Very cheap dim sum, great dumplings. My personal favorite are the shrimp with snow peas and the fried taro. It gets super crowded and noisy so go early. Poor wait service, but what do you expect from dim sum?

Came here with a group of 4.Giving his a 1 star based on the terrible service at the end. If it's based on the food only, 3 stars is appropriate, nothing special about this place. Food is half way decent. The decor makes it a little more upscale.The reason for the terrible service. It was towards the end of service when I paid. Coming from CA, for lunch at a chinese place, we don't tend to tip more than 10%, I know that people will beg to differ, but service wasn't all that great to begin with.. Had to call the waiters multiple times just to get the tea pot refilled and water refilled. It's typical things that I expect from dim sum place. After I wrote the tip down, the person who deals with the money and he looked at what I had wrote down, refused to pick up the signed receipt until 1 minute later then as he walked by my chair, he scoffed into my ear while saying "just 10%". I was pissed, but I didn't do anything. Then, he came back with the cart to clear the table and as he came towards our table, he PURPOSELY hit the back of my seat, did not apologize, then quickly cleared the table to purposely get rid of us. I was appalled by his actions and would have started a scene if I wasn't entertaining extremely important guests (my chairman and his wife). Just because I was with 2 caucasian people, shouldn't expect a big tip, tip is earned. I was going to call my credit company to deduct the tip amount off the bill but I did not.In any case, dim sum places are a dim a dozen and I doubt this review would hinder their business, but at least it's out there for people to read.On their business card, it says "One of the Five Best Restaurants in NYC" in 1996, definitely not and not deserving of this title at all

Came here for a work dinner. Great place for large groups and ample room to move around. Nice creative variety of dishes. Situated on the 2nd floor you'll need to take the elevator up to get to the main dining level. Not exactly extensive on the alcohol options. Pretty straight forward tsing tao beer, rum, or vodka drinks.Favorite dishes of the night were the salt and pepper shrimp, fried up to perfection as you can eat the whole shrimp shell and all. Chinese potato chips as i call them. The peking duck was a highlight as well and enjoyed by everyone. Moist, crispy, and worked well with the steamed buns. We also had a steamed fish which was super fresh, and dungeness crab served up fried with scallion and garlic. Super delicious. Co-workers ordered some steam dim sum as well. Dumpling wise i could tell they were old so not to be ordered during dinner but maybe during the lunch and weekend time when the turnover is quicker. It's a usual chinatown kind of place come for the good food but not for the service. For dinner though i would definitely come back.

Horrible experience. Arrived at 2:00 pm and was only served 3 plates of dim sum in 90 minutes. Poor service doesn't cover it. The only tray that came around was chicken feet. No one seemed to want it.

I'm giving this a 3 star because of the wait and the hectic atmosphere. The day of the lunar new year's celebration (bad time to be eating here, I know) my group of 6 friends and I went here to eat. We were packed like sardines, desperately waiting for them to call our numbers, fearing we'd miss it over the loud din while being shoved from all directions by people approaching the hostess table or lucky enough to be called up the elevators. I know it's a large space, but it still takes a long time to be seated. We might have waited 30 minutes or an hour. Don't know- it was too crazy for time to mean anything. The food was good and they had an amazing baked roasted pork bun which had just the right hint of sweetness. The price was typical of a dim sum place, about $18 for a meal that serves as your lunch and dinner. In the future, I'll either come at a less hectic time if such a thing exists or I'll pick another of the many dim sum places in Chinatown.

With all dim sum places, I judge them on a few dishes. It's all about the quality of shrimp in the har gow shrimp dumplings and the overall quality of the various steamed rice roll cherng. The shrimp here is better than most other dim sum joints in Chinatown. The only better ones I've had in NYC are in Flushing and that's just far for me. The cherng was really good, the skin pretty thin although they could have been larger with more stuff inside.From there, the rest of the stuff is pretty much on par. I can't remember all the specifics because we had all this food. All my favorites like chicken's feet, spare ribs, and siu mai dumplings were all decent.Probably the goto choice for dimsum in Ctown.

Came here for dimsum with one other friend. Typical selection of dim sum foods and these were prepared pretty well. Super long wait line (came in at around 1pm) of around 25 minutes and the waiting was not a pleasant experience. Then came lunch time we had to share a table with a bigger group due to the excessive amount of people who were waiting + our small party size. I was kinda annoyed because the carts took forever to get to us so we had to wait for the longest time to get the food we wanted.

Great place in Chinatown.Staff is friendly I like the food so much!

I love dim sum and have tried this establishment three times. Each time, I have enjoyed the food, but each time I have endured the rudeness of the men in black and the other meanies that run this joint:( The ladies pushing the carts will, on occasion, smile or act reasonably polite. The men in black suits are just scary! I have no idea what their role is. Perhaps they are there in case a customer chokes to death while waiting, after begging, for water. First, I asked my waiter, at least, I think he was my waiter, for water. He sneered at me. Next, I asked a female server who was passing by if I could have a glass of water. She shouted, "Wait!!" She never brought me water but stood talking to one of the men in black for a bit. She seated others, she passed our table several times, and I still had no water. Yes, I had tea, which they bring automatically, but I really needed a glass of water. In vain, because at this point, I thought I may start a rather nasty coughing fit, I asked one of the men in black for a drink and again, I got the sneer. Geez.....these guys look like vultures waiting for road kill. They stand around the tables, do absolutely nothing, and make angry faces if you dare to express a need.Yeah, the story ends with my getting up and chasing a MIB ....this was after ten minutes of waiting, and by now, I am beginning to cough rather badly. Even though I practically followed him into the kitchen, not a pretty sight, he pretended that I didn't exist. Finally, he gave in and agreed to bring the water. I would have preferred to get it for myself. My lowest moment was when I drank the water that he brought me, after he had finished talking to another undertaker...... I had to drink it in order to survive, but I am sure I wouldn't have had I seen how he prepared it.It is an interesting place and as I said, I have been there three times. They were never nice, and I still enjoyed the experience. If you go there, BYOW.

The large dining space makes it easy for carts to roll around and enable you to select your next plate. You can also order from the waiter/kitchen if you'd like (which we ordered their pan fried egg noodles with vegetables). There are a lot of different carts rolling by which I really prefer, because rarely was there anytime we were "looking" for something - the ladies always came around and asked if we wanted something on their cart. A great place to go if you're trying dim sum for the first time, or have a really large party!

Went with a group on Chinese New Year ... so keep that in mind.Waited FOREVER in the worst crowded lobby ever ... to get upstairs to a zoo where they didn't actually have a table for our whole party. Terrible service, food wasn't great. totally unfriendly - cheap, and if you know exactly what you want could be great. Not planning to go back and figure it out.

What is the hype about this place? It's really not all that. Not bad, but not all that.Pork buns are good but you have to ask for them separately. I'm not Chinese and had to point to the ones the waitress at the other table had brought out. Wasn't being rotated on the carts.

Went with someone who'd been before...let them order way too much...and loved it. I tried pork shu mei, shrimp dumpling, shrimp wrapped in bacon, chicken feet, spare ribs, pork buns, and many other marvelous pockets & bamboo boxes of glory.Something to note - if it looks like a gorgeous green colored dumpling...get it. I forget what it's called but it's sooo good like a sesame peanut butter green treat.

This is the best dim sum in NYC, but you didn't hear it from me.In fact, I never posted this... let's just keep this our little secret ;)

1) take a no. from the waitress at the 1st floor counter (I waited for 15-20mins)2) be prepared to share table with strangers3) walk up the narrow stairs4) get seated quick and ready for war5) once the cart is here, make sure you are fast enough if not you gotta wait for another big round before they come to your table againFood: 4/5Ambience: 4/5 (this is how a dim sum place should be)Service: 3/5

Came around 2pm on a holiday and there was still a wait! but because it was our last full day in new york, we decided to suck it up and just wait. they gave us about a half an hour wait time and surprisingly, our # was called in about 10 minutes.unfortunately, because we did come so late, the food was limited and took forever from cart to cart. my fav was probably the shiu mai. luckily for us, there was no glob of oil dripping from ours. the sticky rice in lotus leaf is good, the spinach with shrimp dumpling is good, the bbq pork bun is good. basically..everything is good.tip: if the cart ladies are being rude to you, don't take it. ask them why the harsh tone and they'll back off. the lady serving the rice rolls was yelling at us for asking her to cut the rice rolls (usually a standard in most dim sum places...at least in california and hong kong...) and i simply said, "i'm just asking, why are you so "lo hay?" i think that means frustrated or annoyed but not sure...then she used a nicer tone and explained why she didn't have scissors.to feed the four of us, it was only about $35. pretty damn good if you ask me.

Unfortunately for me, I'm not a huge Unicorn fan. i've heard lots of praise for this place as one of the best tasting dim sum restaurants in chinatown so i finally did give it a whirl...I wont deny, the food is tasty. everything is hot and flavorful and clean. And it really did match up to its reputation. But I was given a harsh blow of reality with it's cons:-The cost of it is painful. i was dining with one other person and we didn't even eat that much maybe 8 dishes tops? And the bill ended up to be 30+ dollars. You pay for quality, which i don't deny, but at a usual dim sum restaurant when i'd eat 5 plates all on my own, this is a major blow on food i usually expected to be affordable.-The restaurant itself is hard to locate. It's located in a second floor corner shop that's pretty tucked away. I was expecting somewhere huge and grand like the other dim sum giants i'm use to but if i was looking for this place on my own: I'd surely have gotten lost.-I was eating shumai, my favorite dish and a plop of solid grease just spilled on my plate. Not liquid grease, solid grease. Hence why i can see why the food was flavorful. But a diner usually doesnt like to see such things... and so turned me off from eating more dishes after that point, especially from a dish one wouldnt expect a glop of grease to rain from.Perhaps it was my one time misfortune, but I don't think I'll be returning here again.

Here's my 500th review..booya!So here's what's great about Golden Unicorn:1. No crazy and crowded waiting area unlike Harmony Palace.2. Not too loud. Customers including the ladies pushing the carts are relatively soft-spoken.3. Two floors of dining area. Plenty and spacious seating.4. Staff is polite and accommodating.5. Dim sum portions are bigger and tastier than Go Go Dim Sum. Everything looked pretty fresh.Typically you can't expect too much from dim sum restaurants but if you put everything together (i.e., décor, food quality, service), Golden Unicorn is definitely one of the better and long-standing establishments left in Chinatown. I've been here since I was a kid and I've noticed they made huge improvements, whereas other places have not.

I rarely give bad reviews, but shit homie. I took 2 of the greatest people in my life to this restaurant for DIM SUM for the 1st time. And it was probably the LAST time they will ever want dim sum. }:OTerrible Service: A waitress came by to fill our waters, and spilled water all over 1 of the guys at our table!!!! And ran off scurring to the next table. CHILL!!Terrible Atmosphere: 2 waitresses were screaming at each other for some thing right in front of our table for like 2 minutes. Is that necessary? Really? LolTerrible Food: Tasteless....like EVERYTHING. The fried rice, pan fried noodles, and all the dim sum.- Veggie House Special Fried Rice- Veggie Pan Fried Noodles- Green Leek Dumplings- Sesame Ball (THIS WAS GOOD HERE!!!)- Mango Flavored Pudding (THIS WAS GOOD HERE!!!)#BARF.

delicious dim sum brunch. service was slow at times but food was delicious and the price was right ...?

Great food and service, their the best Dim sums out der and make your time their enjoyable. Whats to dislike about Chinese food, its always ...?

Mammoth and multi-storied, the restaurant's decor consists of pink upholstery on glossy black chairs, tables for two, four, six and more scattered about, and the centerpiece--two golden... ...?

This restaurant has seen better days.The food is mediocre and the service is lacking.I'm not an ignorant tourist,but I know what good food should taste like.Avoid this place,otherwise throw your money on a lottery ticket ...?

I'd heard some good things about this place, but maybe that was for Dim Sum. I went there for dinner and both of our meals were bland. My peach, chicken, and black bean dish was bland, and the peaches tasted canned. The "beef' my friend ...?

I went to this restaurant for the dim sum,but the head waiter informed us that they don't do that anymore.We stayed and ordered the food anyway.The service is very slow.You have to ask for salt and pepper,silverware(chopsticks only) and ...?

A recent weekend visit to Golden Unicorn was a success. Dim Sum dishe rolled out constantly, the service was friendly, and there were helpful pictures of the Dim Sum offerings with descriptions on the carts. So yes, Golden Unicorn is ...?

Hostesses wheel around carts laden with a jaw-dropping assortment of dim sum at this bustling Chinatown restaurant. Some of the choices: steamed vegetarian dumplings, cold jellyfish, orange-flavored jumbo shrimp, and five varieties of ...?

The Scene Mammoth and multi-storied, the restaurant's decor consists of pink upholstery on glossy black chairs, tables for two, four, six and more scattered about, and the centerpiece--two golden dragons with light-up eyes set behind a ...?

You check in in the lobby and are directed to one of three floors for dining. The best selection and freshest food I have ever had. Prices are identical to many other dim sum houses I frequent but this is a class operation. ...?

Food was excellent, portions were generous, and the prices were quite reasonable. Service was adequate, however the restaurant was noisy and the lighting was too bright. ...?

Food is average and a bit more expensive than other Dim Sum in the neighborhood, but they do have a wider selection of choices. Seating is average. Service is terrible. Waiters are slow to clear your table, refill water or tea, and on ...?

Full marks for quality and for prompt service, and at great prices. Our only quibble is with the servers, who didn't always explain their wares very clearly. Definitely worth the trip if you're into dim sum. ...?

The service is not stellar and its very likely you'll have to share a table with another group if your party is less than 6. Enjoy some of the better Dim Sum dishes in the area at wallet preserving prices. ...?

Didn't have other menu items, but had Dim Sum which we thought was below average: package tasting glue like shumai, fishballs were too fishy, nothing really tasted good. Not recommended. How does this place get a rating of 9? ...?

Cantonese-style dim sum served in authentic style. Don't expect quiet or hushed tones as this is the real thing, vivacious, noisy and exciting. Dinner time offers a more in-depth menu, but the dim sum is something not to be missed. ...?

Resting on laurels. The food at the Golden Unicorn is quality and the crowd is steady which is why they don't and wont go out of their way to be courteous overly friendly or otherwise spectacular. They don't have to, the business will come ...?

This is a true dim sum experience. (Dim Sum is usually served on weekENDS, so make sure to check if you want it during the weekdays.) It's a little overwhelming - you get to the lobby and have to ask for a ticket number. ...?

kind of dim sum imaginable makes for a really unique dining experience. Chicken feet are a favorite for many in what's probably the best restaurant in Chinatown. Expect large crowds. ...?

And what a surprise!! Their service is actually good and friendly. The decor is a bit tacky but it's clean and comfortable. The bathrooms are a joy compared to their competition. ...?

ordinary. The layout of the restaurant made me feel as if I were having a meal in a bank. There were plenty of waiters and busboys, but no one seemed to be providing much service. ...?

banquet type Chinese restaurants in New York's Chinatown, the food is mainly unimaginative and service is typically unresponsive. But, what you get is a fairly consistent level of food quality which is one of the better in Chinatown. Dim Sum here is also enjoyable. ...?

dim sum mornings are insane, and you may sit next to a stranger at a random table, but it's worth the food and experience! wedding banquet food is hard to beat anywhere else. delicious! ...?

the best, and best variety of dim sum in Chinatown. As I've found to be true in almost all of these places, the language barrier can be difficult in terms of finding out what's what. At the end of my first visit, I thought I had a revelation in seeing that there were pictures and English ...?

I took a friend out to dinner last night he like Chinese so we decided to go to the Golden Unicorn. We were seated right away, I am not sure who was our wait staff our order was taken by a guy in a suit, then their was another guy ...?

Great Dim Sum, the people handing food in the Dim Sum carts are pleasant, the animals are the people in suits that bring you the check or grumble if you ask them for water. Particularly, stay away from an anorexic bitch by the name of SANDY ...?

houses, but not the worst either. Be prepared to sit family-style with other guests if you go with a party of four or smaller. Enormous selection of freshly-made dumplings, smoked & fried meats, soups, tofu and other regional Cantonese specialties. ...?

I went here last night with my best friend and boyfriend. While the food was very tasty and served in huge portions, the service has made me not want to return. When the waiter brought the check, he stood there for me to write in his tip and ...?

If you're ever craving dim sum, you can find some here. There's nothing really special about the place, but it is there if you need it. The egg custard dessert is pretty good so I recommend you get that if you ever go here. ...?

Had a recent experience that was disappointing. Very few offerings - only two or three carts with the same food cirulated. Service was not good - difficult to get water. I rated it at three stars because previously had been good - but ...?

We went in the middle of the afternoon and there were very few customers. Our appetizers came quickly, but after that, the staff seemed more interested in moving tables and walls--bumping into our table several times with the wall panels ...?

Long lines are worth the wait. Must go before the early afternoon on the weekends because the food choices pewter out then. A bit pricey but a can't miss for tourists. ...?

Sum, but lately it has cut down drastically on the number of carts plying the aisles, and worse, have cut down on the variety of Dim Sum previously offered. ...?

and the service is amazing. If you ask for a dish you haven't seen yet, and if you're nice about it, one of the ladies pushing a cart will physically run to the kitchen to get it for you. Now THAT's service. ...?

my Chinese roommate could tell me what was getting rolled around, since there's no menu... but the mystery heightens the deliciousness! Best dim sum in the city. Kitchy old school decor adds to the authentic feel, and man, the place is ginormous! ...?

has two entire floors the lines are still long. It is undoubtedly the best Dim Sum in the city. The carts are full of variety and keep rolling on. Bring plenty of friends it is best way to try all the variety of dumplings. ...?

here: crowded, noisy, and very unorganized. Nevertheless, dozens of dim sum carts running by our table provided very tasty food. A good value for the money, if you're willing to contend with the noise, crowds, and haphazard service. ...?

this place, but maybe that was for Dim Sum. I went there for dinner and both of our meals were bland. My peach, chicken, and black bean dish was bland, and the peaches tasted canned. The "beef' my friend ordered was tough and bland as well. I doubt I would give this a second ...?

I was skeptical of dim sum in US because they are all manufactured in the same factory and dispersed throughout the State. It was an eye opener for me to have dim sum at Golden Unicorn. Golden unicorn has a fair variety of dim sum. ...?

in several top Zagat-rated Chinese restaurants we've tried in Chinatown north of Canal Street. The dim sum was hot and fresh and dispensed from steamcarts with a wider selection of dishes than those we've tried on Mott street. ...?