Mr. Chow

Eva Chow at MR CHOW in W Hotel at 2201 Collins, Miami Beach.

 

Victoria Pesce Elliott11/18/2009

After four decades wooing the tabloid set from London to Las Vegas, Michael Chow has mastered the formula for packing his eateries with diners looking more for a good time than a great meal. It happens every night at Mr. Chow South Beach. Guests are greeted by a team of gorgeous models/hostesses and handed off to white-tuxedoed waiters who are better trained in the art of schmoozing than serving.

The food? Do you really have to ask? It's good. Sometimes even delicious. But really, it's not about that. Mr. Chow's guests are not expected to work very hard or think very much. It is, in fact, nearly impossible to order your own meal. I tried. But the suave salesmen, er, waiters, take care of everything. Fish, chicken, beef? How about lobster? Why not start with a champagne toast? How elegant. How much? If you have to ask ... $28 for a glass of nonvintage Veuve Clicquot ros.

Ambiance: The posh white-on-white dining room, mammoth gold-leaf and Swarovski crystal chandelier and sultry al fresco dining area greet at the swanky W Hotel. If you find yourself at one of the dozen-plus tables that are separated by less than the width of an iPhone, dont sulk, start up a conversation - just be prepared to chat over blasting classic rock tunes.

What Worked

• Springy and hot soup dumplings in a nice, bright broth
• Dark, dramatic and divine rice noodles with squid ink
• Excellent, super-fresh unctuous drunken fish in a sweet, buttery sauce so thick it could nearly hold up a spoon
• Sublimely crunchy and colorful vegetables
• Gently stir-fried rice with impressively tender, knuckle-sized shrimp
• Tiny, but heavenly, lobster in its shell
• Well-executed, albeit formulaic, molten chocolate cake
• Plenty of perfectly good wines on the pricey international list: a crisp and grassy sancerre and a ros, both from the Loire Valley

What Didn’t Work

• Soft and slippery cod dumplings served with a rather average soy-vinegar sauce
• Gummy, overcooked pork pot stickers (brought out despite telling the waiter that guests didn’t eat meat)
• A smattering of tiny clams over chewy rice
• Anything in salty XO sauce, including shriveled green beans
• Anything with “glazed” in its name, including fresh spring prawns with walnuts that were as sweet as dessert

I understand Madonna loves the place. Brad Pitt is said to favor the chicken satay and Jennifer Lopez the lobster. But I can’t help thinking I’d really just love some good Chinese takeout.

Speak up!

Average rating based on 6 reviews.

3.16667

What you said

11

sboisson

4

Posted on Sun, 11.22.2009 @ 18:28

Chic, Elegant, Impeccable service... this famous eatery was flawlessly imported from NYC and London to Miami Beach... The food is amazing and the bar scene is the hottest place to be in town...Standalone the restaurant is a sight! In addition, it is within the amazing new W South Beach... What more can anyone ask for?? ... Read more

11

JMan28814

4

Posted on Fri, 11.20.2009 @ 20:40

This place is great! The food, the service, the setting. I took my husband for his birthday and eveything was perfect. The drunken fish is delish! ... Read more

11

pooja0281

3

Posted on Thu, 11.19.2009 @ 15:17

Great upscale restaurant but wasnt quite satisfied with the food. Spicy chicken entree was far from spicy..

12

JanaEps

4

Posted on Thu, 11.19.2009 @ 15:05

I had a great experience at Mr. Chow. The food was great, the vibe was cool and the service was on par. They really know what they are doing and don't miss a beat. The best part is the noodle show so if you do plan on dining, make sure you stay to experience it!... Read more

11

Alexius

1

Posted on Wed, 11.18.2009 @ 19:13

Don't waste your time. My wife and I went there two weeks ago with a reservation. The place was 50% empty on a Thursday night. The hostess would not even look at our face to acknowledge us. And we are cute looking! lol After politely telling her that we had a reservation, she just kept looking a the screen and asked a couple of other questions never doing face to face contact. And while she was not pretty by any means for SoBe standards,she kept acting like a prima dona. Solea, Philip, Au Pied de Cochon, Eos, Scarpetta, Hakkasan, Quattro, Canyon Ranch Grill, Sardinia Enoteca, DeVito kick this place but five times over. Then, we go inside while every moron waiter and busboys greets you, which I'm sure caters the wannabees, and they finally show us THE TABLE. So Funny, my backgammon table is bigger, i'm not joking! You had to slide through a one foot space. I tell the Captain that we want a bigger table and we get a corner table. We happily left. What a relief having gone with my gut feeling when leaving! After that, I read all the online reviews and we obviously are not alone. I give them 9 months before they fold.... Read more

172

marvingt

3

Posted on Wed, 11.18.2009 @ 14:22

the food is very good but also crazy over priced! the same food i can get a Canton i got here for triple the price..and its seems a little cramped.tables are too close to each other. but the atmosphere is very nice and friendly.... Read more

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