Dining and nightlife empresarios EMM Group have added another restaurant to their growing empire on the Bowery. The General, which opened at the beginning of the month, joins nightclub Finale and lounge Bow in an enormous multi-concept space on the Bowery and Spring. Executive Chef Hung Huynh, who in addition to winning season three of Top Chef, also worked on EMM's seafood-centric Catch, produced a menu of modern Asian shared plates for the enormous 300-seat restaurant.
Chef Huynh darts around various types of Asian cuisine, including takes on Maki like the "Mercy" roll ($12) with spicy tuna, jalapeno salt and salsa verde and a Pad Thai ($12) with smoked tofu. Other dishes riff on Western compositions, like the Philly Peppersteak Stickybuns ($9) with braised short rib, caramelized onion and aged provolone and Chinese Chicken Tacos ($11). Large format dishes include Peking Duck ($59) with accompanying moo shu pancakes and a highbrow Beef & Broccoli ($31) composed of braised, bone-in short rib, udon and Chinese broccoli.
Equally as impressive as the menu is the dramatic dining space, designed by ICRAVE studio, which combines seemingly disparate elements—vintage fans, marble surfaces and exposed wooden beams—into a cohesive and engaging meal setting. Bright red leather chairs and beautiful patterned wallpaper contrast the black lacquered tabletops and geometric floor design. Garage door-style windows, which make up most the 80-foot facade of the restaurant, can be opened to the street when the weather turns warmer.
199 Bowery // 212-271-7101
