Philippe

There are three types of negative experiences at restaurants for me: (1) where the quality of the food is disappointing, (2) where the service is bad, and (3) where I’m getting ripped off. Tonight, at Philippe’s, our group of 12 struck out and had the distinction of getting all three, landing this Chinese takeaway eatery in the guise of an upper scale restaurant at 1 star.
The food — Appetizers were ok. The pork spare ribs were good, the crispy duck salad a good sized portion, and the steamed dumplings OK. Hot and sour soup was thick with cornstarch and tasted very much like the soup I used to buy at the Chinese food cart outside my dorm room way back when. Spicy shrimp and crispy beef main dishes incredibly disappointing — sweet, tasteless, and not fresh tasting (a plate of about $ 12 fried shrimps of small-​medium size for $ 58).
Waiter terrible. Tried to upsell us, would not honor Unilocal coupon. Non, je n’ai pas aimé.

Been to the one in NYC, been to this one in Miami Beach. Expensive Chinese food. …my pet peeve of dining experiences.

Unless you don’t mind spending a lot of money for ok Chinese food, I recommend trying some of the other really amazing (some equally high priced) restaurants close by. Philippe is another recent New York transplant to Miami hoping to capitalize on the reputation it built in The City, and while its dreams are probably as high as the prices it charges, Philippe doesn’t supply what matters most at this price point: great food and a great dining experience.
If you’re looking for high-​quality, similarly priced Asian food options, try Zuma or Pub Belly. Tropical Chinese, unfortunately, is likely the best option for Chinese food in the area but is a journey from South Beach. If you’re looking to satisfy a craving for simple, good Chinese food at reasonable cost, try Soi Chinese in the Wynwood area, although it is take-​out only.
As a Chinese food buff, I believe there is lots of room in South Florida for high-​quality Chinese food, but Philippe isn’t it. Given the high restaurant and small-​business turnover in the area, I predict that Philippe won’t last another year or two.

Not my favorite Chinese restaurant, but the food is good. I’ve been to Philippe twice and haven’t had any bad experiences, but no good ones either. Both visits have been rather ~blah.
The fried rice is good. The portion is large enough to serve two and maybe even three if not everyone is too hungry. I’ve had the peking duck spring rolls-​very good, chicken lettuce wraps-​good, sweet and sour chicken-​good, and the house filet mignon-​very good.
None of the dishes really stood out enough to make a returning trip to the restaurant. Both times I’ve visited have been to celebrate my brother’s birthday.
The restaurant, aesthetically, is beautiful! LOVE sitting in the back section. Nice open roof with gorgeous chandelier hanging in the center beam. Eating in that section really feel «miami.» Philippe is located where Taverna Opa used to be!

I really do not understand the negative comments for this establishment. Both times that my husband and I have dined here have been outstanding experiences. The first time was four years ago in their old location on Collins Avenue for our two year wedding anniversary. It was phenomenal. We dined here again for our six year wedding anniversary since we had a Travel Zoo voucher for a five course meal for two for $ 65. You can’t beat that for an anniversary dinner.
Yes, the location is definitely not the same, but a review should not be decreased by so much because of it. Their first location was on top of its class. WOW! Their current location is only one floor, but still esthetically pleasant to view.
Service was amazing. Each course came out in perfect intervals. First course was duck spring rolls with plum sauce. YUM! Second course was chicken satay with peanut dressing. WOW! Best chicken satay I have ever had. Coming from a foodie like me, you have to believe me. Third and fourth course came out at the same time – crispy seaweed with glazed walnuts and chicken lettuce wraps. OMG is all I have to say. Finally, fifth course was Peking duck. The duck was so soft and tender. It was accompanied by crepes, green onions, cucumber, and plum sauce. The combination caused an explosions of flavors in our mouth. Delicious.
Since we checked in through Unilocal,we got a free dessert – Red Velvet cake. It was incredible!
The only reason I didn’t give this review five stars is because of check issues. We purchased the voucher through Travel Zoo for $ 65 and the total value of the promotion was $ 130. When the check came to our table, we were being taxed on the total value of the check which was incorrect. We called the manager over and explained to him that we can’t be taxed on something that hasn’t been sold to us for $ 130. He insisted they were correct in taxing on the full value and we had to break it down for him by explaining that if a car is being advertised for sale for $ 10,000 but the full value of the car is be $ 13,000, would you get taxed on $ 10,000 or $ 13,000? Regardless, he said that the corporate office said to tax on $ 130, but he waived the extra sales tax. I guess they don’t understand that this can put them in legal problems since it’s illegal to charge extra tax on a meal that wasn’t paid at $ 130.

Visited Philippe on a mission to eat pecking duck! I had only read Unilocal reviews before going and they were mediocre. The restaurant is in the SOFI area of the beach right in front of Nikki Beach where Taverna Opa use to be. I have driven by Philippe many times and it is always empty, as it was the night we visited. We were sat right away no reservations needed. Our waiter was very attentive at first but lessened as the night continued. Before we even ordered our drinks we put in the Pecking Duck because I read it takes 45 minutes to prepare.
To start we ordered chicken lettuce wraps, they were very good. Salt & pepper calamari that were yummy. And lastly we ordered the Dumpling Sampler it came with 6 or 8 dumplings they were all just okay. All the appetizers were small portions but was enough for a party of 4. We also ordered a house salad that was nothing special.
The star of the night was the pecking duck! The chef comes out with the duck as the waiter presents you with it and then the chef begins to slice it in front of you in thin pieces. The waiter brings to the table steamed thin pancakes, julienned cucumbers, green onions & plum sauce. Once the duck is sliced they place it in the center of the table and you go at it! The duck is crispy fatty & delicious! When you create your duck taco and take your first bite it is like heaven! I highly recommend the duck!
We got crème brûlée for dessert nothing special about it. I read reviews that the red velvet is good. The waiter tried to convince us to order more that we did not order enough food but he was wrong, we left with full belly’s. Would go back again just for that DUCK!

If I had reviewed Philippe based on my very first experience, it would have ranked at 2.5−3 stars, at best. But now that I’ve become frequent delivery customer (let’s be honest, it’s easier than getting slightly dressed up and dealing with parking), I’ve discovered some favorite dishes and a way to ease the hefty price tag — by sharing with friends.
The crispy duck portion is half a duck, on the bone (but easily shredded), and comes accompanied with thin pancakes, julienned cucumbers and green onions, and duck sauce for a moo shu style do-​it-​yourself. And the crispy beef is delicious, if slightly sweet. With a side of fried rice, you have a meal for at least 3 people.
The wok-​fried pork dumplings are a great appetizer for sharing. But Philippe has quite a selection of dumplings and other appetizers that are perfect for splitting. My friends are fond of the wonton soup as well.
Very important for delivery — it’s fast, and everything comes nicely packaged and hot.
The prices match the dollar-​sign attribute ($$$$), but it become much more manageable when you’re sharing dishes with friends than doing the every-​man-​for-​himself approach. Whether for dine in or delivery, Philippe’s the go-​to for upscale Chinese in the South of Fifth neighborhood.

Sorry but all Chinese food taste the same to me. This is not any better or better quality then going to tropical Chinese except this is 5 times the price. 6 drinks 3 large entrees with tip$ 325.00. When you do the math in your head the food/​alcohol cost was no more then $ 20 for everything. Good thing there was street parking because that would have been neither $ 16 for valet. No wonder when you read the reviews for this place most are 2 and 3 stars. The ones that gave 4 were tourists that don’t know good food. They think because they are in south beach and the place is expensive it is good. Skip this place there is not such thing as fancy Chinese food!

August — Friday night, about 9pm. My friends and I arrive at Philippe and are über excited to get the night started. We had heard great things about the New York location (Bethenny’s favorite first date spot on RHNY), and wanted to take advantage of the Miami Spice menu. All I have to say is –YEAH buddy!!! All of us decided to try something different and share (a move I was a little hesitant to make being that I hate sharing food).
In the realm of appetizers, the two that stood out were the chicken satay and beef satay. The meat was delish, perfectly cooked and soft. And the sauces that were drizzled over the tiny skewers were out of this world! I remember all of us just dipping away, to the point where we asked the waiter to bring us an extra side of sauce for the future dipping of food that was to come. Coming in second to the satays were the egg rolls — they were average, but not to worry. The extra sauce we ordered remedied that problem!
For dinner I had the Crispy Beef with brown rice. All I have to say is aye, mi made! Loooved it! Now, dessert is where they kinda dropped the ball. Yeah, I know the Miami Spice menu said «Chef’s Choice,» but a bowl of fruit sorbet? Really? Fruit? Maybe it’s the fatty in me, but I was looking for something more «wow», something more like… chocolate. Aside from that little snag, it was a good experience, good food, good times.
So why the 2 (preferably 2.5) star rating you ask? Well, after leaving with such a great impression, I decided to go back and share the yuminess with my husband. I don’t know what happened in that kitchen, but the food was not upto par the second time around. It was bland. That’s the word that pops into my head when I think of that trip — nothing more, nothing less. That, and the chicken satay I had been raving about to him, was a HUUUGE disappointment. The meat was just all wrong. The service was terrible, too. So I apologized to my husband. We finished our dinner, and we left. :cue the crickets:
So after reading other reviews, I can see why I had such opposing experiences at this place. The Unilocal are either really good, or really bad. As for me, I’m not willing to chance another trip to this place since it’s so hit or miss. If you decide to, may the food gods be with you!

Waiter was nice but Svc not exceptional. Food looks good but tastes bland as of the kitchen has no seasoning. Drinks are very good but I didn’t get drunk enough to not be disappointed by the food.

Popped into Philippe’s for a round of drinks at the bar. Great time and great bartender, along with a tasty serving of fried rice to munch on. The menu looked good, so I would definitely return to try some of their other offerings. The dude next to me ordered the calamari and it was a handsome looking portion. Quaint venue with that south beachy ambiance. The outdoor seating in the center of this spot, discovered as I crossed through en route to el bano, is a serene option when you’re in the mood for hanging al fresco.

This place is a disaster… No chance is it going to make it with locals. Only hope is that tourists don’t read this review. I don’t know what happened here, but the last time I went to Philippe at the old location, it was fantastic.
Here is a breakdown:
Service started out with a bang… And slowed to a neglectful crawl. The appetizers all flew out of the kitchen at once. We had to send half back to keep them warm. That was the highlight of the night as all the entrees took forever to get out and the restaurant was pretty empty.
Food was poor:
— Soup dumplings are so not worth it and don’t compare to NYC
— Scallop pancake was really a nothing fried thing
— Lettuce wraps were uninspiring — totally boring
— Peking duck was just fair — worse than most and something I don’t recommend (see end of review)
— The chicken satay was still great… But not great enough to salvage the meal
— Vegetable noodle dish was greasy and gross. We were amazed it went back untouched, from a table of 6, and they didn’t ask questions
— Fried rice was cold and didn’t taste fresh
A little comic relief — when the waiter came over and asked how it was going, someone at the table said «meh» and the waiter said «fantastic».
They did comp some stuff when we complained… But definitely not enough. The bill was still over 400/​w tip.
NOTE: Valet sucked and was non existent. After Waiting 15 minutes, I just dropped my keys at the front reception desk.
On our way out, we peeked into the open kitchen and noticed a ton of pre-​fried food and some duck carcass on the floor. Made me sick to think of what I just might have eaten. CHECK OUT MY PICTURES

Friday night, I dined at Philippe. I had been at this location a few months ago, as well as their lovelier, more impressive location, at the hotel formerly known as The Gansevoort.
Upon entering I was immediately unimpressed with the choppy lay out of the restaurant. Also, unless I am in Chinatown or walking around in China, the dead ducks which hang on the wall in the entrance don’t work for me.
We ordered the Sweet and Sour Chicken and Crispy Beef. Both bordered on disgusting. Well let’s say that both dishes tasted like they were doused in a mixture of maple syrup and simple sugar (before coated in corn starch and flour), then fried, coated in said mixture and fried once again. Perhaps the other dishes are better. Am I going to subject myself to this place again anytime soon to find out? No.
I cannot think of any reason to go here. You are better off doing take away at your local Chinese restaurant.

I miss their other location mainly due to the better layout. This location is so much smaller, same décor but it is tight in there. The three of us came for a special occasion dinner. We had reservations and got seated promptly. The issue was we got sat right next to the bar which was very crowded. People were literally walking and standing inches from our table which was quite annoying at times.
The back dining area has a retractable roof and might have been nicer to sit out there. The wine list is huge with so many amazing choices for a price of course. I found a hidden gem for a reasonable price. The Sommelier approached our table with the bottle and made the comment «Oh you found the best deal on the menu for the quality». Yes sir I sure did and was thankful that we ordered two bottles that evening.
My daughter ordered her favorite crab meat soup dumpling. This is her favorite dish. We also ordered a few appetizers, like the chicken satay, hubby’s favorite and shrimp fried rice, which is very good. Hubby and I ordered a whole peking duck. Speaking of duck when you are outside about to walk in you see the ducks hanging in the window. Yeah kinda gross actually. I almost did not order one but we saw another couple order it and well it just looked so amazing.
The chef comes out puts the duck on a table next to you and carves it in front of you. It is a great show to watch. The duck was crispy on the outside and so incredibly moist, thin layers of pure delight. I have had it before so I knew we could not go wrong. We finished our meal sharing a red velvet cake, no complaints it was moist and was very good.
Service was good, not incredible, as we did have to wait a few times for water refills and poured our own wine several times.
I have always enjoyed this restaurant, but it is a bit snooty. The food is excellent no doubt but the prices are really insanely high. Our bill this night for three people was over $ 400. Sure if I was rich and money was not an option I would probably go often as I really do enjoy their cuisine. But I am just your average person who can NOT afford many dinner’s priced in this range very often.
If you want a very special dinner with great food, snobbish atmosphere, loud and not to private dining experience then check this place out.

Okay, so I’m giving it a 4 because I’m the minority of Pakistani’s that just don’t care for Chinese food and I feel terrible about it because I love all types of food but my fiancé loves Chinese food so I was super psyched for him.
Beautiful décor, white and red, well polished.
Empty, completely empty while we were there on a Sat. afternoon, I order a soup (delicious) and my fiancé got a noodle dish. That was yummy to me. He enjoyed it. And the portion was big. I checked in on Unilocal and it was for a free dessert! When I showed it to my waiter, he studied it for 5 seconds and said that it was for dinner only. I didn’t cause an argument since we got no drinks there, and a soup and one entrée. But otherwise, whhhhaaat. I’d come back for dinner if it was more hoppin, but otherwise, I’m going to check out Mr. Chow next time.

The new location (former Taverna Opa) is not quite as glamorous as the old one at the Gansevoort although the place looks a million times better than pre make-​over. Five star service is paired with five star prices and only mediocre food. Our waiter John was fantastic and made some very helpful suggestions. Food was served with impeccable timing and so were the drinks and wine.
The Philippetini is delicious, think of it as a lychee cosmopolitan, goes down easier than water. The chicken satay was unlike anything I’ve ever tasted. It comes with a creamy mystery sauce that’s impossible to describe. I’m pretty sure it has butter and honey in it but could be totally wrong. The chicken was tender and juicy.
The toasted seaweed had a nice crunch and sweet teriyaki flavor. The lettuce wraps were not great, skip those.
As for entrees, the servings are small, about half of what is normally served at Chinese restaurants. For what you get, Philippe is definitely overpriced. There is nothing fancy about sweet and sour fish and frankly, you can get it anywhere, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t tasty.
Philippe serves Beijing style Chinese cuisine, which is characterized by heavy, syrupy sauces. It is not light by any means, unlike Cantonese or Shanghai style cooking. The specialty of course is Beijing duck, which takes 45 minutes to prepare, so have some dim sum beforehand. We did feel the heavy sauces and crispy fried breading overwhelmed the delicate halibut and shrimp.
The red velvet cake for dessert was large enough to share. It was more of a cheesecake with thin red velvet cake layers. I enjoyed it but the BF thought it was too creamy/​cheesy.
At these prices, I’d chose Hakkasan or even Tony Chan’s over Philippe’s any day of the week but the service here blows both of those out of the water.

Philippe is a solid choice when dining out in SoBe. One of my favorite cocktails here is the midnight mojito. Just delicious!
The décor is beautiful. There is a beautiful upstairs area that I have attended private parties in. Also, if you want a private sit-​down dinner setting there a really nice wine room that is upstairs too.
My two favorite dishes at Philippe are:
–chicken satay
–seabass with two sauces, garlic and black bean
The service is on point and everytime I have a craving for chicken satay I have to call for Philippe take out.

Philippe, Philippe, Philippe… what are trying to do to me?
Incapacitate me with huge-​ass portions of Chinese food? Or just straight-​up rob me of money? Because I think you just succeeded in both.
The décor is beautiful, modern, red, white, black, and overkill all over — part of me felt like I just walked into the 2008 Beijing Olympics opening ceremony. I promise, I promise, the stereotypes end here. I worried the bold layout was to compensate for the potentially sub-​par food. You know, me asking myself — is this one of those pay-​for-​the-​atmosphere type of restaurants? Unfortunately, for the most part, it was.
We had to ask for the Miami Spice menu, which almost seemed frowned upon, to be honest. Still, our server was excellent. He made it clear that Philippe served family-​style portions, to be sure we didn’t order the same thing since we’d be sharing, and proceeded to give us very honest recommendations. One suggestion was the Beef Satay as our appetizer, which was certainly tasty, but a bit too greasy, border-​line slimy, in texture. One might wonder what the other selections taste like that did not come with our server’s seal of approval.
However, the Spicy Velvet Chicken entrée was pretty outstanding. What was put before me was a huge platter of bite-​sized morsels of poultry doused in delicious, undoubtedly high-​calorie, sauce. This was a pretty down and dirty dish, which, believe me, when we’re talkin’ about Chinese, is no complaint. The sorbet dessert was pretty forgettable, however, I’m sorry to say.
Yet even as a pre fixe, everything we ordered seemed over-​priced. Which goes back to my first conclusion — you are not paying for the food here. If you’re looking to class it up a bit, spend a few extra bucks, just remember — it’s the atmosphere where you are getting your money’s worth.

Daddy decided he would take me out for a nice dinner before I go back to Tally Ho. I got dressed up and wore my tiara like headband. I clearly have to live up to my reputation as a princess and dress like one (our waiter even complimented me on it). We made reservations for 8:30 and arrived right on time. The manager greeted us right when we walked in and I was amazed by the black white and red décor. It was so gorgeous inside. We waited for my dad while he parked the car. We were seated right away in a cozy booth.
The atmosphere is fast paced and fun. It is a bit loud but they played great music and you could tell everyone was having a good time. We ordered some champagne right away and some appetizers. We had the calamari (AMAZING), the shrimp dumplings (sooo good with the plum sauce), and the chicken satay (these i didn’t care for just because it has a peanut sauce on it and i don’t like peanuts!).
The waiter and waiters assistant took care of us the entire time. Waters were never empty, table was always clean. I love this kind of attention. You expect it at a place like this. We ordered our entrees soon after. Mom had the Crispy Duck (she loved it, I don’t like duck). Dad got the Kung Pow Chicken (a must! this had such a unique taste!). I had the Crab meat Dumplings (they are filled with pork, crab meat, and a special broth. It literally bursts in your mouth! these were to die for!).
As we are enjoying our wonderful meal, we got a little show. Oh hey Bow Wow, Jay Z, Akon, Chris Brown, and Young Jeezy. Leave it to the rappers to make Philippe look even more FAB!!! No one was even phased by the presence. Zac Efron made an appearance later. He is FINE FINE FINE.
At this point I was about to pop out of my skirt. I was so full but I could have sat there all night to people watch. I definitely felt comfortable there too. Our waiter was amazing and made sure everything was okay throughout the meal.
I got even more of a treat when they sent out every dessert on their menu. There was 3 flavors of sorbet (all very good), a chocolate molten cake (too rich for me, and dark chocolate is too bitter), a peanut butter cake (good but wayyyy too sweet for my taste buds), a plate of fresh fruit (LOVED THIS! it doesn’t make you feel oh so guilty :)), and a red velvet cake (my absolute fav!!! i couldn’t stop eating it. the cream cheese was the perfect blend of sweetness)
Now this clearly isn’t a place I can frequent. Most people cant. I would definitely recommend going for a special occasion or something. It is a younger crowd, which I appreciated. We left around 11:00 and they were on a wait. Crazy stuff. Drove past Mr. Chow after, Philippe had a better crowd :) !
Trust me… I will be back on my birthday (IN MY PRINCESS CROWN) to try the amazing looking 2 ½ pound lobster. It is waiting on me.

I try to avoid American Chinese food at all costs.
Conversely, I try to patronize swanky American Chinese establishments while already fully enebriated. So one of my co-​workers and I, after already getting shitfaced at the Gansevoort, came here for more libations.
Absolutely no one was sitting at the bar so we planted ourselves there and had drinks with Ivan. The restaurant is darkly romantic, very date-​ish.
But we were two girls out to kill our livers some more. We had a couple cocktails with Ivan, our very cool bartender. So the bar area wasn’t the most happening thing, but Ivan treated us well and even invited us to back the next night for a round on him.
There was no way that we could take him up on it due to our massive hangovers. So we decided to take Ivan up on service at the Philippe opening up in L.A. this fall.
That should be enough time for me to save some money to actually drink here some more.