Han Dynasty Upper West Side

We love this spot! Ain’t go wrong with Chinese food! We went on a weekday so it was not that crowded but we had early dinner, and the restaurant wasn’t that crowded but as soon 6pm hits, the place got packed. We had reservation. But no need if you are planning to visit not on a rush hour. I love how generous the servings were! Cumin Fries was a must try, not the usual fries you would usually have. We ordered fried dumplings too. General Tso’s chicken was good too! And eggplant stir fried would always be the best. When the place started to get packed, the servers were not enough to cover all tables. Good ambiance too.

I’m slightly disappointed - it feels less tasty than a few years ago, pre-Covid. The taste doesn’t feel cooked into the meat, if that makes sense. Otherwise: Waiting time is short. Open till 1AM which I appreciate. Restroom is clean. Service is ok. Overall casual setting. Many seatings. Portion is huge.

There’s nothing American Chinese familiar about this Chinese food here. There is nothing subtle or minimalist in the flavors here. Everything smacks your tongue into reset, if you’ve never had these spices before. I’ve never dined in. Always take out. But for over 5 years now, it has yet to disappoint-Even during the pandemic when everything turned upside down. Sigh. The move so far are cumin and dry pepper style. The proteins are all perfectly cooked; never had the chicken but that’s only because I don’t do bird unless it’s Jollibee or Popeyes. Dan-squared- is solid. Real solid. The green beans…ditto. Don’t forget the wontons. And make it spicy because you can. I’ve forgotten the other dishes I’ve ordered but the reality is I’ve never had a bad meal. Never. Bold statement, I know, but there’s no other Chinese spot this far uptown that has this regional style and nothing with this kind of swag.

Ordered spicy fish tofu takeouts from here and it was seamless pick up experience. The takeout was well-packed with extra plastic bag over the fish to ensure no spillage. Was pleasantly surprise to see that the order had a lot of fish and tofu unlike other location. Good value for the meal and delicious!

Even before you sit down for your meal, you can’t help but be impressed with the interior of Han Dynasty: lots of architectural details, coffered ceiling, crown moulding, columns at the perimeter of a central aquarium. Their lunch special is an affordable way to enjoy this space. The house special fried rice ($11.95 plus tax), though tasty, definitely needed the extra combo of pickled vegetables and vegetable dumplings because I don’t think I would have been satisfied the rice alone.