Yingtao

On our list of the best special-occasion restaurants in New York.

Bolun Yao named Yingtao for his grandmother and built the menu to keep her cooking present, reworking regional Chinese dishes through French technique that chef Jakub Baster brought from Daniel and La Dame de Pic. The room runs black leather chairs under red light, with an open kitchen where cooks plate each course with tweezers before broths get poured tableside. Order the four-course prix fixe or the eight-course tasting menu, or take a seat at the bar for smaller portions. The congee, made rich enough to feel medicinal, opens the tasting menu.