Cafe China 傾 國 傾 城

In 1980s China, food of reliable quality could often be found in the few western-style bakeries that existed at the time. Hua Mei Restaurant (华梅餐厅) was one of the most well-known establishments of that era. Yiming’s father would often take her there as a little girl for milk and pastries, while she was forbidden to eat anything from other stores of questionable repute. In her young heart, the combination of quality western pastries and paternal love became sources of warmth during the bitter cold winters of Northern China. At her restaurants, Yiming’s commitment to quality ingredients extended to mooncakes as well, now in the tenth year since they began making them. A big thank you to Vogue and Ingu Chen for the article.

Back in 2012 when Café China was just given 2 stars by the New York Times, we received a unique request by L’Uomo Vogue (Men’s Vogue Italy Magazine) to do a photo shoot of our chef and us for their China feature. This photograph of us and Chef Lu, who still helms the kitchen at Birds of a Feather, suited in Ferragamo for the shoot, is a reminder of our decade-long collaboration. Fast forward to 2024, Café China will be featured again by Vogue as part of their Vogue Living article on the celebration of the Mid Autumn Festival in East Asia and the tradition of Mooncakes. Despite being very different disciplines, food and fashion are both creative endeavors. We look forward to reading Vogue’s article, published online on September 17th!

To take your gathering to the next level, I recommend “The Art of Gathering” by Priya Parker. It’s a great read with many meaningful layers .

A good food critic doesn’t only tell people where to eat, but he also challenges the industry to be better and the public to be more accepting to new ideas. New York has been blessed with Pete Wells for the past twelve years, as he has shown us why we love this city. Incidentally, only a few months after Mr. Wells took over in 2012, he reviewed a little Chinese restaurant called Café China, with its very green owners, and gave it two stars. His article harbingers the blossoming of Sichuan cuisine in the U.S., as well as the emergence of a new generation of Chinese restauranteurs. Today he has announced that he is stepping down as the Times’ Food Critic. We thank him for a job well done, and wish him good health and happy eating (now he’s not on a deadline)!

🎨 Thank you to everyone who visited our art opening at Cafe China! Your support and appreciation mean the world to us. We loved sharing our passion for art with you all. Stay tuned for more creative inspirations and future exhibitions! photo credit

🎨 Thank you to everyone who visited our art opening at Cafe China! Your support and appreciation mean the world to us. We loved sharing our passion for art with you all. Stay tuned for more creative inspirations and future exhibitions! photo credit

🙏 Gratitude to Zhou Xi and Zhou Weihan for your past exhibition. Your creativity brought so much beauty and inspiration to our space. Thank you for sharing your artistry with us. You brought delight to at least 10 thousand visitors of Cafe China .w.han

🎉Announcement 🎉 Join us at Café China for “Wen-You Cai: Meandering Recollections,” a year-long exhibition showcasing the evocative photographic works by the artist. Embark on a journey through serendipitous moments and the uncanniness of daily life all captured through the lens of Wen-You. The opening reception is warmly scheduled for Sunday, February 18th, from 2-5 PM.
Co-curated by Qianfan Gu and Yiming Wang, this site-specific exhibition will feature intimate photograph pieces scattered in surprising spots throughout the restaurant, inviting viewers and restaurant guests to stumble upon and engage with art in unexpected moments where memories, humor, whimsy, and elegance intertwine.
Wen-You Cai (): Meandering Recollections
Feb. 18th, 2024 - Jan. 28th, 2025
Special exhibition at Café China
59 W 37th St, New York, NY 10018
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Co-curators: Qianfan Gu (), and Yiming Wang ()
Exhibition visuals: Yuki He ()
Installation support: Greg Kuball ()
Opening Reception:
Sunday, February 18th, from 2-5 PM
🎉展览 🎉倾国倾城即将呈现为期一年的特别展览 ——“蔡文悠：摄手游廊”，共赏艺术家以摄影为载体的独特创作。
此次场域特定的展览由顾虔凡和王怡明合作策划，作品将散布于餐厅的各处，让到访的来客与艺术不期而遇，发现一个个悠长回忆、古灵精怪与优雅经典相互交织的瞬间。一起跟随文悠的相机镜头，感受日常生活中的灵光乍现与光怪陆离。
“蔡文悠：摄手游廊” ()
2024年2月18日—2025年1月28日
Café China倾国倾城特别展览
纽约曼哈顿西37街59号
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联合策展：顾虔凡 ()，王怡明 ()
展览视觉：Yuki He ()
展陈协助：Greg Kuball ()
开幕：
2月18日，星期日，下午2-5点

#蔡文悠 #摄手游廊 #倾国倾城

A bountiful CNY dinner at Cafe China. A lot happened during the year of the Rabbit. Some of us started a family, some of us started a new career, and some of us came aboard and became part of our team. As we look forward to the year of the Dragon, we hope for a prosperous, healthy and joyful new year, and we are thankful that we will spend it surrounded by such a wonderful family! Gong Xi Fa Cai!

For the Chinese people, food is not only what we eat, it also carries meaning on special occasions. 2024 is the year of the Wood Dragon, we welcome it with our Dragon Prawns (龙虾), the Chinese name for lobsters. Other New Year menu items include mushrooms, which grow on wood, and duck blood jelly, which is red, an auspicious color for the New Year. And what New Year’s celebration can go without fish, which in China signifies wealth. We wish everyone health, growth, fortune, wealth and happiness in the Year of Dragon!
Pictured: Hot and Spicy Lobster, Duck Blood Jellies, Cod Fillets with Garlic, Chicken Soup with Wild Mushrooms.

In 2011 Cafe China was the first Chinese restaurant in NYC to stay open for Thanksgiving. We were able to serve many guests who didn’t have a home to go to for Thanksgiving. Other restaurants adopted the practice ever since. This is the 12th consecutive year that we are able to do so. We want to say: Cheers! Happy Thanksgiving! (graphic credit: Xiaolin Cheng)

Ready to party 🎉 🎎🥢🥃🍷🎂

Which mooncake flavors to pick? A difficult decision even for the decisive minds

It’s been 4 years. welcome back to NYC, welcome back to Cafe China

Great to meet new friends from . Thank you Jason and the team for the magic and fun event at Café China

Having a meal at the “owner’s corner” . Happy Friday!

It’s happening now. The much anticipated live talk/concert is taking place for real at Cafe China.

新春🧧🧧快乐，兔兔🐇🐇平安。As we hop ever closer to the Lunar New Year we can also see the signs of a new spring around the bend. Happy Lunar New Year, the year of the Rabbit!

新春🧧🧧快乐，兔兔🐇🐇平安。If Cafe China were a dragon boat, these are the hands that rowed the oars. If Cafe China were a phoenix, these are the feathers that lined her majestic wings. A heartfelt thank you for our team who has made it happen! Wish everyone a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year!

Café China 倾国倾城 独家年菜之 - 点心篇：松糕。内含红豆沙。松香、绵软、甜糯。故乡风土，江南底蕴。 We put the sunshine, the rainfall and the wind from the last 365 days into these six dates to remind you of the joys ahead. House-made Song Cake. Happy Lunar New Year, the year of the Rabbit!

These memories drop like snowflakes into my palms. Can you spot them on the lapels of Cafe China and Birds of a Feather? Happy holidays!

Cafe China welcomes you, for a home style Thanksgiving meal. Home away from home.

New business hours!