Red Farm. Location: West Village. Hudson and Charles St. Scene: Communal Table. Fresh. Food: Crab & Pork Soup Dumpling (4th pic). Crisp Skin Chicken and Garlic Sauce. Black Cod with Black Bean and Thai Basil. Short Ribs. Okra and Thai Eggplant Yellow Curry.
Chek Recs:
- Duck and Fuji Apple Wrap (1st pic)
- Katz’s Pastrami Egg Roll (2nd pic)
- Dungeness Crabmeat and Rock Crab Long Life Noodles (3rd pic)
- Wok Sautéed Conch, Scallops and Jumbo Shrimp
Speechless. Yup, it’s true. Red Farm exceeded my expectations which were almost imposible to beat since they were set ceiling high due to over-the-top reviews and inclusion on Eater’s Toughest Tables list . Owner Ed Schoenfeld, a nice man who grew up with a passion for Chinese food, teams with Chef Joe Ng, from Chinatown Brasserie, to create dim sum and modern Chinese food at this coveted spot. The food is fresh using local ingredients and some of the most flavorful Chinese that makes your mind explode it’s so delicious. The menu is impossible to break down because you’ll want to order everything, so indecisive folks beware. The Duck and Fuji Apple wrap took home the Oscar of the night, and it may be the best dish I’ve tried this year. It came delicately placed in a steel, circular pan, and the wrap is THE quintessential flaky bread-like item. We were tempted to ask for some wraps to-go…multiple times. Everything comes out pretty quickly once you order, so the signature Pastrami Egg Rolls and Soup Dumplings (similar to those in Chinatown) were stacking up while we tried to remain calm about all the excitement sitting in front of us. We had to order the conch dish in memory of Piggy from Lord of the Flies, and the scallops and shrimp are tender and light. The center of the restaurant has a large communal table, and the wait tends to get long since there are only 44 seats in the house. The exposed wood, red and white patterned fabrics, cute Asian inspired display with plants, menus and chopsticks hanging above the tables make it feel similar to a farmhouse. I am proud to say that Red Farm is worth all of the hype, will never be overrated, is a place I would be ecstatic to dine at every night of the week and in honor of Rachel Zoe, “I DIE.”
P.S. Don’t miss the high-tech toilet which automatically raises its seat once you enter the bathroom. Impressive.
