Almond Flower Bistro

I disliked this place. Unless they effect some major changes, I won’t try this place again.
Two items we had our hearts set on (listed on their menu), they did not have available (supplier problem, ofcourse). Fried calamari, laughable at best, the portions were so small I couldn’t taste any flavor. Charge me more, make the portions bigger, that would have been acceptable.
The one star I left was for their above-​average customer service. Bravo to the waitstaff (thumbs down to the accountants).

Almond Flower Bistro is a young restaurant — one-​to-​two years old — on Bowery and easy to get to. This «Chinese bistro» has a fusion menu, with Italian and French-​styles. Their décor has a pleasantly open feel, from the stylized awning, to the exposed brick walls indoors, the rows of thin pendant bulbs, the wooden spined «roof» above the bar, and the quirkily-​shaped plates.
We ate here in August and noticed it was deserted at 7 pm Friday — perhaps this is because it rained during the day, and Almond isn’t near the hustle and bustle of Chinatown (Canal Street). Since we had a large party to seat (eight people) and many of us were running late, this worked to our advantage. The place didn’t get noisy, which is a plus.
Strangely, a baseball game was playing on the two flatscreens (possibly because no one was around). I made a comment, and our server (Petey) or hostess (Tiffani) changed the channel to the news. Perhaps MTV would be more appropriate for the semi-​highbrow theme, but whatever. Side note, the background music (random radio hits, I thought an odd choice) kept looping during dinner.
Our dishes were merely okay:
— the foie gras starter with a lychee reduction ($ 17, I kid you not!) was tender but had lots of raw onion, which wasn’t necessarily bad — NOT worth the price sadly
— the calamari appetizer (didn’t get the price), was not terribly memorable — avoid
— the boneless braised short rib with pappardelle pasta (22)) was priceyyyyy, but agreeable — I liked it
I tasted a few other dishes but nothing hit home. Fusion menus might give you the license to slap on higher prices (or make you think you do!), but PLEASE ensure your food is tasty! I can’t recommend Almond Bistro based on my experience but I am hoping anyone who goes there now has a better time.

i have been to this place twice so far and ive gotta be honest, a lot of the dishes are hit or miss. you really have to know what to order. i dont think a lot of their dishes are successful because all they add is duck sauce. but the steak with the wasabi mashed potatoes was surprisingly good as well as the fried oysters. skip the boullabaise and the pastas.
i certainly didnt have too much trouble getting a seat as i always go early and on a weekday. the staff was very helpful and attentive on both ocassions although i will not always agree with their particular food choices. lovely place. next time i will try the raw bar.

This restaurant was highly recommended to me by a friend of mine who couldn’t stop raving about its raw bar after she went. I decided to give it a try and was so glad I did.
We went without reservations on a Saturday night but were seated without much of a wait. The environment is so stylish and comfortable, and I also got to watch sports between bites on their plasma TVs (loved that).
The food was awesome. We ordered the calamari, which was tender and melted in your mouth, and the duck and steak, which were both delicious and cooked perfectly. I was too full for dessert but my friend ordered their strawberry shortcake, which I couldn’t help but try. It was delicious, certainly not your average spongey cake.
Since the friend I went with is no fan of raw food, I didn’t bother getting anything from the raw bar. But I did notice the people next to me dining on a huge platter of clams, oysters, scallops, and more. It looked fresh and very tasty. I most certainly will order that the next time I go.

This bloom dies on the vine. First, we wait over a half hour for our reservation to be honored. Then, our waiter seriously fumbles the opening of the wine. The food was not great. We had the calamari (dry, chewy, fishy) and crab crakes (clumpy, tasteless). Then, we tried the short ribs with pasta (unremarkable) and the the miso-​glazed fish dish (so forgettable, that I can’t remember which fish it was). Even the cappucino was bad. Sad, really.

This is not your typical Chinatown cuisine. With items like lobster tacos or seafood risotto, it’ll be more than the typical pork fried rice and eggrolls.
Place is pretty cozy. There’s a bar on one side and dining on the other. The host sat us promptly upon entering. It was a Friday night and it was a bit busy but we got our table pretty fast. The food preparation was a bit slow but it made up it in taste.
Their menu is small but still offers a wide variety of Asian fusion cuisine. I ordered the raw oysters for appetizer. They were pretty fresh. I enjoyed them alot.
I decided on the Massaman Duck w/​Baby Vegetables & Sweet Potato Croquettes. I asked for the duck to be medium well and it came out perfect. Nice and juicy with a hint of curry. The sweet potato croquettes were awesome! Ordered the lychee custard tart and it was also delicious!
I would definitely go back again to try the other items.