Restaurant openings update: Queens West, Vernon & Jackson, LIC
SHI, New fine dining Chinese fusion restaurant, Queens West, LIC
The long awaited SHI is on its way to a soft opening a bit later this month… which will inevitably lead to the hard opening - no pix yet, but Queens Wester’s are about to get some fine dining in the mix.
UPDATE: SHI is currently open for take-out only:
Hello all,
First, I’d like to thank everyone in LIC for making us feel welcome and really showing us their support and encouragement. There is a sense of community here that we don’t see in the city. We can’t wait to add to the character of LIC.
After much delay, we’re finally ready to open our doors! (The Take-Out side at least anyways.) Perhaps another week for the dining room to follow. So please stop by and say “Hi” starting after 5:00 pm.
Thanks, ShiBrothers
SHI
4720 Center Blvd
Reservations: 347-242-2450
Take Out: 347-242-2448
Website:www.shilic.com
MENU
It’s interesting how hard Rockrose is working on The View (which is also still officially in soft opening mode), but a surprisingly large amount of retail on Center Blvd remains vacant. The spot that Starbucks was supposed to occupy, was later rumored to be yielding an independent cafe… but nothing appears to be happening in the space.
Sage General Store brewing, Jackson Ave, LIC
Back on Vernon, we checked in on the Japanese restaurant manifesting in the old 5SL sales office at the corner of Vernon & 48th Ave - looks like it’s another fusion joint, mixing in a little Thai.
The new Manducatis restaurant (cafe?) on Vernon will be opening in September, as Manducatis Rustico, featuring homemade gelato , brick oven pizza and other signature treats.
And off Vernon, on Jackson Ave, Sage General Store looks like it’ll pop at the end of this month as well. Also featuring some brick oven action, Sage is mixing up an expanded menu of their mouthwatering vittles.
It just keeps getting better!
That sign is just begging to be tampered with.
How about Indian? There is an entire subcontinent of food waiting to attack LIC! I would like Indian!
Let’s see which place is more expensive, Riverview or Shi?
We’ve got Indian…The 5 Star Diner & Banquet Hall…right here in the LIC. Try it! If you are willing to travel, try Masala in Woodside. So good & affordable!
Well, hopefully Shi’s service and food will be worth the money…as Riverview staff is always so slow and unaccomadating - and their food is just so-so. Shi is sure to be a hit!
Has anyone been to the Bulgarian place in Ravenswood yet? Or the Romanian one?
OH yeah! I forgot about 5 Star! I will definitely go over there. Do they deliver to East Coast?
#7 - I agree on your comments about the Riverview restaurant. Horrible service and very overpriced. They also have a very rude manager.
I ordered a steak rare and got it well done - twice in the same sitting. I will never go back there. It’s a shame that such a terrible establishment has such a nice location.
Hello all,
First, I like to thank everyone in LIC for making us feel welcome and really showing us their support and encouragement. There is a sense of community here that we don’t see in the city. We can’t wait to add to the character of LIC.
Second, much thanks goes out to liQcity for making this site possible, I get all my news here.
After much delay, we’re finally ready to open our doors!
(The Take-Out side at least anyways). Perhaps another week for the dining room to follow.
So please stop by and say “Hi” starting after 5:00 pm.
Thanks.
ShiBrothers
Shi Brothers - Do you have a menu we can check out??? We are all so excited!!!!!
Can’t wait!
But yeah, we’d need to see a menu in order to order take-out.
Shibrothers,
Welcome to the neighborhood and wish you success. Do you run any other restaurant or is this your first one?
#3 please don’t. it’s someone’s name. and that someone has opened up a restaurant for us to come and eat at. look at the vacuum foodcellar filled. say all you want about it being expensive, but that FC started bustling fast. As will SHI. welcome to the hood!
Welcome.
Yeah, a menu would help.
Re: #3. It also doesn’t help that the motto on the web site is Eat, Drink, Shi. That part, at least, should maybe be re-thought.
So maybe not the best branding in the world…but welcome to the neighborhood. Look forward to ordering take out.
Has anyone gotten it? How is it?
How soon will it be until this restaurant gets trashed on this thread? If history is a guide…
18, I thought you were joking, but it’s true. The motto should be: Shi. Eat. Drink.
LOL. Eat Drink Shi?!? Holy God, they actually have that as their motto.
I got take out at Shi tonight. I have to say I was very impressed, I would go so far as saying it was excellent. The menu is not really ready yet, so I just asked Shi (the owner) what he recommended for a beef or chicken dish. He told me to order the spicy basil chicken, which I did, and it was awesome. My girlfriend got an avocado salad and tofu soup, and she said they were perfect. We also got two sushi rolls to try, and they really were great. I think this place will do really well, the owner seems like a really great guy, extremely friendly, and the prices were not bad at all.
Grabbed some take out from SHI tonight and it was DELICIOUS! Ordered the spicy basil chicken and the cubed filet mignon (bo luc lac in Vietnamese). Also, got a sneak peak of the interior, and outdoor patio overlooking the Pepsi Cola sign and the space is GORGEOUS! The view is phenomenol, the decor tasteful, the service friendly, attentive, and warm, and with terrific cuisine to match, I wouldn’t be surprised if this place turns out to be the best restaurant in the neighborhood combining the views of Riverview Cafe, the food quality of Bella Via/Manetta’s, the hipness of Blend, and the authenticity of Tournesol. Finally, it seems, one restaurant has got it all! Can’t wait for the grand opening!
Whats wrong with the motto? It is only the natural progression of the digestive system. :)
Can’t wait to try their food and I think their view will be even better than Riverview’s since they are even closer to the water.
I think Eat. Drink. Shi. is hilarious. I’m sure it was intentional - they do not seem like stupid people over there. In fact quite the contrary. Shi is a GREAT addition to the block.
25, there’s no way that was an intentional reference to a bodily function. They goofed. It’s not too late for them to change their slogan. They should do it right away before they formally open the place and spare themselves any further ridicule.
Great! Another overpriced restaurant. It will probably be as expensive as that rip off supermarket that just opened.
#27, get a life…stop complaining…I swear some people just try to stir up trouble on this thing.
#27. Yeah - WTF are you talking about - you obviously didn’t go there. I stopped by Shi on Wednesday to check out the menu and the average price of an entree was between $12 and $15.
It’s not like Riverview - where you get a burnt piece of bad meat, some potato, and shriveled string beans for $25+. That’s the overpriced restaurant you should be calling out.
#27 must chill out and not be mad at the world because restaurants don’t accept his food stamps.
15 bucks for an entree at a glorified Chinese takeout? Seems pricey too me.
#31 you could always eat at the take out place on Vernon. I personally will pay for the glorified views and atmosphere the new place will bring. Something tells me that SHI’s food will be fresher and tastier.
32, I’m not writing them off and will give them a chance. There have been other upscale Chinese restaurants in NYC in the past. For some reason, they always seem to have a problem serving consistently unique dishes worthy of their price tag and end up being mostly empty ripoff joints that cater to out of towners. Let’s hope SHI doesn’t do the same.
“Asian Fusion” is not strictly Chinese. It is, as the word “fusion” suggests, a blending of Asian Cuisines. Please don’t compare a restaurant of this type to a “take-out” Chinese place.
#27 is a bitter renter who complains they should get subsidized housing built by our tax dollars b/c they have a low paying job. Thank the stars you have a rent stabilized apartment or you’d be in Bed-Sty where you belong with all the other underachievers.
real classy #35. didn’t think anyone could top #27 for most ignorant comment on this thread. but you did! congrats!!!
It’s always a knee slapper when I hear the nouveau riche like 35 complain about scroungers getting a bit of help when its loudmouths like them who are really robbing us blind.
For SHI’s sake, and for anyone who has the misfortune of having to sit next to his table, I hope No. 35 doesn’t plan on being a regular at the restaurant.
34, you are only partly correct. I suspect that many people will primarily treat Shi like a take-out place, so despite how fancy the restaurant’s interior may be, they will judge the place on the value and quality of the food that is delivered to them.
did anyone notice that the menu is posted on the website now? looks good to me.
It does look varied, and the house specials are especially intriguing. But I’m not seeing the “fusion” part. Most of the dishes are pretty standard Chinese or basic Japanese sushi fare. Still, SHI looks great and I’ll be a regular.
So, # 35, how would you feel if your professional position and wage earning superiors were to speak of you in the same manner, and use you as the butt of their sarcastic comments, like referring to you as an underachiever?
Here’s food for thought. If you never rise to the top of the field you’re in, might that not make you a lifetime underacheiver. Think before you speak. There are those out there who take pride in their vocation, at whatever step of the ladder they’re on.
By the way, Brownstones in Bed-Sty are going for millions of dollars.
Charlie.
On another note, the captcha I have to use for this post is “grabbed lic”. How interesting.
Charlie.
Yeah, the fusion part seems to be in the menu, not necessarily the dishes. General Gao’s Chicken and Salmon Teriaki. You know, the standard Chinese & Japanese classics for the American palette. Plus some new quirky ones. Looks great though.
Ouch. I was just refused delivery from SHI. I live on 45th Rd. between 21st and 23rd which is apparently not in the “vicinity” of SHI. I guess they only cater to the Queenswest high-rises. Way to reach out to the neighborhood, SHI. The guy on the phone said to try again tomorrow (and also said he had no idea where my building was) … I’ll try tomorrow and see what happens!
It could be that anyone outside of a couple of block radius, is just not part of their target market, or maybe they don’t have a delivery person with transportation. Call them back and ask them why they won’t deliver to your part of this area, #44.
Charlie.
I would imagine that they are not set up with a delivery vehicle yet. Give them a chance - they have barely opened. As I recall, it took awhile be fore Lucky Mojo was equipped to deliver across town.
This is #44 again (in case anyone is still reading this thread!) SHI made good on their promise - we had prompt delivery this evening and the gentleman on the phone even remembered us from two evenings ago. The food (we had crab rangoon, general tso’s chicken and 10 ingredient lo mein) was tasty and very fresh! Apologies for my previous skeptical tone - we will definitely order again!
I walked by with the misses last night to pick up a take out menu and innocently peered through the window of the actual restaurant. The owner was watching us and could tell that we were pretty impressed by what we saw. He asked if we noticed the fireplace and offered to show us the inside of the restaurant. He was so excited to show the place off to locals….and let me assure you it was with good reason. The place is absolutely beautiful. The trendy lounge area with gorgeous fireplace…the recessed plasma that only shows its face when there’s a big game…the sexy bar…the DJ area and stunning indoor/outdoor seating blew us away. The place is fantastic, finally a location that I’d want to take my NYC friends to other than our skyline-view equipped apartment.
The owner couldn’t have been any nicer and accommodating. I’ve heard the food was great and the place is just fabulous. I think we have a big-time winning combination. I’ll be there day one without a doubt! Color me impressed.
Best,
Evan
“finally a location that I’d want to take my NYC friends to other than our skyline-view equipped apartment.”
Ew, how swarmy.
That expression which we borrowed from across the pond is “smarmy” -not “swarmy”. Did anyone try out SHI on their first official opening night?
nice!! I am looking forward to this restaurant. I wandered in the other day, and the owner whose name is SHI by the way was very warm and friendly. Absolutely beautiful space. Top notch.