Blue Whale - The decor and service were very good. The food was honestly a little disappointing. Everything was fine but I wasn't wowed by anything, especially for the high prices. The best thing was the miso sea bass. Everyone recommended the duck noodles but I honestly found them disappointing and I love duck.

Take the Egg out of EggplantWe celebrated New Year's Eve at Blue Whale, a fusion Chinese restaurant on Union Street known as the new Hakkasan. A short Uber ride brought us to this stylish neighborhood spot. The host greeted us warmly and led us to our table, where we were introduced to our waiter."My name is John," he said with a smile, then added, "The Asian John--the bartender over there is the American John."John was cheerful and attentive as he took our order. The restaurant's menu featured a modern twist on traditional Chinese dishes, and we chose a selection of starters, appetizers, and three entrees: a fish dish, a beef dish, and a vegetarian dish featuring tofu and eggplant."Any allergies?" John asked as he noted our selections."I'm fine with egg as an ingredient, but I don't like it on its own," my husband replied.Without missing a beat, John said earnestly, "Oh, let me take the egg out of eggplant." His tone was so serious that it caught us off guard.At first, I didn't register the exchange, but when my husband repeated it after John walked away, I couldn't stop laughing.When the food arrived, John announced each dish. "Eggplant and tofu," he said, setting down the vegetarian entrée."Plant," I corrected with a grin. "The plant without the egg."Everyone, including John, burst into laughter.The meal was fantastic. The duck salad was fresh and tangy, the Xiao Long Bao offered delicate, savory bites, and the crispy tiger prawns added a satisfying crunch. The eggplant and tofu dish stole the show with its rich, savory sauce--a true "rice killer," as John had warned earlier. We ended up ordering a second bowl of rice to mop up every last drop.As a New Year's Eve ritual, we toasted the new year with champagne, full and happy after a memorable night of great food, laughter, and fun.

Food here was exceptional across the board. I haven't eaten at many "elevated" Chinese restaurants but I was impressed with the fusion elements and ingredient choices.Crispy Tiger prawns: A+Sesame prawn toast: ATofu skin roll: ABBQ pork buns: BRoasted eggplant: C+Chilean Sea bass: AWagyu beef cube: A-Roast duck noodles: B+Vegetable fried rice: A-Seasonal mushroom noodles: B-Standout dishes I highly recommend were the tiger prawns, sesame prawn toast, sea bass, and tofu skin roll. The $20 BBQ pork buns I just had to try since it's typically a pretty cheap item. This one used high quality pork, and tasted quite good. The vegetable fried rice incorporated crispy rice which gave it a nice texture.

From the moment I walked in, I felt taken care of. The whole experience I had was fantastic. I think what really stood out was the food, but the service & decor were pretty fabulous too. Only 1/6 dishes was lack luster & even then it was still good because it was the prettiest presented dish. Higher priced dim sum but delicious. 5/5 Food5/5 Service5/5 Ambiance

Amazing food, drinks and customer service!! This was our first time visiting, we went in around 12:45 for lunch and there was not many people there ( I'm assuming they had just opened), but we were greeted and immediately seated. We ordered some delicious drinks, the duck noodles among many other items. Everything tasted amazing, we were so in the moment we forgot to take pictures of the food! I will say one of my favorites and must try is their prawn toast

I've been here a couple times now, including when they first opened in 2023, and Blue Whale remains high quality and consistent. Keep in mind it is more upscale compared to most dim sum restaurants.I came with a group of 6 people for an early dinner on Tuesday. We were seated in their spacious back patio which includes plenty of heaters! The menu is set up to be family style so we ordered a little bit of everything. The wasabi tiger prawns and duck noodles were ordered twice because they were such a crowd favorite. Also, the xiao long bao and chili wontins are staples. The only dish I felt could use a bit more flavor were the shrimp lettuce cups- however they are a light and plentiful option for the group.Service was great as well! Our waiter was very attentive and communicative.

Ambiance: date night. Service: Not great, felt ignored in an empty space. Food: was ok, but not worth $130. The pumpkin puffs were so cute! But wasn't a fan of the taste. Star dish? Xiao long bao. Street parking. Thanks.