My friend had placed us on a wait list. Lucky they called us during summer as we couldn't get a spot indoors. We all ordered their spicy crisp chicken and WOW was it great!! If you like spicy this is your place!! The outside was super crispy while the chicken inside was super moist (even after I reheated it the next day!). We had each of their sides and not one dissapointed! If you're wondering why anyone would pay so much for fried chicken (it was $35pp) it's because no where else will you taste chicken like this. I've paid just as much for food I didn't enjoy, at least this was ah-mazing! The chili chicken is their specialty and now I understand what the hype and the wait list (during peak covid paranoia when restaurants were take out only) is all about.
Carole N.
Peking House was my favorite Asian restaurant but appears to be closed. Any one been able to reach them by phone ?
Danesh I.
Yes, it's expensive for what it is, but you're not getting bad quality ingredients and the price is worth the quality of what you get. My main reason for not loving the chicken is that it wasn't very good: the crispiness was nice but beyond that, is a little more flavor too much to ask for? The sides were amazing and I would buy the cucumber salad they had during summer by the bucket if I could. The service was good when I dined in and ate in their outdoor space where it was nice and relaxed. Overall, the chili fried chicken just didn't live up to the hype for me personally but the side dishes, service, and general feel of the place is enough to give it another try.
Natasha G.
I listened to the hype and was not disappointed. While I understand some detractors' misgivings (yes, the price is not KFC-low, but I also don't think most fast food restaurants are using high quality ingredients nor paying their workers fairly nor using sustainable business models, and the particular style of fried chicken may not be to everyone's liking), for me, this is an excellent place to get inventive riffs on the meat-and-three classic American meal. Eric Huang is a genius! I was on the Pecking House waiting list for a while before I decided to hit up their then-recently-opened brick-and-mortar setup in the old Peking House (much like in the reviews, some of the patrons who came by expecting to find the old American Chinese menu items were completely confused by the truncated fried chicken menu and the new prices). I'd been following them on social media for a while so I knew what to expect and exactly what I wanted to order. I got there right as they opened so there was zero wait, and all my food (for takeout) came out super quickly. I got: Chili Fried Chicken meal with hot sauce ($35/3 pcs + sides) Orange Pepper Wet Wings ($12) Chicken Sandwich #14 ($14) First off: the chili fried chicken meal. The breading on the chicken was crunccccccchy and craggy and full of seasoning, just the way I like it (too crispy? not possible for me! the craggier the better!), and it has a good balance between straight-up heat and a complex spice profile. It's a melange of different cuisines' flavors, and I found that pretty reflective of the sides, as well. I especially enjoyed the eggplant and the heirloom bean salad, which I found, again, a great fusion of flavors, and I thought about these dishes for months afterwards. Personally, I found this a fair value at $35 with the sides. Orange Pepper Wet wings, a sly reference to Donald Glover's Atlanta: delicious, interesting, and not at all like the goopy-fluorescent-orange-chicken you might be imagining from a local takeout joint. Some real orange zest flavor in there, and well-executed overall. I thought the chicken sandwich was really good, but didn't blow me away--it was all about the sides for me! I'll look forward to when they open their next brick and mortar location soon, and I'll continue to hype for Pecking House, whatever, haters!
Nathaniel L.
Try this and tell me it isn't the best fried chicken you've had in your life. The flavor is crazy punch in your mouth. The crunch is decent - the main draw is the wild flavor. The sides are unique as complements to fried chicken, but not my particular cup of tea. I prefer the generic obesity inducing sides that Americans eat, especially if the chicken is already packed with flavor. It almost feels like I'm being experimented on with these flavors. The price is also rather ridiculous. Despite that, I've ordered here twice and would order here again.
Luke W.
The duck drum-lets here were delicious. They were perfectly crisp and the salt and pepper flavor was there. ($18) They fell on the pricier side and I would say that they were good, but for my poor college budget, they are definitely too expensive for me to indulge in my lonesome. (fortunately I was able to enjoy this meal with my family) The chili chicken was great, but I felt was hyped up. The skin was crisp to the bite and filled with various spices that engulfed my every bite. The chicken was juicy and tender and most of the flavor was on the outside of the chicken pieces. ($35) The chicken came with three sides: - Brussel sprouts. They were yummy. They had flavor and complemented the chicken - Squash stuff. These were great. They helped mediate the heaviness of the chicken. - Beans and such. I liked these the most. They had a sesame oil fragrance. Sold separately was their dirty fried rice. The rice was flavorful and paired well with the chicken because they helped relieve aromatics of the chicken. The bone broth was delicious. It was simple in flavor, but offered a more balanced taste to our meal. It was off menu. Overall, the food was good. The meal can be heavy for those who don't generally eat heavy. It was pricy for what it was, but definitely worth to try. This is a pop-up that is moving to brooklyn by the way!! In Clinton Hill
Starlica Reiné
I'm not a fan of Chinese food in NYC and this place can be my last stop. Ordered shrimp fried rice, two veggie rolls and a side of sweet plantains. Everything was delicious, but my complaint was for the plantains. The plantains were too sweet and rotten like. I'm sure the really bad plantains were on sale somewhere. I threw them all away. A waste.
Lourdes M.
Finally get the chance to experience their famous signature friend chicken. In the beginning of pandemic, it has become a hype. I would say the order has slowed down as we were told that my name have reached the top of the waitlist. The review is for the takeout package, nothing to do with its indoor dining. The dish together undeniably is one of the best chicken I have tested together with its sides. The package was curated by Eric Huang, former sous chef of Eleven MadisonPark. The restaurant has been in Eric's family for decades and this is his effort to keep the business alive. The fried chicken is bribed in buttermilk , fried and finished with Tianjin chilis and Szechuan peppercorn. My husband who has this spicy palette loved it. The three sides were all worth trying. Equally tasteful. Kabocha squash with caramelized onions, bacon crumble and candied pepitas was my pick among the three. My husband palette enjoyed the Roasted brussels sprouts with garlic aioli, fermented black bean and Calabrian chilis. But my son liked the Heirloom bean salad with cilantro and sesame. And we finished our dinner with the heavenly dessert Coconut Panna Cotta with Miso Caramel and candied cashew. It has this distinctive mixed ingredient texture that I enjoyed to the fullest. What made my rating one star less to perfection? The amount of serving is quite small for the price. The chef should note that the old and new customers of the place are from Queens not Manhattan who are used with big servings for the price being spent. Otherwise we were not disappointed with the service, location and the food quality.
Noel M.
Their "Chili fried chicken" was exceptionally a delightful food experience, different from any other fried chicken that I have tasted. A few months ago my wife heard that this restaurant was making a delicious "chili fried chicken" (with three sides included) which was buttermilk-brined, country fried, dry rubbed with tianjin chilis and Szechuan peppercorns. So my wife tried to ordered it through email 4-6 weeks ago. Probably due to overwhelming demand, my wife received an email response from the restaurant that my wife will be contacted through email on when we can already order the chili fried chicken. After about 4-6 weeks, my wife finally received an email confirmation from the restaurant for my wife to order. My wife ordered their famous chili fried chicken and was schedule for pick-up. We went to the restaurant to pick-up, the street beside the restaurant was packed with costumer cars who were also there for food pick-up. We went home, opened our food package which consist of chili fried chicken, squash with caramelized onions, roasted Brussels sprouts, heirloom bean salad with cilantro and sesame. Chili fried chicken- I loved the chicken and it was just alright for my wife. Extra crispy, spicy and flavorful outer part, tender and juicy inside. Delectable and different from any other fried chicken that I have tasted before. This was accompanied by three super-delicious sides that comes with the chicken. Everything was so flavorsome and yummy, each one has a different pleasant texture and the combination of each combined ingredient was well thought of by the one who concocted the recipes. Everything was so tasteful and appetizing and matches really well with rice. Is it worth the order wait? Definitely!!! We finished our meal with a Coconut Panna cotta dessert that has a miso caramel and candied cashews which was equally yummy and has excellent texture. I am extraordinarily satisfied with this food experience.
Jonathan T.
Ordered Peking delivered once and it was good. But was it "fresh out of the fryer" good? Eh it can always be better right? Go to the source. Went to Pecking House to visit Eric and the team. The food was incredible. They offer sit down service, order at front, pay, then they bring your food to the table... I ended up ordering. Four. Separate. Times. Ridiculous! Chicken is spicy and makes your pores open up and sweat it out! The naked chicken was perfect for my kids. The chicken sandwich was damn good? The beans were amazing, the Brussels amazing, the dirty rice???? Holy cow. Literally everything was amazing. Service is kickass our server was awesome. Super accommodating and came up with great suggestions. Left with extra rice, the bone broth which is beyond incredible and all sorts of leftovers. grab your chicken from this multiple reviewed source before the hype builds up (even more than normal) and consider yourself lucky if they've got an open table! Thanks again to Eric and the team for making my whole family feel welcome and for making such incredible food.
Waited for 2-3 months and got the chance to order. Considering the delivery distance, the fee is acceptable. But the food itself, more specifically, the chicken, was disappointing.The chicken was neither spicy nor flavorful. The coating was thick and got all the spice, while the meat got little seasoning. Looks like they put a lot of chili oil but the oil was neither spicy nor aromatic. I cannot taste the peppercorn in it as I bet they only put a tiny bit of amount in it and they probably didn’t ship the authentic, strong type of peppercorn from Szechuan. Growing up eating actual Szechuan food in China, I must have the wrong expectations for the flavor of the chicken after reading the description. It’s too bland for the Szechuan spice lovers.I enjoyed the side dishes, they are all flavorful, unique and well-seasoned. Bumping it to 3 stars.
Alice W.
My husband heard from a coworker that this place makes really good fried chicken. He sent an email and received a response a few months later. My husband placed his order and the restaurant told him what date and the to pick it up. The fried chicken was just okay. I preferred the plain fried chicken but it was a bit bland. If they added a little spice or a dipping sauce it would have been really good. I didn't like their spicy fried chicken bc it was treated with a sweet and spicy chili dry rub. I prefer the Korean style, where the fried chicken is lightly coated with a sweet syrupy spicy sauce. But I really liked their bean salad and squash and bone broth soup. It was DELICIOUS and the miso caramel coconut panna Cotta dessert was really good.
Christian Y.
This review is for the Pecking House waitlist delivery order. It was not worth the hype or the price. For $35, you get 3 pieces of chicken and 3 sides. The chicken was good but not great. The chili chicken had a dry spice rub that was a bit too dry. The flavors were warming and interesting with a slight kick but nothing crazy. The sides were better than the chicken, but still don't warrant the price as we got small containers of brussel sprouts, bean salad, and kabocha squash.
Tian G.
Waited for 2-3 months and got the chance to order. Considering the delivery distance, the fee is acceptable. But the food itself, more specifically, the chicken, was disappointing. The chicken was neither spicy nor flavorful. The coating was thick and got all the spice, while the meat got little seasoning. Looks like they put a lot of chili oil but the oil was neither spicy nor aromatic. I cannot taste the peppercorn in it as I bet they only put a tiny bit of amount in it and they probably didn't ship the authentic, strong type of peppercorn from Szechuan. Growing up eating actual Szechuan food in China, I must have the wrong expectations for the flavor of the chicken after reading the description. It's too bland for the Szechuan spice lovers. I enjoyed the side dishes, they are all flavorful, unique and well-seasoned. Bumping it to 3 stars.
Jesse Tao
The fried chicken is disappointing but the sides are delicious.While the chicken is tender and moist the batter is just way too thick and heavy. It's not balanced with too big of a contrast in texture and flavorThe sides are worth getting for themselves. Really fresh bean salad. Tasty brussel sprouts. Skip the pho though.
My friend had placed us on a wait list. Lucky they called us during summer as we couldn't get a spot indoors. We all ordered their spicy crisp chicken and WOW was it great!! If you like spicy this is your place!! The outside was super crispy while the chicken inside was super moist (even after I reheated it the next day!). We had each of their sides and not one dissapointed! If you're wondering why anyone would pay so much for fried chicken (it was $35pp) it's because no where else will you taste chicken like this. I've paid just as much for food I didn't enjoy, at least this was ah-mazing! The chili chicken is their specialty and now I understand what the hype and the wait list (during peak covid paranoia when restaurants were take out only) is all about.
Peking House was my favorite Asian restaurant but appears to be closed. Any one been able to reach them by phone ?
Yes, it's expensive for what it is, but you're not getting bad quality ingredients and the price is worth the quality of what you get. My main reason for not loving the chicken is that it wasn't very good: the crispiness was nice but beyond that, is a little more flavor too much to ask for? The sides were amazing and I would buy the cucumber salad they had during summer by the bucket if I could. The service was good when I dined in and ate in their outdoor space where it was nice and relaxed. Overall, the chili fried chicken just didn't live up to the hype for me personally but the side dishes, service, and general feel of the place is enough to give it another try.
I listened to the hype and was not disappointed. While I understand some detractors' misgivings (yes, the price is not KFC-low, but I also don't think most fast food restaurants are using high quality ingredients nor paying their workers fairly nor using sustainable business models, and the particular style of fried chicken may not be to everyone's liking), for me, this is an excellent place to get inventive riffs on the meat-and-three classic American meal. Eric Huang is a genius! I was on the Pecking House waiting list for a while before I decided to hit up their then-recently-opened brick-and-mortar setup in the old Peking House (much like in the reviews, some of the patrons who came by expecting to find the old American Chinese menu items were completely confused by the truncated fried chicken menu and the new prices). I'd been following them on social media for a while so I knew what to expect and exactly what I wanted to order. I got there right as they opened so there was zero wait, and all my food (for takeout) came out super quickly. I got: Chili Fried Chicken meal with hot sauce ($35/3 pcs + sides) Orange Pepper Wet Wings ($12) Chicken Sandwich #14 ($14) First off: the chili fried chicken meal. The breading on the chicken was crunccccccchy and craggy and full of seasoning, just the way I like it (too crispy? not possible for me! the craggier the better!), and it has a good balance between straight-up heat and a complex spice profile. It's a melange of different cuisines' flavors, and I found that pretty reflective of the sides, as well. I especially enjoyed the eggplant and the heirloom bean salad, which I found, again, a great fusion of flavors, and I thought about these dishes for months afterwards. Personally, I found this a fair value at $35 with the sides. Orange Pepper Wet wings, a sly reference to Donald Glover's Atlanta: delicious, interesting, and not at all like the goopy-fluorescent-orange-chicken you might be imagining from a local takeout joint. Some real orange zest flavor in there, and well-executed overall. I thought the chicken sandwich was really good, but didn't blow me away--it was all about the sides for me! I'll look forward to when they open their next brick and mortar location soon, and I'll continue to hype for Pecking House, whatever, haters!
Try this and tell me it isn't the best fried chicken you've had in your life. The flavor is crazy punch in your mouth. The crunch is decent - the main draw is the wild flavor. The sides are unique as complements to fried chicken, but not my particular cup of tea. I prefer the generic obesity inducing sides that Americans eat, especially if the chicken is already packed with flavor. It almost feels like I'm being experimented on with these flavors. The price is also rather ridiculous. Despite that, I've ordered here twice and would order here again.
The duck drum-lets here were delicious. They were perfectly crisp and the salt and pepper flavor was there. ($18) They fell on the pricier side and I would say that they were good, but for my poor college budget, they are definitely too expensive for me to indulge in my lonesome. (fortunately I was able to enjoy this meal with my family) The chili chicken was great, but I felt was hyped up. The skin was crisp to the bite and filled with various spices that engulfed my every bite. The chicken was juicy and tender and most of the flavor was on the outside of the chicken pieces. ($35) The chicken came with three sides: - Brussel sprouts. They were yummy. They had flavor and complemented the chicken - Squash stuff. These were great. They helped mediate the heaviness of the chicken. - Beans and such. I liked these the most. They had a sesame oil fragrance. Sold separately was their dirty fried rice. The rice was flavorful and paired well with the chicken because they helped relieve aromatics of the chicken. The bone broth was delicious. It was simple in flavor, but offered a more balanced taste to our meal. It was off menu. Overall, the food was good. The meal can be heavy for those who don't generally eat heavy. It was pricy for what it was, but definitely worth to try. This is a pop-up that is moving to brooklyn by the way!! In Clinton Hill
I'm not a fan of Chinese food in NYC and this place can be my last stop. Ordered shrimp fried rice, two veggie rolls and a side of sweet plantains. Everything was delicious, but my complaint was for the plantains. The plantains were too sweet and rotten like. I'm sure the really bad plantains were on sale somewhere. I threw them all away. A waste.
Finally get the chance to experience their famous signature friend chicken. In the beginning of pandemic, it has become a hype. I would say the order has slowed down as we were told that my name have reached the top of the waitlist. The review is for the takeout package, nothing to do with its indoor dining. The dish together undeniably is one of the best chicken I have tested together with its sides. The package was curated by Eric Huang, former sous chef of Eleven MadisonPark. The restaurant has been in Eric's family for decades and this is his effort to keep the business alive. The fried chicken is bribed in buttermilk , fried and finished with Tianjin chilis and Szechuan peppercorn. My husband who has this spicy palette loved it. The three sides were all worth trying. Equally tasteful. Kabocha squash with caramelized onions, bacon crumble and candied pepitas was my pick among the three. My husband palette enjoyed the Roasted brussels sprouts with garlic aioli, fermented black bean and Calabrian chilis. But my son liked the Heirloom bean salad with cilantro and sesame. And we finished our dinner with the heavenly dessert Coconut Panna Cotta with Miso Caramel and candied cashew. It has this distinctive mixed ingredient texture that I enjoyed to the fullest. What made my rating one star less to perfection? The amount of serving is quite small for the price. The chef should note that the old and new customers of the place are from Queens not Manhattan who are used with big servings for the price being spent. Otherwise we were not disappointed with the service, location and the food quality.
Their "Chili fried chicken" was exceptionally a delightful food experience, different from any other fried chicken that I have tasted. A few months ago my wife heard that this restaurant was making a delicious "chili fried chicken" (with three sides included) which was buttermilk-brined, country fried, dry rubbed with tianjin chilis and Szechuan peppercorns. So my wife tried to ordered it through email 4-6 weeks ago. Probably due to overwhelming demand, my wife received an email response from the restaurant that my wife will be contacted through email on when we can already order the chili fried chicken. After about 4-6 weeks, my wife finally received an email confirmation from the restaurant for my wife to order. My wife ordered their famous chili fried chicken and was schedule for pick-up. We went to the restaurant to pick-up, the street beside the restaurant was packed with costumer cars who were also there for food pick-up. We went home, opened our food package which consist of chili fried chicken, squash with caramelized onions, roasted Brussels sprouts, heirloom bean salad with cilantro and sesame. Chili fried chicken- I loved the chicken and it was just alright for my wife. Extra crispy, spicy and flavorful outer part, tender and juicy inside. Delectable and different from any other fried chicken that I have tasted before. This was accompanied by three super-delicious sides that comes with the chicken. Everything was so flavorsome and yummy, each one has a different pleasant texture and the combination of each combined ingredient was well thought of by the one who concocted the recipes. Everything was so tasteful and appetizing and matches really well with rice. Is it worth the order wait? Definitely!!! We finished our meal with a Coconut Panna cotta dessert that has a miso caramel and candied cashews which was equally yummy and has excellent texture. I am extraordinarily satisfied with this food experience.
Ordered Peking delivered once and it was good. But was it "fresh out of the fryer" good? Eh it can always be better right? Go to the source. Went to Pecking House to visit Eric and the team. The food was incredible. They offer sit down service, order at front, pay, then they bring your food to the table... I ended up ordering. Four. Separate. Times. Ridiculous! Chicken is spicy and makes your pores open up and sweat it out! The naked chicken was perfect for my kids. The chicken sandwich was damn good? The beans were amazing, the Brussels amazing, the dirty rice???? Holy cow. Literally everything was amazing. Service is kickass our server was awesome. Super accommodating and came up with great suggestions. Left with extra rice, the bone broth which is beyond incredible and all sorts of leftovers. grab your chicken from this multiple reviewed source before the hype builds up (even more than normal) and consider yourself lucky if they've got an open table! Thanks again to Eric and the team for making my whole family feel welcome and for making such incredible food.
Restaurantji Recommends
Waited for 2-3 months and got the chance to order. Considering the delivery distance, the fee is acceptable. But the food itself, more specifically, the chicken, was disappointing.The chicken was neither spicy nor flavorful. The coating was thick and got all the spice, while the meat got little seasoning. Looks like they put a lot of chili oil but the oil was neither spicy nor aromatic. I cannot taste the peppercorn in it as I bet they only put a tiny bit of amount in it and they probably didn’t ship the authentic, strong type of peppercorn from Szechuan. Growing up eating actual Szechuan food in China, I must have the wrong expectations for the flavor of the chicken after reading the description. It’s too bland for the Szechuan spice lovers.I enjoyed the side dishes, they are all flavorful, unique and well-seasoned. Bumping it to 3 stars.
My husband heard from a coworker that this place makes really good fried chicken. He sent an email and received a response a few months later. My husband placed his order and the restaurant told him what date and the to pick it up. The fried chicken was just okay. I preferred the plain fried chicken but it was a bit bland. If they added a little spice or a dipping sauce it would have been really good. I didn't like their spicy fried chicken bc it was treated with a sweet and spicy chili dry rub. I prefer the Korean style, where the fried chicken is lightly coated with a sweet syrupy spicy sauce. But I really liked their bean salad and squash and bone broth soup. It was DELICIOUS and the miso caramel coconut panna Cotta dessert was really good.
This review is for the Pecking House waitlist delivery order. It was not worth the hype or the price. For $35, you get 3 pieces of chicken and 3 sides. The chicken was good but not great. The chili chicken had a dry spice rub that was a bit too dry. The flavors were warming and interesting with a slight kick but nothing crazy. The sides were better than the chicken, but still don't warrant the price as we got small containers of brussel sprouts, bean salad, and kabocha squash.
Waited for 2-3 months and got the chance to order. Considering the delivery distance, the fee is acceptable. But the food itself, more specifically, the chicken, was disappointing. The chicken was neither spicy nor flavorful. The coating was thick and got all the spice, while the meat got little seasoning. Looks like they put a lot of chili oil but the oil was neither spicy nor aromatic. I cannot taste the peppercorn in it as I bet they only put a tiny bit of amount in it and they probably didn't ship the authentic, strong type of peppercorn from Szechuan. Growing up eating actual Szechuan food in China, I must have the wrong expectations for the flavor of the chicken after reading the description. It's too bland for the Szechuan spice lovers. I enjoyed the side dishes, they are all flavorful, unique and well-seasoned. Bumping it to 3 stars.
The fried chicken is disappointing but the sides are delicious.While the chicken is tender and moist the batter is just way too thick and heavy. It's not balanced with too big of a contrast in texture and flavorThe sides are worth getting for themselves. Really fresh bean salad. Tasty brussel sprouts. Skip the pho though.