CHELI FLUSHING

Yummy Toyama Eats a month ago

CHELI is an authentic Shanghainese cuisine restaurant with a bit of a reputation, being on the Michelin guide. The interior is entrancing, the staff is very accommodating (especially for Chinese staff) and the food presentation is astounding. We found the pork soup, braised eel, shrimp, and beggar's chicken pretty amazing. The Beggar's chicken was so soft and tender! The most famous of them all, the Xiaolongbao, was just ok, however. All in all a hood restaurant. We had 8 dishes coming to $200 including tips.

Joshua 2 months ago

Food is not mainly Shanghainese, the menu contains mostly dishes typical of the Zhejiang province in China with influence from other regions. There are a few Shanghainese classics on the menu however. Standout dishes include the fried green beans, the vegetable rice, and red braised pork. Other dishes were good, but not exceptional. The beggars chicken is a good show, but ultimately lacking in flavor and was a bit dry. Service and atmosphere are both great. I must say their fried pork buns (shen jian) are not as good as Nan Xiang next door. Presentation of all dishes is very pleasant, and prices are very reasonable. Overall highly recommend for a nice dinner experience.

Sara A 3 months ago

Soup dumplings are affordable & really solid for good and quick dimsum options.. but the desserts are amazing. I wasn’t expecting it to be so great, they are the perfect balance of not too sweet. The sweet osmanthus rice cakes & jasmine milk pudding are great either together or separate. Great price for what you get. Walkable distance from the flushing-main st 7 line

Anh Edited 2 months ago

We came here to celebrate a birthday and had a wonderful experience. The restaurant itself is beautiful, with a traditional Chinese style. The staff were welcoming and polite. Every dish we tried was original, full of flavor, well presented, and clearly made with quality and care. We especially loved the Wine Soaked Chicken, the Salted Pork & Vegetable Fried Rice, and the Shrimp & Tofu Stew. Honestly, the « wine soaked chicken » and the fried rice are must-orders. And yessss… we also ordered the Beggar’s Chicken as an homage to the « Legend of the Condor Heroes » 😂 It would be epic if they also played the theme song!!! The chicken itself was good, but the real highlight was the serving ritual: so fun and impressive to watch. Super experience!

Christina Lily80 4 months ago

We somehow secured a Mother’s Day dinner here for 5 without reservations! We gladly accepted a smaller table to get in. We had tried the restaurant next door jiang nan before and when we first entered we thought it was the same restaurant due to the decor, but staff said it wasn’t. Finding the restaurant - easiest by accessing it from in front of the Tangram mall, maps initially had us walking through large restaurant area outdoors and going in circles for a bit. I broke my rule of never going out on Mother’s Day because service is usually subpar, food is too and it’s just too busy but we took my mom to NyC for the day so had to eat lol. Food was quite good, though overpriced a bit. We had the soup dumplings, sweet and sour fish, beggar chicken (with a small show), ham and vegetable clay pot rice, and a veggie dish. It was all delish! I especially loved the rice and hope to replicate it at home. Osthmanthus dessert (warm) wasn’t good, I probably should have gotten the cool one. Service left a lot to be desired, which may be due to it being so busy. Hard to get staff to ask questions about the order. For the prices, one would think service would be exceptional. The staff were bu