Food was delicious, and the atmosphere was really unique. Apparently they’re changing the concept soon. No more standing around for your meal, which made this experience really fun. The grilled skewers were all great. cold noodles, and duck were tasty.
Andrea Caruso
The venue is a solid 5 star: dining standing on a communal table in the back of the kitchen.Food not as exciting - regret taking the restaurant week option as I do not think it gave the menu a fair shot.Looking forward to trying this again on a regular night!
Namrata S.
This was a very unique experience where you dine standing. They have a bar table and you usually share it with other people depending on how big your party is. But I do not recommend this place for a family dinner as you can imagine it getting weird and awkward dining while standing. I enjoyed the food there. Their portions could be a little bigger but I guess smaller portions give you opportunities to try variety of dishes.
Rachel C.
My boyfriend and I came here for dinner tonight and it was delicious!!! We ordered a bunch of the small items and were so happy we did, as we were told from the couple next to us that the duck was good, but not amazing. Our favorites were the cauliflower and the Camembert (omg sooooooo good). The snow crab congee was interesting and very fishy - my boyfriend loved it and I thought it was good but not incredible. The brussel sprout app was super good and the sweet potato was pretty good. My boyfriend loved the noodles and I thought they were good. We loved the intimate atmosphere and the look of the restaurant. We would absolutely come back!
Ahmed Abdulmajeed
A must visit! I recommend getting a reservation a week earlier as this place has no walk ins. The food is delicious, standing and eating experience. I recommend going there with a couple of friends and sharing everything. We tried the chicken skin dumplings, and lots of other things, and they were delicious. Their drinks were refreshing.
Kangana G.
This was one of the best dinners I've ever had! We had no idea it was a standing only restaurant but I was able to score a stool to sit on since I was heavily pregnant. We went with the tasting menu and got to try a ton of the dishes. The food was amazing and full of flavor and that's rare to find as a vegetarian. My husband is not a vegetarian and he loved everything as well. Its tight place, standing only and 2 tables but I cannot wait to go back (although will probably have to stand next time. Haha)
Alice L.
As other reviews have mentioned: wear comfortable shoes because this is a standing meal, elbow to elbow with people not from your group. We tried a number of dishes and unfortunately most were not impressive. There were 5 of us so we even doubled up on some plates to ensure everyone got to try it. The highlights: squash curry, green hill Camembert, blood cake, and parts of the chicken yakitori (chicken broth was delightful). Other items sampled: turnip with egg yolk cream (bland), pickle plate (not that pickled and not that great), chicken skin dumplings (not bad, but not floored by it), chicken yakitori (the chicken skin was fatty and gross, and the chicken liver mousse was bad, too. We basically sent this place back). While nothing was "bad" per se, the price of each tiny plate along with not being able to sit during the meal does not justify the "experience."
Aditi S.
I enjoyed the food but was mildly disappointed by my experience at Spoken English, although my review may be based on personal preferences. The traditionalist in me couldn't really love/fathom the no-seating situation and lack of space. I kept bumping elbows with the gentleman next to me for a decent chunk of my dinner. The food was good: we got the chicken yakitori (the truffle and egg yolk dip is genius), the chicken skin dumpling I believe and the Camembert. The Camembert was personally my favorite part of the meal and the single dumpling for two people was just unnecessary I thought. I tried the matcha cocktail which I liked, even though I'm not a matcha person at all. The service was good too. But overall although an experience, it just wasn't a very satisfying meal. They also can host maybe 8-10 people at once so they tell you to be done in an hour right when you make your reservation. So don't plan an elaborate meal or evening here.
Joseph Colao
Loved the food, the ambiance, the whole experience. Tasting menu with sake pairing was not only delicious but good value and overall a fun adventure. I’d go happily go back.
Marissa S.
Had a lot of fun on my birthday with dinner and dessert here at Spoken English. It was definitely an experience being able to stand around and watch the kitchen prep happening right next to you, though I will warn you it gets very hot in there. We mostly tried small plates as it was just two of us and among our favorites were the wagyu short rib, the chicken skin dumpling and the salmon/beet dish. We weren't huge fans of the caviar & custard or the radish skewer but you can't win them all. We ended with a delicious pistachio crepe style cake and a glass of a champagne-style sake, which they kindly brought out for my birthday. Overall, good stuff and cool experience. Stop by Brothers & Sisters before or after for a cocktail to round out the evening, you won't regret it.
This place was a bit overrated and pretentious i think, and not great for vegetarians. They change the menu really often so what you see on the menu might be different when you arrive. The carrot curry was super good. The fried corn wasn't anything stand out, and the matcha cardamom drink was good but didn't taste at all of cardamom at all. Also when they don't use appropriate drink cup for a drink and it comes out looking half-drank, its definitely not appealing. Service - Felt pretentious and i really wasn't impressed. They were really slow with our food because they messed up a order, but then rushed us at the end so they could seat the second seating.
Sara H.
Wow, Spoken English is not just a restaurant... it is a dining experience. First of all, the restaurant is in the kitchen and there are only 2 tables!! Each table fits about 8 people are are standing room only-- so wear comfortable shoes. The menu is very unique and has a lot of small plates, so you can try a lot of different dishes. My favorite dishes were: the Japanese pancake with caviar and seaweed jam, the twice-baked potato with uni & roe, and the Camembert with fermented honey over milk toast (we ordered 2 of the Camembert because it was so delicious-- the perfect balance of sweet, savory, creamy, salty). Staff are great and very attentive. I love how you get to watch your food be prepared. Will be back soon! I want to try the chicken yakitori experience next time (small courses served of every part of the chicken). I saw the couple next to us order it and it looked amazing. I also want to come in a group of 4 to get the whole duck!!
Tommy C.
Spoken English is an amazing spot serving Asian fusion tapas-style small dishes and larger share plates. The restaurant has no seats so be prepared to stand for your meal. I went as a party of two and we ordered the Chicken Skin Dumpling, Blood Cake, Green Hill Camembert, Fried Fish, and Chicken Yakitori. All these dishes were very delicious and innovative--you really can't go wrong ordering anything from the menu! I highly recommend the blood cake, which is a Taiwanese street food not seen in the US, and it doesn't have any strange taste or smell. The Chicken Yakitori is a must-try and a very special dish. The dish is served in many small portions of different portions of the chicken, which include kushiyaki grilled portions, pate, crispy skin, and more. For dessert, we ordered the Black, which was a quark-based cheesecake. It was more dense and less sweet than a New York style cheesecake, which was very nice as I tend to prefer less rich and sweet desserts. For drinks, we ordered the I Am Kermit De Frog and the I Am Very Hot & Sexy. Both were unique and delicious. Wait staff was friendly and helped us pick out food to order and gladly explained more about the restaurant itself. The restaurant has a nice, medium noise to quiet vibe as it is very small. The tables are high top and have no seats, so be prepared to stand for your meal.
Christian Mai
Great Hidden Restaurant, I am sure you will find it. One pic as hint is attached. Atmosphere and Ambiance of Spoken English is neat, comfortable and elegant. The restaurant appears super clean. Servers are pleasant, communicative, efficient and knowledgeable. It is very small but still comfortable with tables to stand at and the kitchen in the same room. The food is nicely presented, taste was delicious and it is great to share dishes while standing and chatting all night.
Lydia A.
We made reservations a few weeks in advance for 2 on a Friday night. It's in the back of the Line hotel and only offers ~16 spots every couple of hours. It's a cute little elevated, modern Japanese restaurant. It's a cool concept because you're standing up the entire time in a small crowded space with an open kitchen. We ordered glasses of sake recommended by our wonderful server. We got chicken skin dumplings, wagyu three ways, carrot curry, duck tongue, and camembert. Wow everything was delicious. The duck tongue was the star...it literally melted in my mouth. The chicken skin dumpling was a new and interesting texture. The party next to us ordered the whole duck and was nice enough to share one with us. We had to eat and leave in an hour and a half because there was another party. The food was very filling and unique. Would definitely come back again!
Food was delicious, and the atmosphere was really unique. Apparently they’re changing the concept soon. No more standing around for your meal, which made this experience really fun. The grilled skewers were all great. cold noodles, and duck were tasty.
The venue is a solid 5 star: dining standing on a communal table in the back of the kitchen.Food not as exciting - regret taking the restaurant week option as I do not think it gave the menu a fair shot.Looking forward to trying this again on a regular night!
This was a very unique experience where you dine standing. They have a bar table and you usually share it with other people depending on how big your party is. But I do not recommend this place for a family dinner as you can imagine it getting weird and awkward dining while standing. I enjoyed the food there. Their portions could be a little bigger but I guess smaller portions give you opportunities to try variety of dishes.
My boyfriend and I came here for dinner tonight and it was delicious!!! We ordered a bunch of the small items and were so happy we did, as we were told from the couple next to us that the duck was good, but not amazing. Our favorites were the cauliflower and the Camembert (omg sooooooo good). The snow crab congee was interesting and very fishy - my boyfriend loved it and I thought it was good but not incredible. The brussel sprout app was super good and the sweet potato was pretty good. My boyfriend loved the noodles and I thought they were good. We loved the intimate atmosphere and the look of the restaurant. We would absolutely come back!
A must visit! I recommend getting a reservation a week earlier as this place has no walk ins. The food is delicious, standing and eating experience. I recommend going there with a couple of friends and sharing everything. We tried the chicken skin dumplings, and lots of other things, and they were delicious. Their drinks were refreshing.
This was one of the best dinners I've ever had! We had no idea it was a standing only restaurant but I was able to score a stool to sit on since I was heavily pregnant. We went with the tasting menu and got to try a ton of the dishes. The food was amazing and full of flavor and that's rare to find as a vegetarian. My husband is not a vegetarian and he loved everything as well. Its tight place, standing only and 2 tables but I cannot wait to go back (although will probably have to stand next time. Haha)
As other reviews have mentioned: wear comfortable shoes because this is a standing meal, elbow to elbow with people not from your group. We tried a number of dishes and unfortunately most were not impressive. There were 5 of us so we even doubled up on some plates to ensure everyone got to try it. The highlights: squash curry, green hill Camembert, blood cake, and parts of the chicken yakitori (chicken broth was delightful). Other items sampled: turnip with egg yolk cream (bland), pickle plate (not that pickled and not that great), chicken skin dumplings (not bad, but not floored by it), chicken yakitori (the chicken skin was fatty and gross, and the chicken liver mousse was bad, too. We basically sent this place back). While nothing was "bad" per se, the price of each tiny plate along with not being able to sit during the meal does not justify the "experience."
I enjoyed the food but was mildly disappointed by my experience at Spoken English, although my review may be based on personal preferences. The traditionalist in me couldn't really love/fathom the no-seating situation and lack of space. I kept bumping elbows with the gentleman next to me for a decent chunk of my dinner. The food was good: we got the chicken yakitori (the truffle and egg yolk dip is genius), the chicken skin dumpling I believe and the Camembert. The Camembert was personally my favorite part of the meal and the single dumpling for two people was just unnecessary I thought. I tried the matcha cocktail which I liked, even though I'm not a matcha person at all. The service was good too. But overall although an experience, it just wasn't a very satisfying meal. They also can host maybe 8-10 people at once so they tell you to be done in an hour right when you make your reservation. So don't plan an elaborate meal or evening here.
Loved the food, the ambiance, the whole experience. Tasting menu with sake pairing was not only delicious but good value and overall a fun adventure. I’d go happily go back.
Had a lot of fun on my birthday with dinner and dessert here at Spoken English. It was definitely an experience being able to stand around and watch the kitchen prep happening right next to you, though I will warn you it gets very hot in there. We mostly tried small plates as it was just two of us and among our favorites were the wagyu short rib, the chicken skin dumpling and the salmon/beet dish. We weren't huge fans of the caviar & custard or the radish skewer but you can't win them all. We ended with a delicious pistachio crepe style cake and a glass of a champagne-style sake, which they kindly brought out for my birthday. Overall, good stuff and cool experience. Stop by Brothers & Sisters before or after for a cocktail to round out the evening, you won't regret it.
Restaurantji Recommends
This place was a bit overrated and pretentious i think, and not great for vegetarians. They change the menu really often so what you see on the menu might be different when you arrive. The carrot curry was super good. The fried corn wasn't anything stand out, and the matcha cardamom drink was good but didn't taste at all of cardamom at all. Also when they don't use appropriate drink cup for a drink and it comes out looking half-drank, its definitely not appealing. Service - Felt pretentious and i really wasn't impressed. They were really slow with our food because they messed up a order, but then rushed us at the end so they could seat the second seating.
Wow, Spoken English is not just a restaurant... it is a dining experience. First of all, the restaurant is in the kitchen and there are only 2 tables!! Each table fits about 8 people are are standing room only-- so wear comfortable shoes. The menu is very unique and has a lot of small plates, so you can try a lot of different dishes. My favorite dishes were: the Japanese pancake with caviar and seaweed jam, the twice-baked potato with uni & roe, and the Camembert with fermented honey over milk toast (we ordered 2 of the Camembert because it was so delicious-- the perfect balance of sweet, savory, creamy, salty). Staff are great and very attentive. I love how you get to watch your food be prepared. Will be back soon! I want to try the chicken yakitori experience next time (small courses served of every part of the chicken). I saw the couple next to us order it and it looked amazing. I also want to come in a group of 4 to get the whole duck!!
Spoken English is an amazing spot serving Asian fusion tapas-style small dishes and larger share plates. The restaurant has no seats so be prepared to stand for your meal. I went as a party of two and we ordered the Chicken Skin Dumpling, Blood Cake, Green Hill Camembert, Fried Fish, and Chicken Yakitori. All these dishes were very delicious and innovative--you really can't go wrong ordering anything from the menu! I highly recommend the blood cake, which is a Taiwanese street food not seen in the US, and it doesn't have any strange taste or smell. The Chicken Yakitori is a must-try and a very special dish. The dish is served in many small portions of different portions of the chicken, which include kushiyaki grilled portions, pate, crispy skin, and more. For dessert, we ordered the Black, which was a quark-based cheesecake. It was more dense and less sweet than a New York style cheesecake, which was very nice as I tend to prefer less rich and sweet desserts. For drinks, we ordered the I Am Kermit De Frog and the I Am Very Hot & Sexy. Both were unique and delicious. Wait staff was friendly and helped us pick out food to order and gladly explained more about the restaurant itself. The restaurant has a nice, medium noise to quiet vibe as it is very small. The tables are high top and have no seats, so be prepared to stand for your meal.
Great Hidden Restaurant, I am sure you will find it. One pic as hint is attached. Atmosphere and Ambiance of Spoken English is neat, comfortable and elegant. The restaurant appears super clean. Servers are pleasant, communicative, efficient and knowledgeable. It is very small but still comfortable with tables to stand at and the kitchen in the same room. The food is nicely presented, taste was delicious and it is great to share dishes while standing and chatting all night.
We made reservations a few weeks in advance for 2 on a Friday night. It's in the back of the Line hotel and only offers ~16 spots every couple of hours. It's a cute little elevated, modern Japanese restaurant. It's a cool concept because you're standing up the entire time in a small crowded space with an open kitchen. We ordered glasses of sake recommended by our wonderful server. We got chicken skin dumplings, wagyu three ways, carrot curry, duck tongue, and camembert. Wow everything was delicious. The duck tongue was the star...it literally melted in my mouth. The chicken skin dumpling was a new and interesting texture. The party next to us ordered the whole duck and was nice enough to share one with us. We had to eat and leave in an hour and a half because there was another party. The food was very filling and unique. Would definitely come back again!