Golden Unicorn Restaurant Reviews

Went there on Sun morning, make sure you go early (before 11 am), otherwise you'll face long wait and diminished service. Typical dim sum place, all items plates selected were tasty. Very good value for money.

Went on a recommendation to try this place. The service is terrible. You have to flag someone down for everything. Very noisy during lunch, they only do dim sum on carts... Had to beg for a glass of water and soy sauce. Soup was awful, I can make better soups at home... Everything was over cooked, super chewy and rubber band like. No refill on hot tea not sure why. No menu's either. This place is on the second floor and was a pain to find. Never again...

3rd time at the Golden Unicorn. Returned due to great experience before, however this time: Poor selection of food Rude staff who didn't care what you wanted and didn't want to help. Very fatty and greasy duck, more than normal for a chinese roast duck (favourite dish normally) Last 2 visits were on the weekend, this time was on a Tuesday.

Every dish we ordered was outstanding. We went on a Sunday at 11 a.m. and could not believe how busy this restaurant was. Once we ate, I understood why.....best dim sum!

Stopped in early on Sunday for dim sum before we left the city. Each and every item was excellent. But a few stood out: Steamed pork buns, radish cakes, congee and the steamed custard buns! What a great selection! And reasonably priced.

In short, we expected better. We went at about 1145 and there were only a few people there on a weekday. The place was clean And big , service was good. The teams all came out at the same time and was not steaming hot. It was Luke warm. We would not go back again

Late afternoon dim sum with friends. We were seated right away. Immediately we were offered dessert items which we declined until later. Then no carts came by for a very long time. - We eventually called someone over and had various delicious dumplings. The next lull was so long that we ordered a Peking duck, having seen one served at the next table. While waiting for that, another cart finally came by, but the selections looked very unappetizing. The duck was good not great. A possible reason for the poor service was that they were setting up for a large corporate event that evening. In any case, I would recommend trying one of the many other dim sum houses in Chinatown.

Arrived there before 11am on a Sunday and no need to wait for a table. Smart move because when we left around 12:30pm, there were at least 20 ppls waiting in the lobby. Dim sum is good old style, nothing fancy, but all tasted good. The portion is reasonable, unlike other dim sum restaurants that make dim sum so big to cater to the locals. Dim sum, or "touch of heart" in Cantonese, is meant to be eaten in one bite. I really like they still use dim sum cart so you can choose whatever you want from it, and the dim sum is still hot when you eat it. The old ladies pushing the cart do speak English They do charge tea per head and is reasonable. Tea and dim sum go together, can't take them apart. If you mind paying for tea that you don't drink, maybe going to a dim sum restaurant should not be on your agenda...

Our tour group of 40+ ate here, and we were served each course very quickly! There was SO much food and all of it was exceptional in taste. Our waiter was very courteous. I would definitely go back here again.

Golden Unicorn is one of the oldest and established Cantonese restaurants in Chinatown. Mainly known for its Dim Sum, it is just as fun at dinner when several generations of neighborhood Chinese families go out to have a good time. It is very festive with its slightly kitschy decor and four floors of large, bright dining rooms attended by impeccably dressed waiters and waitresses. The food is delicious, but it is the courtesy and old-style service that make this a special place.

Was here for dim sum because of reading many good things about this place. However, the experience was just horrible. I have been to a few other dim sum places, the food here was just average, not outstanding at all. Also, there were problems getting the dim sum you want. It seemed that there were problems in the routing of food carts carrying different types of dim sum. We kept getting the same cart during our visit. We waited for almost an hour to finally get the Mango pudding we want. During the wait, we asked different waiters/waitresses for the pudding, but nobody helped or gave any useful information. I don't recommend this place since you can easily go to other places to get the same dim sum and better service.

I spent a weekend in NYC with a friend of mine and we decided on this place for dim sum. We had heard about the long lineups and chose to go when they first opened. I'm glad we did because we were able to get a table right away. It was a really nice, classic dim sum with good variety and tasty dishes. If I'm ever in the area again, I hope to come back here :)

It is China Town and you come to eat Dim Sum. Therefore don't expect a menu - you chose fresh, piping hot dim sum from the constantly roaming carts. Don't expect overly friendly or chatty service but you WILL get great dim sum at rather reasonable prices.

All good, quick and slightly chaotic and efficient service. Great dumplings. Squid was cold was the only downside

Went here for dim sum and it was delicious. The restaurant is on the second floor and the elevator opens directly into the restaurant. There are carts and good quick service - typical dim sum style. Be prepared to share a table if only two of you, though we managed to snag our own on arrival. Prices are great - quality of food good, worth a visit.

New York’s Chinatown has always been full of surprises. Years ago I was introduced to a restaurant that changed my life. A huge and warm hug to Brian, SAT prep master and amazing person overall, who shed light on Golden Unicorn. On weekends this place is dim sum heaven. I’m not talking about the “trendy” dim sum places that look pretty, but drill a hole in your pocket. Golden Unicorn is a family establishment! Go there on any given weekend and what you will find are people that are not only Chinese, but go there regularly for a taste of home. Ladies in uniform drive by carts full of fresh food. As someone who does not speak the language you have 2 options. 1. Go with someone that speaks Chinese. Mandarin or Cantonese, no matter. They will have basic knowledge of the different dim sum options. 2. Set yourself free and just take things off the cart that look good to you. You can figure out most things on your own, and isn’t that more fun anyway? Don’t you dare pick up the menu they have for regular entrees. The best experience will be with the dim sum selections ONLY. I always get the very tender tripe, steamed shrimp dumplings, the fabulous ribs, and my newly found addiction…the green balls. These are like fried mochi that have black sesame inside. The burst of flavor in my mouth gave me a smile. I liked them so much that my friend Jason decided I should take a few for the road back to DC. In any case, the green balls have me thinking about when I can go back to NYC. It’s all about the green balls right now. *Tip. Go on Saturday or Sunday, but make sure you get there before noon. If you don’t get there early you could be waiting up to an hour for a table.

We came here for dim sum lunch on a Sunday and as the reviews before me had said there was a 40 minute wait, but we came knowing this. Luckily the large lobby area can accommodate many people to wait on a cold day. This restaurant is large with several floors and many tables and the restaurant is tastefully decorated. Waitresses walk around with carts with different foods on them and you pick what you want off the cart and they add it to your bill by putting on a stamp. The only thing is be prepared to have no idea what each item will cost you or how much your bill will be. We were four people and tried many dishes and with tip our bill came to about $30 a person. Also be prepared to try things you may not know what they are because most of the people bringing the carts around do not speak English. However, the food was very good and this was a very enjoyable experience. We will not hesitate to return with our family or other friends. The fact that this place is always crowded and has many Asian patrons is a sign that this place is one to try if you are looking for the true dim sum experience!

This one was a 15 course banquet for about 40 people, smaller than the last banquet, but still amazing. We started with Roast Suckling Pig and followed with squid/lobster claw, shrimp, lobster, chicken, sea bass, appetizer platter, abalone with mushroom, beef, longevity noodle, fried rice, soup and 3 kinds of dessert. Some of us blanched at the duck tongue, the crispy pig skin, and the chicken head left on the platter, but it was truly a gustatory experience not to be missed.

This is a place where you can eat proper dim sum outside of Hong Kong. The food tasted above our expectation. The atmosphere is also very authentic, people talking loud, waitress pushing the cart with different dishes. Dishes clinking sounds from people trying to clear the table. We had a good meal there, but everyone seemed so busy and on a rush.

I have sampled Dim Sum all over the world and The Golden Unicorn is my second favorite place ever. My top favorite was in chinatown in Singapore. This place is number two. This is based on nothing but my own subjective take on the quality of food and service but also diversity of options. Sometimes when you go to a dim sum place on a weekday there'll only be a few carts wandering around with a few basic options (eg: siu mai, chasseu bao, etc.) but Golden Unicorn had lots and lots to choose from. Full disclosure - I probably ate way too much but I loved it anyway. Also they had bacon wrapped shrimp dumplings which is something I'd never tried before, needless to say they were delicious. For those that are coming for the first time take note: the restaurant is on the second floor so when you walk in the front door you'll need to either take the stairs or the elevator up. For those that are coming back: please leave some dumplings for me.

The Golden Unicorn has been reduced to a take out counter. It has a street dining shed, which was closed when I visited. So no sit down option at all. I was sorely disappointed, as this was my favorite dim sum place in NYC. Dim sum is still good, but expected to be able to eat it hot in a restaurant, not luke warm on a park bench. I will not be back unless they become a sit down restaurant again.

We were on vacation and wanted to have dim sum in Chinatown. So many places to choose from but we tried the golden unicorn. At first glance when we walked in we had high hopes. But poor service, lack of variety in dim sum and rude staff just ruined it. Almost every dim sum they brought around was shrimp. Couldn’t get water for quite some time. They put hot tea down which we expected was complementary and then they charged us 1.00 for it—didn’t ask for it and wouldn’t have even ordered it in the first instance. The staff that brings around the dim sum can not communicate well or explain what is in the dim sum. In fact everything we got was bland and unappealing. Didn’t even eat the “beef” dish we chose as it was mostly fat and bone. So disappointing. Would never recommend this place. Can’t say one good thing about it.

The ambience is a very authentic Hong Kong Dim Sum Restaurant. Food is really awesome and dishes are creative. Love our lunch here while at New York!

Excellent Dim Sum served all day. Come early on the weekends or you will have a very long wait. They serve non dim Sum dishes as well. They have a huge variety of dishes to choose from. The can accommodate very large groups. The restaurant has 3 floors of dining space. They don't take reservations.

I haven't had dim sum in awhile, and coming here was an excellent re-introduction to that whole scene. I'm not a dim sum connoisseur, but this was definitely on the better end of dim sum experiences. Be aware: this place gets super-crowded and has LONG waits on Sunday mornings for a table at any one of the restaurant's 4 floors (!!!). I'm not even sure what exactly I ate, but everything I tried - from dumplings to sticky buns (there are some even decorated like pigs :D) to durian pastries - was pretty good. For a group of 8, we spent less than $25 per person for the whole meal + tip.

Although claiming that they (Sail) never use dairy products, they refuse to provide lactose-free meals which is completely mind-boggling. The only other source of lactose in food which comes to my mind is mass-produced convenience food. Or they just don't know what they are doing. In either way, that's far below any standard.

We were told this place has the best Dim Sum in NYC Chinatown so we want to give this place a try. After over an hour of wait time standing around in an open lobby on a Sunday morning, they finally called our number to go upstairs to the 3rd floor. Apparently, this Golden Unicorn Restaurant has 3 floors(2nd, 3rd and 4th), but nothing at the lobby downstairs. Upon stepping out of the elevator, we were almost collided by a waiter because they were so busy and the place is so crowded with no space to even walk. Many people have to share table, but we were fortunate with enough family members to occupy the entire round table. After we settled, we learned quickly that this place automatically provides you a pot of their standard black Chinese tea. I found this practice may save the restaurant time and money, but I found it to be disrespectful and annoying in my eyes as a customer. In most dim sum restaurants, they always ask the customers for the type of Chinese tea they prefer to drink. For example, Oolong and Jasmine are couple of popular Chinese tea people may request. When the dim sum carts came by, we picked those that we liked such as the shrimp dumplings, beef meat balls, pork meat balls, chicken feet, etc.. we found most of them to be so-so with nothing to write home about. We also, tried some of their desserts such as their steamed sponge cake, egg tarts, black sesame rolls, etc.. Again, they all seemed to be average at best. As for services, I found it to be annoying as they constantly trying to rush you as they were very busy which we understand, but I need my own space, atmosphere and time to eat in peace. With that said, I think this place is definitely overrated and I doubt that I’ll be back to this place any time soon.

Did those looking for a luxurious dining room thus is not your place. The environs can be called "classic" to put it nicely. That said, we just found our go-to place for dim sum in NYC. The items on offer were fresh, tasty and arrived quickly. The wait staff are traditional and efficient.

Although the downstairs lobby augured poorly, being packed with a waiting crowd, and we were told we would have to wait too, we were sent to the upstairs floor and seated immediately. Adding to the confusion, a waiter handed us a pen and menu to circle our orders of dim sum, which we did, but no one took it. Then dim sum carts started rolling by and we eagerly made our choices. In addition, a waiter happened to pass with dishes of Chinese broccoli, so we asked him for one. The dim sum were good, though standard, the soup dumplings could have had thinner wrappers. They are still using some disposable ware, but it’s good to see that on this Saturday noon, the tables were packed with family groups happy to be out and together again.

We hosted a family and friends dinner at the Golden Unicorn for our son's wedding weekend. It was a terrific success. They gave us four large tables in the front corner, used the best fabric tablecloths and napkins and chair covers. We pre-ordered the menu and the food was delicious. The service was excellent. They accommodated one guest who is vegan, at no extra charge. We were completely happy with the entire experience.

The Golden Unicorn is almost a New York institution in its own right and is a great place to enjoy some very good Chinese and asian style cuisine in an fun and relaxed environment! Finding it is easy, the restaurant is clearly marked and illuminated from the street making it easy to find and very visible in the distance, also most taxi drivers in the city seem to know where it is as well, which helps if you using that form of transport to get there. Once you get inside you may be forgiven that you are entering an office building, and, to some extent you are correct, but don't be deterred, a little way into the lobby you will be greeted by a friendly host who will show you into an elevator that whisks you directly to the restaurant. Once you leave the elevator you will find yourself right in heart of the restaurant itself (in a former life i think that this would have opened up into a lobby) and where all the action is happening. When we visited we were seen to out table very quickly and taken through some of the various specials that were on offer that day as well, by attentive and friendly staff who never rushed use or made us feel like we were taking up space. The actual size of the main restaurant floor is deceiving, as at first look you an only see a few tables but once you start to look around you find that there are a lot of places hidden away around corners and behind screens. The purpose of these is to that tables may be cordoned off for private parties and more intimate dining for those that have requested it. The menu is full of the usual delights that you will find in most asian restaurants with a few little specialties thrown in for good measure. Where the Golden Unicorn seems to distance its self from its competition is in its presentation and service style. Where as most restaurants seem to be more than happy just to present you with food and then move on, here the whole experience is dominated by the way in which the food is styled and visualised on the plate. Although we only opted for fairly simple dishes the way in which the food was said out was exceptional and was likewise ample in portion amount and full of colour and flavour with a good amount of veg on the side that had a definitive crunch and freshness about it! Other dishes that we saw pass us by looked like art pieces and really caught our eye in the way in which the chefs had taken time in there presentation and display. Something that a lot of places seem to forget nowadays! Price wise, its in line with what you would expect to pay anywhere in Chinatown but less than you would towards midtown. Highlights and plus points: Great location and easy to find Has a fun feel about it and its something different Locals love it Good fresh food Good value for what you get Popular Good service and friendly staff Presentation of food is great Negative points: Can get really busy as the night goes on A little long wait for food, Maybe needs a facelift but its part of the charm Overall the Golden Unicorn manages successfully to mar good food and good service with a fun and relaxed atmosphere that didn't seem to disappoint the entire time we were there!

Four years ago, I visited the Golden Unicorn and it was excellent but my brother was an excellent guide. This time it was my husband and I and were placed in a corner that made it almost impossible to pick the dim sum. Also, the ladies do not speak English, so I have no idea what I was eating but that is the experience. The food was delicious and when you are done, walk up to the register to pay, they will not come to you. Also, don’t sit in a corner.

Been here many times including banquets; last two on Groupon deals, which were good. This time it was terrible. Spring rolls and dumplings were OK, but beef satay had strange taste. Hot & sour soup was bland and sweet—how do you make bland and sweet “hot and sour” soup? The beef with orange peel looked like dark meat chicken…hard to tell! Mushy, not at all crispy as fried food should be; worse it too had no flavor, certainly not orange. Nothing sweet in the glaze and again abundant soy sauce. Oddly, our previous dining experience was good as to the orange flavored dish. It did have lots of soy sauce though. Vegetable fried rice looked and tasted like it had been in the steaming tray all day. The Unicorn version had corn, carrots and peas, no oyster sauce. The “Peking Duck” consisted of 6 pancakes with duck meat in addition to skin, very little plum sauce and a strand of scallion on each. Presumably, the remainder of the duck was served, but we were not given the carcass. It seems nowadays the local Chinese takeouts and even some reputable Chinese restaurants substitute soy sauce (a cheap version at that) for oyster sauce; garlic sauce as in broccoli in garlic sauce is more soy sauce than oyster sauce. The “Peking Duck” we had was really a soy sauce duck. What is sad is these places get away with this because most diners don’t know better. Elevator, bathroom clean and on same floor. Staff efficient but not friendly—no one asked if everything was OK, no one said thank you or good bye. Groupon customers fare only slightly worse than regular customers. I overheard staff belittling one table for ordering har gow and shiu mai repeatedly, at 7 pm. I wouldn’t return even though many rave about their dim sum.

Once you get in you will be bombarded with offers of Dim Sum...even though we refused several times, they kept coming and offering Dim Sum...but wait...its feels like an offer but no, even before you get the menu they "force offer" you Dim Sum, gladly we didnt accept any as we later found out in the menu it costs about 8 dollars each (and the portions were quite small and looked disgusting, as in “we have had this food going around in these water heated trolleys for a while now and we haven’t washed it in ages”). Table cloth was dirty we asked for other table, they refused “oh we just spilled whatever sauce was here, don’t worry its just sauce”. The food: So lets get in the main course, the 4 of us order half a roasted duck, moo shoo and pork "schnitzel"... - The pork was mostly nerve, fried bread and no meat at all... - The moo shoo was tasteless - The duck came about 45min later cold, completely cold, the explanation was "the kitchen is upstairs thats the reason" The service: - First of all, LEARN ENGLISH! Some trolley waitresses were like "Sweet, Sweet?"...has in offering desserts...cant you pull a simple sentence "Would you like some dessert"? - The service was cold, has in "we dont care if you like it or not"... The bill: - We paid and because we didnt want to leave any tip they didnt want us to let us leave and started to make problems...we were in NYC for a visit and we didnt want it to turn out to be a nightmare so we left "the recommended" tip (which was written on the bill)...Seriously...WTF... Stay away, stay away!

One of the women we travelled with is a foodie, so she got to pick the places we ate at on our trip to NYC. She researched lots and came up with this gem...and although we got lost finding it and walking miles and miles before we got there, it was totally worth it. We entered a different world after getting off the elevator...and we were totally underdressed (and probably smelly because of all the walking),... but OMG, was it good. Yes!

Decent dim sum. Take dim sum from the carts or order from the menu. Prices are reasonable for New York. Busy at weekends.

My family went a couple of weeks ago on a Sunday afternoon. We were ten people. we were told we would seated in 45 minutes. After an hour and ten minutes, we were told that we would be seated in another ten or twenty minutes. Up to that point, they had generally avoided giving us any information or even speaking with us. So we said we were leaving. They then asked us for our vaccine info. They had not asked anyone before for this, and it turned out this was just a delaying tactic so they could scare up two tables of five and ask us to take that instead of the big table we had been assured we would have. I've been to the restaurant before. The food is greasy and not as good as Dim Sum Go-Go down the block. Plus, their behavior was and is deceptive. And you have no idea if the patrons have Covid since only we were asked for vaccine documentation. Avoid.

If you've never been to a dim sum restaurant before, be sure to go with someone who has. It can be confusing. That being said, this place is fun and delicious. Next time, I would want to find a way to see what items were coming on the carts because there's likely to be something you "missed" and want to save room for. On a Sunday morning, get there by 10:30 or be prepared to wait for a while. There can be a language barrier, so be clear in what you are pointing to. Even so, it's fun to get a food with which you may not be familiar. Quite a few main course items are sweet and food allergies may be difficult to work around. However, if you want a great dim sum experience, this is the place.

Went here yesterday, the dim sum was nice and the food and drinks are reasonably priced. Only problem is the rice is hugely pricey, my daughter would only eat a small potion, I asked if they did a small portion of rice, I was told they didn’t however shortly after I saw a small bowl of plain rice going out to a different table, so think it was more a case that we were tourists! Food was nice enough but have had better in china town London.

Have been many times and often bring out of towners for the "real" HK style dim sum experience. Its been a while but went yesterday. The choices were repetitive, kept waiting for more options that didnt come. Many of the dumplings were cold, and the bacon wrapped shrimp seemed days old. Very gummy and not hot at all. Over all the food was not as i remember and then to top it off, both of us got sick after with severe stomach issues. So I really am sorry to write this but I had to. My dinner plans were cancelled which caused issues all because I ate dim sum at Golden Unicorn. Sorry to report!

According to locals, the Unicorn is one of the best in the dim sum category. Waiting time during lunch is long (30 min+). Dim sums are fresh and tasty. Haw kow perfect. Duck buns are made to order. Amazing food in total. But crowded and you have to share a table with strangers if you are travelling less than 6. Good value for money and the unicorn is a michelin bib gourmand.

Took my 9 and 12 year old here for lunch while visiting Chinatown. The restaurant was crowded, but we did not have to wait for a table. They quickly brought tea to the table and started the carts. We had a variety of delicious dim sum, but return trips were increasingly delayed. My kids recommend the sticky rice wrapped in a big leaf, shrimp and veggie things, and the spring rolls (their words).

Frustrating. Waited 90 min. Were told would be 30-40 min. For last half hour hostess told us we were next. Great food bad service at tables too. Many couples/parties of 2 were asked to share tables w strangers. Seemed like a lot of people having bad experience when they could have sat bigger parties sooner and allow others the chance to dine in privacy

Being of Hong Kong origin, I have very high standards when it comes to Dim Sum. China Towns can be very commercial so I was lucky to bump into some Americans of Chinese origin in the Subway one day who were on their way to have a dim sum meal. When I asked them for the best restaurant, without hesitation, the both responded together "Golden Unicorn". This was good enough for me - they still have the age-old tradition of 'dim sum carts' and I was advised that the food was authentic. I was also advised that I shouldn't be put-off by the huge waiting lines which I would inevitably encounter (another good sign). Later that week, we headed for Chinatown - Golden Unicorn is about 10 minute walk from the closest Subway station in Chinatown. We found the correct building - the lobby area had around 50 people waiting to be seated (restaurant is on the 1st / 2nd floors). A little claustrophobic - there is not much space to stand and I could see many loitering outside the building to get some air. We took our number and told that there would be an approximate 45 minute wait. I wouldn't usually wait this long, (there were dozens of other dim sum restaurants which we had passed which had empty tables), however, I really wanted to try this place. We headed to Gong Cha next door for bubble tea before resuming our wait in the lobby. Be prepared to share a table with others (this is again traditional) - we were fortunately to get a table for 2. For the next hour, we feasted on some of the nicest dim sum I have ever tried. The carts circle the restaurants regularly - the turnover of tables is quick. Perfect dumplings, rice rolls, won ton, spring roll etc. Bill came to $35 for 2 which was incredible value given the quality. During our stay in NYC, we did try to return to Golden Unicorn (Tuesday morning) - we were hoping that it would be slightly quieter (than prime time). Unfortunately, when we returned, the queue was even worse and we decided to try one of the other nearby dim sum places. Big mistake - we visited 'Go Go Dim Sum' which was opposite Golden Unicorn. Service, food was very average. Limited menu which was geared more towards western tastes. We regretted this decision!

We went on a Sunday and the place was packed with people in the lobby. We had to wait about 45 minutes to get a table upstairs. Once seated the service was quite quick since the rolling table were many and came by frequently with hot food. The dim sum was limited and about average for a good Chinese restaurant. The best thing was sweet tofu soup. The most annoying thing was a $8 kitchen charge at the end of the meal.

Called in here when staying in the area for dinner. The place was busy with all types of dinners from couples to families to groups. The food looked superb as it was coming out to other tables. The starters were delicious especially the beef satay, The Yeung chow fried rice was also very good

We arrived after a recommendation from a guide book. Our choices were changed as the proprietor told us we wouldn't enjoy what we chose. The food that did come was passable, the service shocking and insulting, the cost high. I'll be writing to the guidebook to tell them the same. Don't go. Seriously. Go elsewhere. I don't pay to be insulted.

The dim sum was average and good. Servings were average kinda eh... But when i started to leave the store 3 workers came up to me asking where the dim sum plates were... I understand the language difference but they thought i stole some of their plates because 2 out of 4 weren't there.... the cleaning lady took them. Then they were asking where there tip was. there service wasn't good at all so i tipped about 15% but they were insisting i only tipped 3 dollars. they started to point fingers and saying some weird stuff. I will never go back.

It ain't what it used to be. We were sent to the third floor for DimSum instead of the second, where we had always enjoyed the many selections brought fresh out of the kitchen one or two at a time and brought around in carts. This time we had to mark our choices on a menu, and everything was brought out together and instantly.

This review is of an event I attended at Golden Unicorn, and NOT for their regular dim sum. I attended Lunar New Year Banquet at Golden Unicorn. I have never been to Golden Unicorn, but they have been on my radar, so I was excited for this event. They brought out many dishes, served family-style. I didn’t really get the name of the dish or exactly what they are… The first dishes we received was kind of appetizer platter. It had Seaweed Salad, Sliced Jellyfish, Fried Pork, and Fried Chicken. It was a good, easy item to start. The seaweed salad was a nice pallet cleanser. We had many other dishes, and most of them were good. I liked the steamed buns, and some kind of beef dish. Others were tasty too, but not amazing. Red Bean Soup with mochi balls were served at the end as desserts. Not sweet at all, which was a surprise. And I must say, if I was the event organizer, I would have definitely ended with their Piglet Buns with egg custards for everyone… First of all, it is the year of the pig, so it would have been THE perfect item to end the Lunar New Year celebration. Second, it is just so darn adorable!!!!! Anyways, we just have to go back to Golden Unicorn ourselves to get those piglets… The staffs here were quite efficient, always on the go! A few of us got take some leftovers home with us, which was great. A fun spot to hold a large event.

Great food! Great service! Considering of course that we were a big group of 40+ Food quality was excellent and service was very decent (given our large group). Was very reasonable as well. $700 with lots of leftovers. Loved the dimsum, roast duck, fried noodles and fried rice.

Mama Mia!!! I really like this place, I feel like in China (BTW I 've never been there but as I watch in the movies I feel it ). I just went to try the little pigs and there were soft and good and if you mix with soy much betterrrrr. I stay another time making some jokes with the servers and waitresses but I couldn't get a smile, maybe the jokes were bad. Go and eat, Diet for Next Life IG: @Manufoood

We loved this place and got stuffed! We especially loved their buns and particularly the red beans ones decorated like little pigs. Everything tasted great and we would definitely go back again!

I came here with friends in 2011 and came back with my daughter this trip. She loves dim sum. We were seated quite quickly for a busy weekend day. Even though we ordered somewhat more than we could eat, the cost ended up more reasonable than I expected. We enjoyed the food. The service was good and friendly.

What an absolutely horrible experience. Made reservations for Christmas Eve to dine with my family including 3 young kids. Got seated promptly but then were ignored for at least 15 minutes. I Went up to the “front desk”’to ask for a server. A few minutes later an older man came up to our table and simply said “what are you ordering?” No hello. No how are you. I ignored his attitude because by this point my family was starving and I didn’t want to ruin Christmas Eve dinner due to the servers’ arrogance and lack of customer service. We ordered our food and then waited. And waited. And waited. After about another 30 minutes we once again went to the front desk to see where our food was. A few minutes later the “server” said it would be another 5 minutes. 10 minutes later still no food and we had enough and left hungry and absolutely in shock of how poorly we were treated. No food. No explanation. No apologies. We travel a lot and we go to many restaurants all over the country. This is by far, one of the worst experiences we have ever had. It seemed like we were a bother to this “server”. Never again.

After doing lots of research and poring over NYC dim sum reviews, we decided on Golden Dragon for freshness, variety, flavor and service. NONE of which were positive during our meal. We arrived excited to try some tasty dim sum from the scurrying carts of the huge restaurant. First, it's not that big. It felt cheap and dated. We were immediately sat next to the entrance doorway, and there was hardly anyone else dining except for a very loud event party in a reserved space. We asked for a different table closer to the carts to which they said only, "No." We sat but then immediately told, "OK sit over there." So we sort of happily moved but found only tea on the table. Traditional or not, it was 95* outside and we were roasting, so after 5 minutes without a server we asked someone for water, to which we received an eye roll and "ask your waiter", whoever that might be. We asked a man in a white coat please for water, and it eventually came bit we were confused who was who. Eventually the carts rolled by, but nothing on the pictures on the front of the cart were actually IN the cart. Lots of shrimp and bean curd based items, but no chicken dishes, no rice, and no famed piggy buns. We tried 2 items, a BBQ pork bun which was decent and a veg potsicker which I hated but my husband liked. It was very mushy and seemed like it sat in the basket allll day. The same items came by in 5 different carts, and we began wondering how circulated the same items were, with no new things to try. We were so disappointed, we paid our $7 tiny bill and fled. So disappointing after spending so much time reading about all the tasty options. Service was rude, if we even saw someone for more than 10 sec, food was limited and not special, and the restaurant was sketchy. Save your time and money, tons of other NYC dining options that don't disappoint!

We tripped across the restaurant whilst out and about. We were too late for lunch so missed the dim sum lunch. The waiter was quite rude (but we found it amusing though) the food was very good, we had quite a mixture of dim sum, starters and main courses. We all enjoyed the food.

This place is terrible both on its food and service: the food is served lukewarm and not fresh, the servers are not only inattentive but also rude, and the manager/maitr d' is slow and ignorant. If I could, I would rate this place ZERO star. The food/dim sum we ordered include steamed shrimp dumplings, steamed roast pork bun, chicken feet with Chinese BBQ sauce, Glutinous chicken rapped in lotus leaf...etc. All are "typical" items that are served in Dim Sum restaurant. There was no dim sum carts when we visited, so we ordered directly from the waiter and expected to be served from the kitchen. It took 20 minutes before our first dish arrived. It was the steamed roast pork bun, and it was lukewarm. It apparently had been sitting on the kitchen counter for a while before being brought to our table. We thought it might be just a bit off from the first dish, so we did not complain. But the following dim sum were all in the same condition. I am not sure how long those dishes were sitting in the kitchen counter but not in a warmer or steamer, but all dim sums we had that night were all lukewarm and did not taste fresh at all. The serves, all Chinese/Cantonese dressed in red or black suite, are rude and unprofessional. Most of them do NOT speak proper English, which is not a big deal, but all of them lack the basic knowledge of hospitality. We were NEVER given napkins and condiments (soy sauce, vinegar...etc). The wait staff and the mangers (dressed in black) came by so many times, but no one cares. We actually had to flag down someone after the second Dim Sum was served - totally unacceptable. Also, the table next to us is group of 10+ people who were about to check out. Apparently there were some glitches on their bill, so the waitresses was yelling loud in Cantonese to the manger across the whole restaurant while holding the bill in their hands - So rude. And when the staff was cleaning and resetting the tables, they tossed dishes and plates in the collecting cart, then again, tossed the new plates like a Frisbee when resetting the table. Not only did they make extreme noise, they simply did not care about if their customers were feeling uncomfortable. And the manager/matri d' seems to be ignoring everyone when it came to his business. He was the person to deliver our check, but when we put our credit card on the tray with the bill, he passed our table at least 5 times without collecting it. We sat there for 15 minutes before flagging him down. I don't know what his attitude is about, but with this extremely poor service from him to everyone in his restaurant, I would say, "Stay Away Golden Unicorn! Go Somewhere Else - There Are TONS of restaurants in Chinatown!"

Our large family group of 11 enjoyed a birthday celebration dinner at this Chinatown landmark. Lots of different dishes to try from Dim Sum to main courses and fried rices. It was some what overwhelming but thanks to the waiter, we managed to keep the ordering down to a dull roar. The atmosphere was brightly lit and colorful for our floor with many other groups in the large room (there are several floors accessible by elevator). The waitstaff was sort of a random experience: sometimes there for ordering, then, having to be pursued for follow up and the check. All told, dinner without a lot of drinks came to about $300, including tip.

What better way to experience a longstanding New York dim sum destination than chowing down on pork buns and shrimp balls while watching an endless procession of Falun Gong fanatics and reading their pamphlet about organ harvesting by the CCP?

We had a 15 min wait on Monday at lunchtime on MLK day. The cart ladies and waitstaff are very attentive, fast and pleasant. Compared to other places, the employees here are usually smiling. We try a little bit of everything. The tripe is cooked well and the pork is meaty and tender in many of their dim sum forms. I especially like the green vegetable and chopped scallops wrapped in rice noodle paper and grilled. These have a really nice flavor and are served from a warm grill on the cart alongside the fried turnip cakes, so they are plated hot. The shrimp in the chee cheong fun are large and plump. There is no skimping on filling here. Will return again and again. I like it better than Jing Fong for most items. My favorite place to bring visitors to Chinatown to get the full experience and enjoy good food. $90 for 4 people includes tip. Bring your appetite here and try to go at off-peak hours.

Neither fancy nor elegant, but the options are numerous, the management efficient and the food fantastic.

Awesome Dim Sum, Ok service, decoration could do better but then again the food is what over rules the rest. There was also a Robot Bus- boy which we found funny, it actually had more personality than the waiters. Lol.

The dim sums were Ok, but the selections were very limited and the services were terrible. We had to ask multiple times just to refill our teapots.

We've only been here for dim sum but it is a lot of fun, especially since our options for Cantonese food in NC are limited. This is a huge restaurant and while it is frequented by tourists it seems to be frequented by Chinese people as well. We were there on a weekday so the hustle and bustle typical of dim sum was not as pronounced. Even though the carts were passing by more often we still had a lovely selection and were not rushed. Trying the various dumplings, noodles and other dishes was fun.Service was speedy and prices were reasonable.

We had a “celebration” of life dinner here and it was awesome. It was excellent food starting with egg rolls and a vegetable dumplings. Followed by pork,chicken, shrimp, rice and noodles. Finished off with wonderful sesame sweet balls. Great service.

We went on a Saturday and it was crowded with locals. Good sign. We arrived late though (around 1:30pm) and there was not much left. Nevertheless, we managed to have the rice enveloped in leaves ( do not miss it) and almost all the shrimp dishes, all of them really good. The duck was extremely greasy, not a nice bite.

When I get tired of American food, I sometimes try to have Chinese cuisine. This restaurant is one of the most popular with local Chinese people and provides us with good meal on a cheap price. Some staffs peddle dim sum from table to table, so you can sit choosing meals. It's a so convenient system.

We drove in from Michigan, got to chinatown on a Saturday afternoon and found a parking spot! We had to walk a few blocks to Golden Unicorn, which I read from Eater I think was good. We had to wait in line for about 20 minutes at 1:30 in the afternoon. They have two floors, we ended up on the third. Great dim sum! The food was good and came out in carts. Everything was hot and yummy. Our favorite is the ma lai go (sponge cake) and the potstickers. Did not disappoint and worth the wait. A little pricey though, for family of 5 it cost about $70. Not sure if that is typical NYC prices. Also, it was hotter than Hades in there. It was probably 55 degrees outside but like 80 degrees inside. All the employees were red faced and sweating.

This place was recommended to me and it was worth the hype. It is a place for real dim sum and it had all the good stuff-cha shiu bao, ha gao, shu mai--all the standard fare for dim sum. It was all fresh, hot and well done. I would go back again and again.

I have been coming to the Golden Unicorn for years and the food and service are always consistent. If you want the traditional Dim Sum experience, this is the place for you. Please remember to get there early because the food can get tepid over time if it is wheeled around too many times. The place is really reasonable. You can order four or five items and not break the bank but if you come in hungry, it can get costly. Make sure to come in with at least three people so that you can try many things. I love the pork dumplings when they are fried in front of you, the Shrimp Shu Mei, the pork and chive dumplings, their little egg custards in the shape of a pig, their fried shrimp balls and their spring rolls. Everything you will order will be delicious but be careful ordering the last dish on the cart as it may have been wheeled around too many times. If you go with a group, you will have more fun here. It really is a New York experience.

We met here for a family birthday dinner, lots of variety to meet the dietary needs of all. We ordered a variety of dim sum and shared around the table, ordered more of favorites, then chose the duck and several noodle dishes to share. Weak on dessert options, we decided to go to another place for that. Prices are reasonable. Be prepared that they will only bill split by 2, I am accustomed to being able to do equal divide between more cards. We had to pay each other and two of us split the total.

This is a great dim sum place! The restaurant is located on 2-3 floors. They bring you dim sums on trays and you choose what you want. The selection is amazing :)

What a horrible restaurant. I recently attended a wedding just last week and I felt so bad for the bride and groom. First, the restaurant representatives continuously ripped-off and took advantage of the newlyweds and family. They made them feel that they were given a very good deal, then asked them for extra money for this and that the day before and at the day/evening of the event. At this point, the family was at their mercy, so they were pretty much-held hostage to give them whatever money they asked. Also, my personal experience as an attendee; our waiter was the worst. He didn't serve the family style food (large plates) but just drop them off at the table and stood at the side and played with his cell phone. He bought out five plates at the same time (one plate was a whole fish without deboning the fish first) and just plopped it at the table. The same waiter also lied about the very expensive soup which was the only plate that he served. He stated that there was no leftover available (we only had 7 at the table where the quantity was for service of 10.) The waiter just took the very large deep opaque bowl away (he probably wanted to save it for himself). One additional comment, our waiter just stood at one spot and signal you to give him the dish to exchange out for a new dish. I guess this is hardly fine dining. It is more like eating out at the street vendor. I would never go back and will talk about the bad experiences that I had along with the bride and groom to everyone I know. Don't go there!

The 4 of us came early on Sunday in an effort to beat the crowd. We succeeded... somewhat. While others we knew came later and ended up waiting over 1.5 hours, our wait was "only" 45 minutes. There was a good selection of Dim Sum, and some of the items were the best I've ever had (the Turnip pancakes and Pork shu-mai). Everything else we ordered was good to great. However, having eaten Dim Sum at dozens of restaurants in different U.S. cities and Taiwan, I find myself leaning towards less-great food if it comes with a correspondingly less-annoying wait, since even average Dim Sum is still quite yummy!

Whereas metro NYC sports the largest Chinese population in the USA, it would not be unusual to find decent restaurants. Although the reviews on Trip Advisor were mixed and all over the board, the Golden Unicorn Restaurant was selected by a family member who actually lives in the Upper Westside and frequents both the dine-in restaurant and orders from their take-out streetfront. We found the dining experience more than acceptable...attentive service, decent atmosphere and extremely tasty Cantonese dim sum. After enjoying our meal in the second-floor restaurant, we even ventured to their storefront downstairs to get some take-out. The downside was that their prices were typically New York City inflated.

Don’t let the warm welcome at street level fool you. Once up in the restaurant we were scowled at, waved off (signalled to get back on elevator and leave)... when finally sat, plates and chopsticks were thrown on the table- yes, literally thrown like playing cards. NOT HOSPITABLE AT ALL. Take your business to informal Dim Sum GO GO where they appreciate your money!

I can't say there are many outstanding dim sum places in Manhattan Chinatown. However, Golden Unicorn isn't bad and can serve as a good venue to satisfy a dim sum craving. The options are decent, but make sure to check to see if the items on the carts are warm or cold. When you see the same cart pushed by your table multiple times, it could be a warning sign.

Anyone who knows me, knows I love dim sum. So visiting Chinatown while I’m in NYC, is a must. Golden Unicorn is a traditional dim sum offering complete with trolleys, that lives up to its reputation. The clatter of dishes and noisy acoustics are also all part of the Dim Sum allure. The food is amazing and is passed quickly around by courteous staff. I would return again and again.

I know that it might sound crazy But my favorite place on earth is Dim Sum Paradise And my favorite part's when they bring the food out on the cute little carts

Pretty good Dim Sum. I went to try the piggy buns and they were really good. The restaurant is on the second floor. The tables against t the windows have a good view of Chinatown.

We decided to try our first Dim Sum experience and the Golden Unicorn was amazing. Get there early on a Sunday morning - we arrived at 11:00 and waited 45 minutes, but it was worth it. The minute you are seated in the ballroom, the food carts come by - and delicious morsels are yours for the choosing. We ate too fast, wish we had slowed down and savored the flavors a bit longer - but loved everything about it. Not only was it delicious and fun, our tab plus tip for 4 people was around 70.00 - definitely a deal in NYC!

I really used to like this place and want to once again, but due to one of the worst customer service experiences in my life I will never go back here again. I dined here with a friend one day and we weren't served after almost 1.5 hours along with many other guests. When we asked for a menu we were given one and when a waiter finally came back to us he told us that we couldn't order. So two hours of sitting down and we got no food, but were charged for tea. When I went to complain the manager laughed at me and said, "I don't care, you a problem, you leave" this was after I paid for the tea AND told him that I actually liked the restaurant. I asked to speak to the owner and he said, laughing, "owner doesn't care about you, owner is in Hong Kong," and waived me away. I raised my voice to him and her raised his louder. I have never ever raised my voice in a restaurant as I used to be a waiter and treat others as I wish to be treated. I was so offended and tried to contact the owner to no avail. So absentee owner I do not wish your business well! If you want to rectify this situation by responding to this complaint, please do. The fact that a restaurant with good food has a 3.5 rating on this site is a pretty good indication of what a horrible business person you are!

Dim sum (with carts) ~$20 pp + tip Accepts all major credit cards Weekend brunch Significant wait after 10 am on weekends Recommended Order: Piggy baos When it comes to dim sum in china town, you have several options available to you. I’ve found this to be one of the better ones that have cart service (versus ordering dim sum from a menu). Given NYC’s tendency to conserve space, it seems like a bit of a luxury. We got there early, right before 10 am on a weekend and there was almost no wait. When we were seated, the restaurant was half empty and filled within a matter of minutes. When we left, the ground floor waiting area was packed wall to wall as guests eagerly waited for their number to be called. Guests take the elevator or stairs to either the second or third floor at the direction of the hostess taking orders behind the podium. It is not uncommon for couples during peak times on the weekend to share a table with one or two more couples. As with any dim sum experience, guests listen to the carts as they go by with the serving staff loudly shouting out their offerings in Cantonese. If this is your first time, make a point to try the boas shaped like little piggy faces, a dish this location is well known for. Otherwise, we find the dim sum here to be generally better than other options in the area so other choices are fairly safe if you are familiar with the fare. Service is ok for Chinese restaurant standards, meaning the staff will generally ignore you unless you vigorously flag them down. However, dirty plates and expended bamboo steamers are swiftly removed. There’s no rush per se, but there is no hesitation or dilly-dallying either. This restaurant has earned a spot in our regular rotation for a casual weekend meal not requiring much thought.

If you enjoy authentic Chinese food and the Dim Sum experience, this is a great place to go. Be prepared for crowds and get a number at the podium as soon as you come in. Crowded, but things move quickly. Either walk or take the elevator up to the second or third floor once your number is called. Waitresses (who speak little English) come around periodically with carts of steaming entrees. The steamed pork buns were our favorite. Most customers are Chinese, which is a good sign. Prices are reasonable for the quality and quantity of food that is served. Everyone should do this at least once!

The room was shared with three groups of tourists. The organization was not perfect due to one group not expected. The food was good but not excellent. Maybe, the number of people was to high at the same time. The rest room was not adapted to this kind of groups. That's why, we are disppointed.

Went to this place on a Sunday around 1 p.m. with family. After sitting there for 10 minutes, we had to flag down someone to take our drink order. We waited for 25 mins for anyone to come around with dim sum. We were seated on the far side of the room and away from the kitchen so no one on our side of the restaurant was getting any dim sum. FYI - In 45 minutes, they only came around TWO times with dim sum), which were things no one else wanted. We asked for a menu and the wait staff acted like it was an imposition. As we waited for our food, the staff started breaking down tables around us (hours on Sundays are: 9:30a-10:30p). Fed up, we gave up on the place and ended up a few blocks away at an Italian restaurant in Little Italy. Another tip: bathrooms are beyond gross. Would definitely look elsewhere for good dim sum.

Friends love this place for dim sum in NYC, and prefer it relative to Jing Fong. I'm not a huge dim sum person and what can I say, Golden Unicorn didn't convert me. Hence won't be going to Jing Fong any time soon. Went with a companion and tried a variety of dishes including the steamed rice noodle with shrimp, variety of desserts including the durian pastries and sponge cake, sticky rice and pork in banana leaf, char siu bao, and taro cake with shrimp. The food was fine and I liked how it didn't taste of MSG, which I've heard can be found in abundance at Jing Fong. I was very full by the end and the bill came out to ~$15 per person. Glad that we went to the cashier to pay for the food rather than letting them take our credit card though, because when we went to the cashier they automatically charged us for tea which we didn't order. It was probably an honest mistake because most people do get tea. And the tea's only $1 per person, so not a huge deal, but just on principle I think they should be more careful about charging people for it. Service was good in that those pushing the trolleys were helpful in showing what was available. Also thumbs up for how though we were initially seated near the restrooms, after we asked to be moved they moved us to another table, which would have seated two more than our party. Greatly appreciated this. We arrived at 10:40 AM and there wasn't a line at all. Starting around 11:30 AM or so was when you could tell things were really filling up. If you're set on having dim sum and enjoy it, then Golden Unicorn isn't a bad bet necessarily. I don't regret coming here and trying the food. It's just that I'll end up eating elsewhere in the future.

This world famous restaurant was disappointing. My friends from Malaysia are regulars at this multi level place. There is an elevator. COVID restrictions made it awkward in the lobby as we attempted to remain staggered. Because there was only 2 of us we had waited an hour as tables of 3 or more were seated quickly. However, I understood and remained calm. We waited for our waitress. Our order took a long time in the world of dim sum. And the order was incorrect. However, the waitress never returned.After 40 minutes we received our bill. The bill reflected the items that we did not receive. Instead of correcting our bill, she brought the missing food. We did not want food when our coats were already on and the table was cleared. The food was average. I truly wanted to go because it is an icon. However, I probably won't return on my own.

I don't even know where to start to be honest. With plans to explore Chinatown and Little Italy today, we started the day looking forward to a nice Chinese banquet from a real authentic Chinese and having already seen Golden Unicorn in a Times Square guide we presumed this place to be pretty good. Service: Service was very poor and ordering was tricky with the waiter having such poor English! The waiter dumped forks on our table and made us feel like an inconvenience. All 6 of us ordered Starters and Mains which turned up at different times and up to 20 minutes apart. My girlfriends main didn't turn up at all which she was actually pleased about once she seen ours and we even had a dish brought out once we had settled the bill. Quality of food: I ordered garlic chicken and soy sauce which was horrific. The waiter dumped a chopped carcass of chicken on my plate not even Steptoe would of attempted. The Dim Sum felt like a bush tucker trial and I would of paid to watch somebody try the Veal in Blackbean, you had to see that clump of dripping dog meat. Ribs didn't come with a bone and was a little meat around some pig ligament or cartilage! Im not too fussy when it comes to Chinese, usually satisfied by your average all you can eat buffet but all six of us had a mouthful and couldnt wait to leave. How this place has mostly good reviews is beyond me and I can only imagine the ongoings in the kitchen. I ordered Dim Sum but got Sum Dim waiter instead! what an experience, expensive and disgusting!

I heard that this is one of the "dim sum palaces", but I found things to be smaller that I've experiencer at "dim sum palaces" in Boston or San Francisco. Luckily, on a cold rainy Thursday that meant walking in an sitting down with no wait. The room itself was much smaller than I expected and so were the tables. I actually like sitting at big tables with strangers, this was not the case here. I was quite happy with the food.

Uh-huh It's dinner time on Friday night and I've been good all week My body's ready, I'm getting it, something good to eat Don't want Italian, Indian, Portuguese, or Greek I have something tastier in mind I hop the bus and now I'm rushing down to Chinatown (oh-oh) I tell the driver, "Put the pedal to the medal now" (oh-oh) T-minus eleven minutes until we're touching down Fantasizing about my first bite Oh, and my tummy's rumblin', there's nothing in there But tell me if you want some they make it to share And you could live a long life, baby but You haven't lived until you go I know that it might sound crazy but My favorite place on earth is Dim Sum Paradise And you could live a long life baby but You haven't lived until the Dim Sum Paradise And my favorite part's when they bring the food out on the cute little carts And everybody knows that you could live a long life, baby but You haven't lived until the Dim Sum Paradise And there's a 30 minute wait but I'm invited in Not 'cause I'm charming, I just came here with my Chinese friend They told me why it's crazy here every night They give you a different menu if they know you are white And I'm shocked, I put my head down and walk I take a peek into the kitchen and I see them heating up all the wok's They got pork, it's the best in New York and of course They bring my friend's their chopsticks, and they ask if I want a fork I said "Sure", and I can smell all the food I would grab the cart myself But I think that'd be rude All I knows if they don't bring some plates of Dim Sum soon I'll blow I know that it might sound crazy But my favorite place on earth is Dim Sum Paradise And you could live a long life, baby But you haven't lived until the Dim Sum Paradise When the food rolls around Don't worry 'bout where you sit because the tables are round And everybody knows that you could live a long life, baby But you haven't lived until the Dim Sum Paradise They got dumplings and noodles and rice So pass me the Siu Mai And the plates are so little, I'm eating every bit of it tonight With each and every bite (and every bite) My tastebuds burst like a distant star and (a distant star) I ascend to Paradise I know that it might sound crazy But my favorite place on earth is Dim Sum Paradise And you could live a long life, baby But you haven't lived until the Dim Sum Paradise Umami drives me to tears And it's stood the test of time for over thousands of years So you already know that you could live a long life, baby But you haven't lived until the Dim Sum Paradise

Recommended to us by a local. Hidden away in Chinatown on N upper level but worth the effort to find. Calm, serene, authentic. Gracious servers, not a whole lot of English spoken. Be prepared to eat with chop sticks and be adventurous!

Very good asian meal in a superb room (outside it doesn't pay for mine). The dishes follow one another and are placed in the center of the table for everyone to help themselves. Beautiful taste discoveries. Little flat the room is very full so there is a lot of noise.

The good -- food was very good, generous portions, and we were not rushed The bad - not one employee smiled, in fact they were very cold and not friendly at all. They could use one English speaking staff member to help customers with ingredients on menu items

we went to the Riesling event here. it was smaller than I expected. we went early and was able to avoid the lines.

We were a group of twenty for dim sum the other day. The Golden Unicorn handled us ( and the five hundred or so other folks that had dim sum there that Saturday morning) with ease. Shrimp dumplings, pork and shrimp dumplings, steamed chicken feet, all were delicious, as were many of the other choices I did not recognize. Get there before 10:30 on a weekend, or be prepared to wait.

We have been going here for Dim Sum for over 25 years. The food and service is going downhill. We waited this Saturday ( 11/24) for about 1/2 hour to get a table for two. There were only 3 food carts going around with little variety on them as they went by for over 45 minutes. There was also a dessert cart with 2 old fruit cups on it. We asked one of the head waitresses what had happened and why it had gotten so awful. She avoided the question and just laughed (she speaks English very well). I will go back one more time, but only if there is no line AND if I see there are more food carts with fresh and varied dishes.

Very popular ad the queue testifies. Pick up a number from the ladies in e lobby and wait to be called up to your floor. Great atmosphere inside with proper dim sum carts pushed by little old ladies. Some misses but overall great food at a reasonable price.

Golden Unicorn is not easy to find but super once you do. The dim sum is the real thing with carts coming by the table and they do have pictures on the side to help you choose the dishes. English is spoken ( kind of)but be prepared for everything to go fast and you probably will be a little confused with it all. That being said everyone is helpful, food is delicious and we found that other diners are more than willing to explain things for you. Fun lunch, like a trip to Hong Kong without the jet lag.

Good food, I’ve never been to a restaurant like this and it was great. Push carts and quick servers. Thankfully they were fast, I was in a rush.

I went there with NewYorkers. This is a very genuine Chinese restaurant indeed. The waiters and the environment remind of a theatre scenery! The way the food is served is unique (on strollers). The names of the dishes were too Chinese for me to remember. Just keep in mind that this is a real Chinese food, nothing to do with the Chinese offered in outside China towns.

We arrived in the lobby of a 4 story building where the restaurant is on the 3rd and 4th floor. The hostess seemed unsure if we could get a table and she made a call and then told us to go to the 3rd floor. We got there and apparently they were in between shifts so the employees were all sitting down and congregating in an extremely boisterous and loud manner. We sat down and weren't given menus. We finally were approached by a man who appeared to be a manager. He was extremely short and did not have a good grip of the English language. We were sat at a table right next to a large round table where the kitchen staff was all seated talking loudly and playing videos on their phones while other employees were moving room dividers behind us...TOTAL CHAOS......soup was cold after we had to ask for it 15 minutes after we ordered and watched the manager paying a vendor while ignoring my gestures for his attention .....received ABSOLUTELY nothing without having to ask for it.....the staff made it ABUNDANTLY CLEAR...that we were not welcomed there and displayed an extremely cold and dismisssive attitude towards Myself,my Wife and our two young Children.....the food was absolutely horrible and presented in a sloppy careless manner......to make matters worst..I forgot my hat and went back to retrieve it and it was thrown on the floor......the waitress who handed it to me was rude just like everyone else...BOTTOM LINE........this is a RACIST ENVIRONMENT where resentment towards white people runs rampant and is very apparent.......FILTHY AS COULD BE TO BOOT.....DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR INSULT YOUR INTELLIGENCE

This is the first ever bad review I've left on tripadvisor but feel compelled to warn others! We visited the Golden Unicorn as it was recommended in a guide book. On entering, the staff we're rude and grumpy. We we given water and tea but no drink order was taken. When we ordered food, I asked if the bean curd dish contained any meat or fish as I'm a vegetarian, I was snapped at and told no. After my husband ordered, we opened our mouths to order drinks but the waiter walked off without even asking. When our food eventually arrived it was cold, sloppy and tasteless. My bean curd dish contained fish, when I questioned it, the waiter barked at me very aggressively and said "no fish, shrimp!", then once again walked off quickly. My husband had the chicken in hot sauce which he left as it was completely tasteless. Added to this, the floor was beyond filthy and my cup was chipped. They also brought out my main course before either of our entrées! We love our food and have enjoyed wonderful meals and hospitality in NYC. Visiting Chinatown was something we'd been looking forward to for months. We feel really let down. I'll be contacting the guide book to let them know just how bad the experience was.

I have been a customer to the golden unicorn for over 13 years. Every time I travel to NYC I like to go to Chinatown and have the best dim sum ever. You must go up and elevator or by the stairs to the second floor where you will find a beautiful Chinese decorated lounge that also can be used for private events. They have a small wine list but all are good quality wines at reasonable prices. Service was fast and courteous and every Dim Sum that I tried was perfectly prepared and delicious. A shrimp dumpling is something very simple but difficult to find as some restaurants cut corners with the quality of ingredients. At the golden unicorn is perfection! The shrimp dumplings has a very fresh, tasty and crispy shrimp inside. The BBQ pork buns are just the best I've ever tried (and I've had a lot of them) The shrimp wrapped in bacon were so good that I'm going back for more tomorrow. Golden Unicorn for me won the prize for best Dim Sum in NYC 2017. Keep it up! Bravo 👏🏻 👏🏻🏆

I don t see anything positive to say abaout Gold Unicorn. The service is under standard and well below the service quality we expect from the Chinese restaurants. It took half an hour to get our order taken, and at the end the same time to have the bill.. Few customers in a huge room, food taste very disappointing, price on the high range. To avoid !

I ate here on a Thursday for lunch, we arrived at about 1:30 (they serve lunch until 4:00). Things started off good, we quickly got several good dishes (shiu mai, hargow, ho fun,etc.). The problem was, the available dishes never seemed to change much. They just kept coming around with the same selection, without adding anything new. There were some carts that were still being pushed around when we left, virtually untouched from when we got there. What we did get was very good, but I've had better dim sum experiences.

First off, a disclaimer: the line to get a table is LONG. There is always a crowd of people waiting on the ground floor of the building, waiting to get a table and it takes at least 40 minutes (usually more) to get one. However, it is definitely worth the wait! There are numerous amounts of dim sum you can choose from. During lunch time, you will have ladies wheeling carts around the restaurant with different dim sum options offered in each cart. You can only order dim sum from these ladies. If you want a dinner dish, then you can order from the menu. The carts usually have pictures of whatever dim sum is offered on the front. Otherwise, the cart ladies will show you what they have. Aside from the dim sum, I would highly recommend getting the peking duck and the congee/porridge. Those were really good. Also, it may help if you can speak Mandarin because some things may get lost in translation with the cart ladies (e.g. the lady said in English that a dim sum contained pork, but when she spoke to my friend from Shanghai in Mandarin, she said it was chicken).

It was like a feast that just kept coming! The orange chicken was SOOOO good, I would have been happy with just that! The spring rolls were light and crisp. We enjoyed our visit.

The food quality is poor only matched by the service. There is no way the positive reviews can be real. The chicken was extremely over cooked, dim sum moderate at best. Service abrupt and no concern about the experience. Think Soup Nazi without a quality product. You can check my other reviews, I don't bash restaurants like this, but this place was really disappointing.

There are seemingly thousands of restaurants to eat at in Chinatown. I'm a fan of Dim Sum and really like Hong Kong style (served at the table not a menu) so I sought out the Golden Unicorn. While it is a bit difficult since the waitresses speak little to no English you can usually figure things out. Usually the carts here had pictures and descriptions in English though they didn't always match what was on the cart. Carts were plentiful and always close by. Food was very good. Always a good sign if there are more Asians than others in a Chinese restaurant and Golden Unicorn was around 90/10.

Amazingly authentic and finger-licking dim sum (I believe I can guarantee that as I'm Taiwanese and had lots of dim sum in my life in Taiwan), but staff also inherit the traditional Hong Kong catering attitude, which means they will not be very polite and humble as some Asians might expect. Rather, I totally didn't mind that and had a perfect meal there. 道地的港式點心，甚至比我在台灣吃的很多間還要好吃與道地。但服務生的態度也跟香港當地的態度很像，相當直接與摻雜著些許的冷漠。但我想這就只是他們的一種長期生活在中國高壓統治與經濟結構被大幅扭曲後培養出的獨特氣質。雖然應對相當直接，但還是能感受到服務的熱情與態度存在其中。

Came here for Dim Sum during my last trip and requested to come here again as the food are great.. comparable to Hong Kong standard. I believe this is a Cantonese restaurant but cannot confirmed. Always make a reservation else you might ended up queuing. We were here at 9.30am for Dim Sum thus any other order for cooked food will not be entertained as kitchen opens at 11.30am The dim sum is served via push cart - very authentic dim sum restaurant. They have different cart for different type if food and the staff will push the cart to each table. If you see what you like, just order from them. One disapdisappointment is that the service could be better. We had to mentioned 3 times for our 2 bowls of steam rice. Sometimes has to tell them to clear those emptied serving plates from our table. Servers are not very customer oriented only those that pushes the cart are friendly. Overall a good restaurant for dim sum if you don't mind the lack of customer service.

One of my favorite dim sum restaurants in the city. There is usually about 30-40 minute wait in the lobby until they cal, your number. They have green tea for people waiting, there is also a bubble tea place nearby if you want to kill time. The place itself has 3 floors and is rather large. Like a traditional dim sum would have it, they have people bringing carts with small plates around that you can request the food from. The bill is calculated based on the stamps they do in you table’s cart. The place is authentic, so if you are a not an adventurous eater it might be hard to find things you would like. Also, there is no description on the plates and staff does not speak a ton of English so many times you are picking based on what looks good.

My wife and I looked forward to having Dim Sum at the Golden Unicorn, and were very disappointed. Food was average (when we were actually served any), service was indifferent (actually, almost non-existent). While I understand this is part of the whole experience, the Golden Unicorn took it to a new level. I regretted giving them my business almost immediately after we sat down. I'm sure there are much better Dim Sum choices in Chinatown. Skip the Golden Unicorn.

Please don't come here expecting Americanized Chinese food. This is old school Cantonese Dim Sum, come in expecting to order off the carts, pushed around by ladies who speak very limited English. Best to do your research ahead of time so you're not left wondering what to order. Food was very good, Har Gao, Shu Mai, Cheong Fun and Pei Tan Jook were all spot on. Cheong Fun skin was super silky and thin, as it should be. The real winner for us was the Pai Gu, (Pork Ribs). Normally steamed in black bean sauce, this one was steamed with green peppers, chillis and melt in your mouth pumpkin. I've eaten alot of Dim Sum, being Chinese and have never seen this dish made this way. Service was attentive, ladies friendly and yes they do push their dishes, a simple no thank you will send them on their way. Was waiting for the Woo Kok, disappointed it came out cold, would have been stellar if it had been piping hot. Unlike other Dim Sum establishments, this one opens at 9.30am. We'll be back.

The wife and I Met a good friend here for Dim Sum. Got here at opening to try and beat crowd and we were successful as they sat us and started serving us before 9:30 am (listed opening time). Very tasty and as restaurant filled up became more difficult to get certain dishes. Apparently a very popular place and delicious, highly recommend.

Typical place. well decorated. A little loud with the world the system with the rotating dish is nice for lunch with friends. Good food. For dessert, a little fair

The Golden Unicorn has been reduced to a take out counter. It has a street dining shed, which was closed when I visited. So no sit down option at all. I was sorely disappointed, as this was my favorite dim sum place in NYC. Dim sum is still good, but expected to be able to eat it hot in a restaurant, not luke warm on a park bench. I will not be back unless they become a sit down restaurant again.

Some of the best tasting dim sum I have had in a while. Went in a Saturday and only waited 15 min for a table. Sunday’s the wait is at least an hour. Very nice staff. It is communal tables. We were four and sat with two other strangers at an 8 top. Plenty of room to be comfortable.

Craving for dimsum and a friend recommended this place. Was glad we went early so the line was not as bad and we were seated right away. Loved the pork and shrimp dumplings, the beef balls and the usual dimsum favorites. Quite inexpensive too. Spent about $22 per head but we all left very full!

We have eaten Dim Sum all over New York City's Chinatown and we keep coming back to the Golden Unicorn during lunch hour for the best Dim Sum in the entire City. You need to go at lunchtime to get your choices from the Dim Sum carts but you can order off the menu if you want to take out for dinner. My Chinese friends all prefer this place when we want Dim Sum for lunch. Highly recommended for an authentic Dim Sum experience. The food is delicious, atmosphere not quite as noisy as the banquet-sized places, and, of course, lots of choices. Definitely worth a visit.

This was our first time coming here and it was on a Saturday at 12. You get a ticket and wait to get your number called with a bunch of other people. We waited about 25 minutes for two, which wasnt too bad. To get that time though, we had to share our table with another couple. Thank goodness we did cause we didn't know everything dim sum entails. They hustle you at this place. When you arrive they usher you to your seat and carts come around. THey punch your ticket for each food item and then you give that ticket to a waiter to get the check and pay. Most of the staff speak broken English; (I asked for water and got two forks to which the waiter glared at me for) so if the cart didnt say what was on it, we pretty much looked and guessed. We got a beef roll, the sweet bun in the shape of a pig, the bacon wrapped roll, which was really heavy, the shrimp and veggie dumplings which were very good, the breaded prawns and the duck. That was the best. They carve it fresh and put some veggies and the duck in between a soft bun with sauce. We didnt even get dessert cause we were full. The food is very rich and heavy and the wait staff don't ask if you want anything extra like water (they assume you will just want tea, which was good, but not a thirst quencher with salty foods) and the waiter literally stood right by our table as I signed the check to get us out. If you want the true experience then come here, but expect crowds and a fast paced dining experience.

We went here at lunchtime. The place was moderately full with only a few vacant tables. The colour scheme was strikingly red and gold. The atmosphere was warm and somehow, it felt altogether authentic. As soon as we were shown to the table, a pot of jasmine tea arrived and it was promptly duly refilled. Carts came round with bamboo steamers stacked up, each with different hot dim sum (= dumplings). Choice was varied as the dumplings were available containing pork, shrimp, lobster, vegetable etc. The sesame ball was said to contain pork but it may actually have had lotus seed paste. Adding the chilli oil to the pork congee was a good plan because it brought this otherwise bland gruel alive, transforming it into a warm and filling dish. The rest rooms are tiny but they serve the purpose. Importantly, they were clean and well maintained because toilets could be treated as a surrogate marker for benchmarking the hygiene standards in an establishment. A major gripe however, was the lack of a reasonable grasp of the English language by most of the staff on the floor of the restaurant. This did pose a potentially serious problem when trying to clarify/ understand if there were possible allergens in any of their dishes because one of us was on a dairy-free diet. Very worrying!

We went here with a delegation from Germany. And if you don't take dim sum you will get slimy food, boring food or sth which is just tasting fried but no other taste. We cannot recommend this place.

Golden unicorn is a large restaurant with dim sum on two floors- but be sure to check in and get a number on the first floor. It gets really crowded waiting downstairs but is better when you get a table. All the dim sum usuals- but they had calamari, oysters and Peking duck too. Go early if you can!

Come here on the weekends, during brunch time for authentic dimsum. Be prepared for long waits and if you are a party of two or three sharing a table may be required. The food is excellent and the pushcart offerings in a traditional Chinatown setting will appeal to both locals and those who are from out of town.

So good and delicate food. Most if you are dumpling lovers. Feel like you are China. Best Chinese restaurant

Waiting for 75 min now. They said 30 when we checked in. Food is great but not worth being strung along for such a long wait

Went to Golden Unicorn for a Chinese banquet to celebrate the year of the pig. The food was plentiful and interesting, making it a great evening.

We visited here for lunch and had a great time. I had not previously experienced the variety of flavours and textures available across the range of high quality dim sum. The Tofu desert was an interesting option to round off the meal. This is a thriving restaurant in the heart of Chinatown.

No reservations available, so we arrived just 15 minutes after opening, and we got a table right away. They brought tea and iced waters, and then the carts were rolled across quickly to our table by very helpful servers who described the dishes as well as pointing to pictures. There were many dim sum choices, including a lot of pork and seafood, steamed as well as fried. There were also many bao choices, sticky rice, and desserts. Also chicken feet. We tried at least one plate of almost everything, and it was all good. My only small complaint is that we asked for fried shrimp and for bok choy, which were not available; however, as we left we saw that those dishes were being brought out. So, clearly, there are many more choices available for lunch than for brunch. I would definitely return.

I very much like the atmosphere, layout of the tables and decor of this restaurant. The food is delicious and the service is very good and helpful. I like the white table cloth and covered white chairs which gives an elegant and inviting welcoming feeling to enjoy a wonderful meal. It does get extremely busy during the dim sum brunches where patience is needed; however, the food carts are filled with a variety of tasty & delicious dumplings and many authentic Chinese food. I highly recommend coming to this beautiful and beautiful restaurant!

Awful/Avoid. God know how your food was prep and cleanness with the mass production/factory style. If you coming here with 2-4 people they have you wait and take a number. But does not honor the wait time. They let people who had 6 ppl pass everyone and let them seated 5 min. And the number were completely off. It's not worth it. 1 star because if there were 0 you deserved it. Golden Unicorn should be name Plastic Peony. To the women at the front "all of you" I discovered there were 3 locations. 1 main entrance and two outdoor space. The food that you think are coming fresh was a actually coming from the main 2nd floor to your outdoor space. The mass amount I witnessed concerned me on health and cleanliness of this space because no where there was a chief working behind this place but pre-ordered/reheat. You were fooled thinking authentic coming from here. There are many dim sum place in Chinatown that has not turned itself to a factory and god know what exactly you are being feed. Save yourself as a New Yorker go to Dim Sum Palace or smaller area. I do not support greed and fake smile and dishonest and this is not the place to go as a restaurant supporter. Take your money to restaurants to places that honor themselves. As a fact I hope health inspectors are checking out this place. It is not worth your wait...there are tons of places in Manhattan. This restaurant remind me of Chinatown selling you fake bags-only this is food. AVOID. Most importantly health. Their customer service respond was they take larger group like 8 due to Covid to sit all large group together. Pretty much 6 feet apart does not apply here. But reality is I had the lady at the front told me. We have to take large group first. So there were many people who waited. Outside or inside there were large group seated first. It was very strange. What do you expect right Chinatown. This was worse than some ladies try selling me fake bags on the street in Canal. Tips: If you want to go for food. There are better and cheaper dim sum in Chinatown. The food is factory style pre-prep and/heat. If you want something classy. This is more like street style including the service. When I say street style more towards a little corner slum. Now thats different from street food. Eat with cautious. Recommendation: Skip it. There are many dim sum places like Dim Sum Palace that's even cheaper and cleaner.

Food is very very average, Dim Sum was brought out in under 2 minutes and cold. Crispy beef soggy and the service was awful. Staff seemed very surprised not to receive a tip. Go elsewhere and save your money and time.

This whole place wore on my senses, but was worth it. We entered and gave the number in our party (3) and were given a number. We waited about ten minutes to be called, which was a reasonable wait I thought for a dim sum place on a weekend about noon. We were told to take the elevator to the third floor. When we got off, we found out that we’d be sharing a table with three others. This was fine. In fact, the table sat eight so there was actually a divide between us of sorts and we could’ve all pretended to be separate. Instead we enjoyed their company. Carts were busy bustling around. There was no good instruction given if you weren’t accustomed to dim sum cart service, but we are so was ok. Huge selection. Dumplings were delicate. Many items heated up on cart fryer right when you requested them. Everything tasted very fresh. I’m so glad I went while visiting the city. This would not be a regular stop of mine because I just cringe with the crowd and activity, but so glad I did it once!

Golden Unicorn is officially my favorite Dim Sum restaurant in New York City. You are greeted on the first floor at the East Broadway entrance and sent up in an elevator to a charming dining room complete with white tablecloths and gold chair covers. The staff is incredibly attentive and serve you quickly upon entering. The menu is extensive, offering all of your standard Dim Sum fare as well as their famous Bacon Wrapped Shrimp rolls. It was clean, filling, and very affordable. I highly recommend!

We love this restaurant. We missed the lunch dim sum, but were able to order from a limited dim sum menu, plus several dinner meals. As always, the service was excellent and we enjoyed the food very much.

You enter the restaurant via the lobby of a small shopping center... you are met by a hostess and directed to take the elevator to a nominated floor.... when the doors open you are immediately by full restaurant alive with activity and people. We discovered Dim Sum or Yum Cha in Asia, and the Golden Unicorn is the best we have found in USA. If you are looking for a quiet, relaxing lunch and not comfortable with a little chaos, then this may not be the choice for you, But if you want Great atmosphere, great food, and great value and an "experience" then get there by 12 noon... you may have a short wait, but it will be well worth it!

It's hard to find good dim sum in NYC. We were told to try the tis restaurant for lunch. We had to wait downstairs for 10 minutes so they could find a table for two, which is rare to find in Dim Sum restaurants. However, the table was by the elevator so we had to endure constant flow of people coming in and leaving next to our table. There were plenty of carts and choices. The food was very good for the most part. The service was typical in these restaurants-cool and aloof. The managers were rather miserable and the prices were high.

So our guide book recommended this restaurant and being big lovers of dim sum we were really excited to visit. The dim sum and the rice dish we ordered were both really nice but unfortunately the service was TERRIBLE. They bring dim sum round on a cart and as they go by they will try pass off as much as they can on to your table. Also beware, they will automatically give you a pot of tea and charge you for it even when you don't order it, luckily for us we were going to order anyway. Basically it felt like they were really blatantly trying to charge us as much as possible. The dim sum selection was also really poor, every time the cart came round it was the same four choices. Communicating with the staff was really tricky, our waitress couldn't answer simple questions such as 'where's the dim sum menu', 'what is this dim sum dish' and 'how much is this plate'?! Throughout the whole meal all the staff were shouting across the room to each other in Chinese, laughing their heads off from all corners of the room. At the end of our meal the waitress literally through our bill down on the table without so much as a word and proceeded to complain about the tip we had left. Overall a really unfriendly environment which spoilt the food completely. Would not recommend, have been to many other wonderful restaurants in China town.

Dim sum parlor on the edge of Chinatown. You mark up a menu and they take it away and your food arrives within a few minutes. Generally the dumplings are good and the prices are very reasonable.

Before you start, excellent restaurant!! Only small downside, a big lack of understanding of the “rules” of the restaurant .. So to make it easier for you here is something simple to know: Ladies walk around tables with trolleys, in his trolleys there is food in 3/4 piece. These foods are present on the menus that they will distribute to you upon your arrival.You can find them on the menus, their stuffing, etc.. For the price, with your menu you will have a painting. Each time you take a small 3/4 piece box you will have a stamp. On the menu is a small symbol next to each small box. Each symbol has its own price. - On the menu you will have either small boxes or "big dishes" Around us, was, I think regulars and these took two big dishes for 4 and some small accompaniments (small box of 3/4 pieces) I think you can bring back the remains. In short, it was an excellent meal, SUPERB product. I advise but a little disrespect towards us was felt and present... Cons: We were thrown the menu, without a word, on the table. When we didn't understand the waitress, she would blow and repeat us without even explaining ourselves (this was the case with a single waitress ) Have a nice meal!

I have in love with dim sum since i arrived in 78. my first korean college friend , kim, she made us a few fast ones.. then of course she was my guide to chinatown , from the shi shi ones to the where the locals and elderly eat.. i like the golden unicorn for many reasons. the important element in any dining is the feeling of comfort and ease . where you feel you are at home being served by your own help ! the second reason is the none stop parade of 'goodies' pass by in selective carts by friendly servers ! no pressure take from one cart and or every delightfully arranged cart ! your yasmine tea awaits you as the host seat you down and the festivities start.. enjoy !!

High traffic somehow touristy dim sum place. Good quality but rushed service. It feels a bit like a fast food sit down place. Lots of variety of dim sum all good tasting but missing the wow something special effect. Definitely made for a fast chinese dim sum meal. But for sure worth a couple of visits a year.

Rivaling the ever growing Flushing China Town dim sum offerings, the Golden Unicorn offers a fabulous selection at very high quality. Don't miss it!

My New York son tells me this is the best place for dim sum in NYC. I'll have to take his word for it, but I don't like having to stand for 45+ minutes in a packed waiting area to get a partial table (three of us shared with two other parties). The food came by on carts fairly frequently, the variety was decent, and the food was well-prepared, but the cart-pushers had earbuds in their ears, so they either did not understand English or they could not hear your questions/requests (you could only point at the dish you wanted and indicate how many orders you wanted). We never did receive the Peking duck we ordered, although we were not charged for it. Biggest complaint was that if you didn't order immediately as the cart came by, you missed your opportunity, and had to wait for the next similar cart to order a desired dish. As stated, the food was excellent, but difficulty in ordering, having to share a table with so many strangers, and generally crowded conditions from the waiting area to the dining area cause a sharp downgrade in the rating.

Food is really good, the service it is just so bad, it seems they are doing you a favor in serve you, I won’t come back, there other good places in the areas

The delicious food just kept coming! Terrific party room and the food was delicious. As it was Chinese New Year, the place was very busy. There was a party right before and the bathroom was broken. The staff was helpful in directing us up one flight for additional restrooms and e bathrooms were eventually repaired and reopened

Located in several floors, the signage is not great on the street. The Chinese name is visible but the English name is difficult to see. So look for the street number. Once inside you’ll take the elevator to 2nd or 3rd floor. Classic Cantonese dim sum place, where servers push carts with different dim sum around. We got a table for 8 without any wait at 10:30. As long as most of your party is there they will seat you. And unlike Tim Ho Wan you can linger and take your time sampling a huge variety of dim sum. Service was efficient though not necessarily with a smile, the wait staff was friendly enough they weren’t off putting. I found the pastry dim sum dishes were above average. The small egg custard tarts were wonderful, flaky thin crust, creamy not too sweet custard. Yummy! The roast pork pastry triangles were a big hit. Again flaky crust, just the right proportion of roast pork to pastry. The fried taro triangles were also perfectly balanced. None of the fried dim sum looked or tasted greasy. The steamed dumplings on the hand had dough wraps that were too thick, not delicate and thin like Tom Ho Wan’s. The fillings were tasty though. Some of the steamed dim sum I just ate the centers and left the overly dough exterior on my plate. Something that I guess is their specialty is the rice noodles stuffed with fried shrimp and cilantro & green onions. This dish was uncovered on a tray that a server brought out; not on the regular carts so the fried shrimp doesn’t get soggy. Best consumed immediately. It was excellent! We had at least 3 or 4 plates at the table. Overall an enjoyable dim sum experience.

My friends and I came here on a busy Sunday AM. We made the mistake of not waiting close to the hostess area so we missed our number being called. They feature an outdoor seating area which will land you a table faster. If you want to get a table upstairs you just need to tell the hostess how many are in your party, grab a ticket and just wait. After about an hour wait we went upstairs and this place was completely packed. Now after doing some research I found out that Golden Unicorn was featured on Michelin guide and it technically doesn't have any Michelin stars. So don't be fooled by the Michelin stickers in the front. Some of the traditional dishes that I enjoyed were the hargow, pig sweet custard buns, shumai, hai cheung fun, steamed sticky rice, swan dumpling, sticky fried dumplings, vegetable chow fun noodles and the fried chicken with shallots. Wow everything here was absolutely delicious and seasoned well. All of the dumplings came out piping hot. The desserts had the right textures and even the sweet buns had the warm egg like custard oozing out. I think we all loved the fried chicken dish because of the seasoning crispy texture and fried scallions. This is your typical dim sum spot. Bathrooms are cramped and not the cleanest, but the food here is delicious. Would I recommend this place for families probably not with the tight spaces and a limited indoor waiting area. Prices here are reasonable. I think between 6 people and +15 dishes with leftovers it came out to around $30. Service here was perfect. We had our sauces, teas and waters refilled multiple times. When we requested something there was a service close by to accommodate us. If you want qualify dim sim located right in Chinatown this is your spot!

I've been coming here for over 40 years, and the lunch Hong Kong style cart service is still one of my favorite dim sum experiences anywhere. They offer a good selection of various small plate dim sum dishes pushed around in carts. You just point to which small dishes you want and enjoy. You can also order off a menu. My family will traditionally split one order of Shanghai noodles or something to split, then otherwise just order the dim sum. It's high quality - better than any I've had in San Fran or London, and among the best in NYC. A word of warning - while it's easy to order the small dishes off the cart, it's a bit more challenging to get a waiter's attention for drink orders and food orders off the menu. When you sit down, they'll bring you water and tea right away, then kind of ignore you - it can be a little bit of a struggle to order additional things. But the quality of the dim is so good it more than makes up for it. I highly recommend!

I have been going to Chinatown in Manhattan for dim sum since the mid-70s. There are big and small places, fancy ones and holes in the wall. The Golden Unicorn Restaurant is one of the best. On East Broadway it is not in the main tourist area of Chinatown and that is good because it is a calmer place. The second floor space is nicely laid out and fancier than many of the other shops, with nupholstered chairs and table cloths. Dim sum is wheeled around in carts with pictures and English captions for those who need them. The food quality is excellent with many choices. The service are friendly and prices in line with other dim sum restaurants. I highly recommend the Golden Unicorn.

Classic dim sum restaurant but hold on to your order sheet! They will plop down plates quickly and stamp your sheet before you can decline. Even when you refuse they will drop, stamp and run before you have a chance to argue. Dumplings were good, egg rolls ok.

I learned something surprising and concerning policies at Golden Unicorn Restaurant that I believe warrant attention from a friend who had tea this morning there, where they experienced some unannounced and rather strange rules: Waiting Policy: Customers are apparently not allowed to sit at a table without actively eating, even when waiting for ordered items that are delayed in preparation (e.g., dumplings in soup took 20 minutes). This policy seems to place undue pressure on customers rather than addressing potential issues with food preparation times. Seating for Incomplete Parties: There appears to be a policy against allowing customers to be seated while waiting for their entire party to arrive, despite ample table availability (e.g., at 11 a.m. when many tables were empty). Order Ticket Placement: Management reportedly requires order tickets to be placed face-up on tables for inspection. While the need for accurate order tracking is understandable, this practice may make some customers uncomfortable. Time Limit on Dining: There seems to be an unspecified time limit imposed on customers to finish their meals, presumably to increase table turnover. Without clear communication, this policy can create a rushed and unpleasant dining experience. Selective Enforcement: There are concerns that these policies might be selectively enforced, potentially discriminating against certain groups (e.g., Chinese Americans/Chinese customers). If true, this would be a serious issue that needs to be addressed immediately. While I understand the need for efficiency and courtesy in restaurants, especially during tough times for the industry, these rules can significantly impact the customer experience. Display policies prominently at the entrance and on menus will be helpful to both the restaurant and the customers. Transparent communication, proper signage, or providing estimated wait times, could help alleviate customer frustration, and fair treatment of all customers will ultimately lead to a better dining experience at Golden Unicorn, maintaining its reputation as a premier dim sum destination while addressing operational needs. Clear, consistent, and fair application of policies will foster customer loyalty and positive word-of-mouth.

This is your average Dim Sum place in Chinatown. Ladies pass by pushing cars and you pick what you want to eat. Be ready to wait 45 minutes to an hour on the weekends. We have been coming here for the past 7 years and quality has never declined. Solid spot if you are a tourist in NY and want to experience Dim Sum.

This was my favorite chinese restaurant 20+ years ago. We had to go there in our visit to NYC! And it didn't disappoint us. It was as good as I remembered it to be and better!! You'll definitely enjoy the dim sum hours!!!

I love coming to the Golden Unicorn but a word of advice to all reader, go early around 11:30am-12:00pm. That is when the food is the freshest. I love the constant carts that come around and the food is very reasonable. Be careful for the fried foods that sometimes sit. Everything is good here though and I have enjoyed it on every trip. The spring rolls, shrimp balls, dumplings and shu mai are excellent and I love the Peking Duck served tableside. That is a treat. I love the soft shell crab when they have it and get the sticky fried rice. It is a treat. Come hungry and order a lot.

Golden Unicorn survived COVID intact. The ambience is a bit improved and the service is still very good. The food has become a bit limited in scope as compared to 5 years ago, but still is a fun place to eat. Not sure I would wait on a huge line, but great to drop by to East Broadway neighborhood, which needs more non- Chinatown customers.

Bright and loud restaurant full of tourists and a terrible big screen showing the news! Attentive waiters. Big portions and fresh vegetables but one soup was totally tasteless. Altogether the food was better than the atmosphere. I will not go back.

This restaurant had some of the best dim sum I've eaten! Har gow and shiu mai had large chunks of shrimp, unusual in the dim sum places I've eaten. It also had a delightful bao decorated as little pigs. This bao had a light creamy egg filling which was delicious. It seemed a little more expensive than other places I've eaten at, but the quality of dim sum made up for it.

While i do not generally like to compose bad reviews, my recent experience with this establishment left me completely disappointed and utterly flabbergasted. The whole experience was so bad, that we left the establishment before the meal even arrived, which as a point of fact did not, even though tables seating all around us were sat and served. The waiter was rude, disrespectful and even after politely citing our displeasure, he dismissed us as if it did not matter. Truly, for a first time visitor in New York and wishing to take in the atmosphere of the world renowned " China Town", this experience was nothing short of awful. I would not even consider recommending this establishment and would suggest that other options be explorered as i am sure that our experience was and will not be the last. Another group left at the same time as us as they experienced a similar situation.

Visited this place with my friends for dimsum on a weekend. The 2-storey restaurant gets filled really quickly and the queue can get very long after 11am. Try to arrive early if you wish to snag a seat before the lunch crowd. The restaurant retains the traditional pushcart servers and the dimsum is considered legit and delicious compared to other dimsum places I have tried in the US. Definitely give it a try if you are in the area.

Arrived and got a number for a larger table, waited maybe 10 minutes and went upstairs to be seated. A few carts came by with congee and dumplings and veggies, and we also ordered lots of dim sum items from the menu. The menu ordered items came out very fast. Everything was delicious. Loved the buns and congee and even the chicken feet!

Seriously overrated Service is horrible -- they barely acknowledge you are there and food very mediocre at best There's better all around Chinatown