Wayan New York - Buy Reservations

DISAPPOINTED AND ANGRY after the experience at Wayan, NYC. Went for a late dinner on Friday July 12th 2024. Everything smooth until had a bite into a 1/2 cm + egg shell in the nasi goreng!!! Piece of shell big enough, even after a bite into it, for me to give to waiter, who called one of his colleagues to come to speak to us. Piece of egg shell taken to the chef to discuss. Waiter returned when I was away to restroom to offer a complimentary leychee sorbet scoop for the table to share between me and my wife. (Declined offer politely with thanks as we were not going to have deserts) Raised the issue of the egg shell in the nasi goreng as not the norm for a restaurant of Wayan's reputation. Met with a sarcastic comment of how we raised the egg shall after having had the entire dish!! Working in the noble profession, i.e we dont lie, in our professional or personal lives, I can assure you that the egg shell was encountered with almost the last part of the meal that was eaten. It isn't my fault that I could not raise the issue earlier. And i dont expect to be looking for egg shells in my meal before starting to eat to raise the issue at a more appropriate time, ie earlier part of the dish as was expected by the waiter..... And to be met with a reaction from the waiter that we were lying is not something you would expect from a restaurant of this standard. The waiter suggested if I wanted the nasi goreng to be removed off the bill, which I said was fair. This was met with a stomp to redo the bill! A rather unpleasant ending to our evening which needed a lot of effort to get our children looked after for us to get away while we were on holiday in NYC! Feel disappointed and completely let down by our experience and staff attitude and behaviour at Wayan. Would not recommend this restaurant to our friends or family am afraid.

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I'm disappointed by the flavors, portion, and price here. We ordered: 3 satays (scallop, shrimp, lamb), escargot, lobster noodle, corn fritters, banana sundae We asked the server if this would be enough food. He said the lobster noodle is filling so maybe this is ok but we can order more later. Everything ended up being small. 3 satays are a discount compared to ordering them separately. I don't know whether to say I'm glad I didn't pay full price or I'm not glad they got me to pay $36 for this mediocre item. Lamb - gamey and overcooked. The meat itself was underseasoned. The pickles helped brighten the situation. The sauce has umami but it's too thin and diluted. Scallop - creamy butter sauce had nice tartness but it wasn't enough to elevate the mushy tasteless scallop. I expected the scallop to be sweet and juicy on its own. The char on it wasn't crunchy or flavorful. Shrimp - at first glance I thought it was a whole shrimp skewered but turns out they just stuck shrimp paste on a stick. It felt too small and the shrimp paste was mushy not bouncy. Again the shrimp here wasn't sweet and juicy on its own. The pickles here helped too but couldn't save the bad shrimp. Escargot This is my first time having it, so I don't have a standard to compare to. I just know based on this dish, the escargot itself was relatively flavorless. I'd rather eat clams or something. The sauce was nice with all the herbs added, but the fat ratio was off. The oils would just pool in the indentations of the plate and not stay on the escargot. Either it's the plate or spoon or bread problem but it was hard to get the pooled sauce onto the bread. The bread is a bit sweet like milk bread but toasted on all sides. The crunch level was tolerable. I would rather have something with fluffy insides though. The boxy shape made it hard to dip into the dish and hard to balance the escargot. Not impressed. Lobster noodle My friend said this is a fancy Indomie. I was surprised by the portion considering the server said it's filling and they're charging $36. The size literally feels like a packet of instant noodles. Since the noodles stick to each other, whenever I grab some for my plate, I feel like I'm pulling up 2/3 of the order. There were a handful of small pieces of lobster. The quantity is on the lower end of tolerable. The problem is how tasteless the lobster was. The sauce is very very peppery which I do like. My friend found it a bit too spicy. I don't like how thick the sauce is. It's an obvious goopy coat. It didn't feel too oily at least. Corn fritters I was most interested in this before and after the meal. It's like a thick chip with corn scattered around. The batter flavor is very south east Asian where it is sweet and umami. The crunch isn't too hard and the thicker parts weren't doughy. It didn't feel too oily either. Banana sundae My friend wanted this dessert for the ube ice cream. But honestly the other issue is that I wasn't full from eating the stuff above. Not satisfied after dessert either. Problem is dessert didn't taste good. Ube ice cream could have stronger flavor. Banana had a thin layer of torched sugar but the layer was too thin to create any crunch. The caramel flavor was very mild. Banana cake was dry and stodgy and underseasoned. I'm frustrated how this place has certain flavors that are quite interesting and attractive yet the rest of the core ingredients have big issues that drags the overall experience down. I don't really get their basis for acting so upscale. My friend was running 10min late so I notified them in advance. Their response was we had to end our meal after 1.5hr which is when the next table is coming. It's a fair request but reality was no one came after our table. We were actively eating and ended up staying past their requested leave time. I didn't like how the lights dimmed ~7pm. First of all it was still very bright out. Second of all I don't like seeing the lighting change mid meal. Third of all I just don't like dim environments. Service was alright. They were diligent about filling our cups. I like how they didn't check in on us frequently.

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3.5/5 The lobster noodle and ube ice cream with banana bread dessert were incredible! The noodles were very creamy, good amount of lobster, and flavored very deliciously. I would come back just for the ice cream, the combination with the caramelized banana, graham crackers, etc. this is a must try. The low rating is mainly because of the eggplant. It was undercooked and lacked flavor. Pretty disappointing for one of their only vegetarian dishes. The satay and corn fritters were okay, but nothing special.

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We went for a friend's birthday and although pricy, definitely worth it. The pork and chicken satay were both delicious. I highly recommend the mango salad and the new tomato salad. Both light and refreshing. We got the lobster noodles and they were delicious, but very rich. I would suggest the duck as well. The chocolate dessert was really good and they brought out a candle as well. Overall a good experience.

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Fantastic and Surprising tastes… Perfectly cooked. Even Desserts as good as the rest :) Super nice and professional service !!! Amazing organisation on such a busy night. I do recommend them with all my ❤️ On a very short visit we went there 2 times (and we canceled other place just to be back! ) Thank you !

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It lived up to the hype. I made reservations and was seated promptly upon arrival. The decor is lovely, they do have some strong scents in the front, I have asthma but didn't have any issues but everyone has different sensitivity and threshold. I really enjoyed Wayans unique drinks. The she jelly shot had south East Asian flavors and was excited so well. It felt like the menu was curated well with a great balance of choices and flavors. The appetizer sashimi was my favorite and also the table's favorite. The crispy pork was a close second. Excited to come back and explore even more of the menu because everything we tried was delicious.

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Mango salad, spring rolls, pork ribs, duck and the lamb chops were so memorable and tasty! Would definitely recommend those dishes!

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In two words - tasty flavors! 😋🥰 Cosy restaurant with excellent food. New exiting combinations, all of them perfectly combined. We had the scallops, lamb and pork satay - all of them yummy, the hiramasa sashimi was so good, the lobster noodles were incredibly delicious (make sure to order) and the steamed black Sea bass blew us of our chairs. Don’t miss out - make sure to visit.

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4.5 overall. The food was great, but the portions are small and the prices are not cheap. The interior is nicely decorated and they have a cool outdoor space. Our waiter, Gunner, was friendly and knowledgeable. As a group of four, we ordered 2 corn fritters (they are big so we split them in half), the trio of satays (chicken, scallop and chickpea), the sugar snap peas, grilled branzino, duck curry, lobster noodles and nasi goreng. Everything was delicious but the standouts were the corn fritters, chicken and scallop satay, duck and lobster noodles (creamy black pepper sauce). The corn fritter was light and flavorful and the satays were delicious. I am not a big scallop fan but I loved these, the scallops were cooked perfectly and came in what I would describe as a beurre blanc. The chickpea satay was enjoyable, but the chicken (amazing peanut sauce) and scallop were far superior. The branzino was cooked perfectly and had a light sauce underneath it with asparagus which we liked alot. The snap peas were tasty, but nothing to write home about. The nasi goreng was enjoyable but made better by adding the hot sauce on the table to it. The lobster noodles were very good though a bit heavy. The duck was cooked perfectly and the sauce it came with was addictive. We all left feeling satiated and enjoyed the meal and ambiance. I would recommend it and would go back with the caveat that it can be pricey as you have to order alot of dishes to feel full.

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Visited Wayan on a busy Friday night and I was so impressed with everything. My friend was running 30 minutes behind on our reservation, and they still were able to seat us inside, and we were sat with such a gem of a server! He was so thoughtful and had great suggestions! The restaurant is on the pricier side with small portions, but it's backed up with great flavors! We really loved the veggie spring rolls and of course the lobster noodles. We had a few different cocktails throughout the evening and all were very good. The shrimp skewers were lacking something for me, but we really enjoyed the scallop skewers! I would come back with a larger group so I could try a bit of everything! One important note, if you're vegan this is a hard restaurant to eat at with only about three things that you can eat. A lot of the ingredients are prepped ahead of time so even something like the chickepea and mushroom satay can't be made vegan because of the marinade. That being said, my friend ordered the roasted cauliflower and it was a beautiful dish!

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Once again Wayan wows. I come to NYC from out of town occasionally and Wayan is always on my list. The food is always excellent. This time I had what was probably the most well-prepared branzino ever. Don’t miss the corn fritter! What made the night outstanding, though, was the staff. They were the epitome of hospitality! Every one of them were professional, friendly, and helpful and set the tone for a brilliant dinner.

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I came here for my birthday and the food was amazing!! The food is French/Indonesian but I definitely felt like the Indonesian influence was the primary. My friend and I got the calamansi fizz cocktail and it was so tasty and refreshing! For small plates/sides, we got the grilled octopus and the corn fritter. I loved both of these!! The grilled octopus was the most tender octopus I've ever had. And I've never had anything like the corn fritter. It was fried and crunchy and tasted almost like a shrimp chip but with thicker batter, with nice pops of sweetness from the corn. We almost didn't order this bc it's labeled as a side, but it's so unique I feel like it needs to be more prominent on the menu. For the large plates, we ordered the lobster noodles and crescent duck. The lobster noodles were so buttery with a delicious black pepper flavor, with plenty of chunks of lobster. I thought the duck was just okay, it was a bit dry and unseasoned on its own, it really needed the sauce it came with to give it some flavor. I expected something more like a duck confit so this was a little disappointing. I'd recommend the lobster noodles if you're trying to decide! Lastly, we had the chocolate ganache for dinner and this was soooo good! It tasted like a rich dark chocolate truffle with crispy chocolate rice balls to give it a nice texture, and the coffee sauce added an additional flavor. And you wouldn't think avocado ice cream would go with this but it actually does. The whole thing tasted great and I'm not typically a dessert person. I highly recommend trying this place if you're visiting New York or planning to be in the SoHo area! It was definitely a food highlight of my trip.

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The decor and ambience here are great, very trendy and Instagram worthy. It's got an earthy, organic vibe. Service is fine, we sat at the bar and they seemed a little overwhelmed by the dinner rush. The thing I can't get past are the prices and small servings. Examples: Satays (skewers) are $12 for three tiny skewers, and I mean tiny. They tasted...fine? The dipping sauces were rather uninspired. Vegetable spring rolls are $16. You get two skinny long spring rolls that are barely filled, mostly with some limp mushrooms inside. Lobster noodles: $36. A small bowl of ramen-like noodles with perhaps three pinky-size pieces of lobster. The sauce overpowered the lobster entirely and drowned everything out. The $9 corn fritter was our favorite thing, but the dipping sauce was meh and overall the fritter was forgettable. Overall unimpressive food and value.

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Deliciously overpriced, but it's SOHO, so what did I expect? Flavors were on point and I left surprisingly full. The ambience is dark and moody, and not too loud, so it seems like a perfect date spot. Although, the front of the house is a bit small and perhaps cramped. Lamb satays ($18 for five skewers) - overpriced for the portion size, but literally the juiciest, most succulent lamb I've eaten in my entire life. Buttery, smoky, and slightly herby (shiso?). Absolutely divine with the pungent, sweet, and citrusy onion/pickled pepper/lime dipping sauce. Lobster noodles: deceptively filling and so good that it should be illegal. The creamy black pepper sauce was aromatic, slightly spicy, and chockful of umami. The egg noodles were super chewy and absolutely soaked with sauce. They were surprisingly generous with the lobster as well, but it felt a little overpowered by the strong flavors at times. Crispy pork ribs - super rich, meaty, and melt-in-you-mouth, but a bit monotone in flavor; I would've liked a piquant sauce.

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Great mixup of SE Asian cuisine. Beautifully executed. I cook a lot of duck, and I must say their’s was some of the best I’ve eaten. Outstanding service as well. Waitress gave us some helpful food suggestions for our trip to Vietnam next month. We’ll be back.

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Perfect spot for catching up with friends, date night, or small celebrations! Came by with a good friend on a Tuesday night, & we were super satisfied with the food and ambiance at Wayan! Reservations are highly recommended - it filled up quickly even on a Tuesday. Our waitress recommended about 2-3 plates per person, so we decided on the pork satay, escargot rendang, octopus a la plancha, and lobster noodles. This was really the perfect amount of food for the 2 of us. The pork satay comes with 5 skewers and was really tasty. Picklrd radish and kecap manis made for the perfect pairing with the pork. Octopus was tasty as well, and the sweet chili sauce that it comes with had flavors that reminded me of tom yum. Escargot rendang was the one that I looked forward to but was a bit disappointed by. The lobster noodles were definitely my favorite of the night - highly recommend getting this! Wavy noodles were accompanied by healthy portions of lobster and a really delicious black pepper butter sauce. The drinks here are SO strong which also explains why they're on the pricier side. We couldn't finish our drinks - half was more than enough. Desserts here are a MUST. Get the pandan custard!! It is so silky & smooth, & the passionfruit provides the perfect tartness. We also really enjoyed the banana sundae and the ube ice cream that comes with it. Wayan is definitely a bit on the pricey side considering the portion sizes. Our bill came out to ~$210 after tax and tip. But it's worth a try!

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Pro tip to make reservations (pro tip for the rest of NY restaurants in general). Ambiance is intimate, small groups under 4 fits comfortably. Shared dishes/family style. Small portions are 100% worth it. 3 meat skewers - lamb, shrimp, scallops. Every bite paired with the sauces were enjoyable. Lobster Noodles - WOW!! The spices with the consistency of noodles- just wow. Ribs - best part of the night. Meat slides right off the bone. Sauce was perfect pairing. Server was awesome. The whole team checked in on us several times through the dinner.

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I had high expectations for this restaurant, and I won't say that it disappointed, but it it wasn't all that great for the price point. I had a party of 9 and it totaled around $160 per person - although there was a very hefty amount of food, the overall experience was not worth the price. Our servers barely spoke and there was slight miscommunication at serval points. Our food was also very oddly paced - we would go 30-40 minutes without food then all of a sudden 3 main course would come out back to back. The pork ribs and octopus lack flavor but are cooked pretty well otherwise. Wouldn't recommend the pork or lamb satays, they were quite dry. The yellowtail tartare is very fresh with floral notes, which is pretty unique and enjoyable. The lobster noodles are very flavorful and the corn fritters are very crispy and well made. Would absolutely recommend the banana sundae and the passion fruit pandan custard - definitely were highlights of the meal and i would probably buy them separately if I could. Love the atmosphere of the restaurant! Very ambient with beautiful Indonesian inspired decor.

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Fun ambiance, beautiful decor, great service, and a unique Asian fusion that I have never experienced before. This is a restaurant that I highly recommend going to but be sure to make reservations in advance! My friends and I ordered an array of food to share. Not one thing went to waste! We ordered the Hiramasa sashimi, pomelo and cucumber salad, lobster noodles, peekytoe crab fried rice, crescent duck, layered cabbage, and pandan custard with a scoop of ube ice cream. The dishes I would order again were the sashimi, lobster noodles, and duck! Chefs kiss and I wouldn't change a single thing. The drinks were very unique with a fun twist on an Asian cocktail. I will definitely return and visit the sister restaurant!

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The ambience was very cozy, even outdoors on a cold winter day. The servers did their best to help us feel warm, including moving some space heaters closer to us when other tables weren't occupied. However, it would have been even nicer if they had had more or larger space heaters to begin with. Food was small portioned for the price, but all very delicious. The standout of the night were the lobster noodles --it was a huge hit with everyone at the table and I would go back again just for that dish. Other solid dishes we ordered: - Cauliflower plate - Chicken satays - Avocado salad starter - Steamed black bass - Layered cabbage (this wasn't my favorite since it was a bit sour, but still solid and a top favorite for others at the table)

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they were so good, and i am still craving them. everything was really good though, and i thought it was an interesting combo (french and indonesian). it is a little more on the expensive side though

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Nice ambiance and cool menu. Food is good but pricey for what you get. The lobster noodles were the star of the show! Scallop skewers were also great.

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Maybe the vibes were off, maybe it was me, but this was not it. The only good things about this night was the waitress! She was spot on! Where do I start. I made this reservation a month ago. I received a text to confirm my reservation and then following that I was told we were going to have to sit outside. Okay, fine, however their set-up in this winter was not up to par. I was sat right next to the door, so they kept opening it up, making the whole night very uncomfortable. We were freezing!! It was like I was in the tundra. Our silverware was so cold, that it made our food cold/unpleasant to eat. The grouped too many people in a small tent, with no heat, no space to put their belongings, and small kid seats lol. Every single person asked if they could move tables and they were told that only reservations had inside seating. Weird, because I had one... Now with the food. We started the two satays. The chickpea and scallops. The chickpea looked like a churro, but reminded me of a tamale. This was honestly pretty good. The scallop was fine, kinda felt a little undercooked, but the sauce was really good. We also got the Nasi Goreng (rice) and the corn fritters. Probably the safest thing on the menu, pretty good. I must say that the corn is a must have! As our mains we both opted for the noodles, lobster/veggie (not on the menu). If i'm going to be honest, the noodles weren't my favorite. Both were just fine. Ultimately our meal wasn't very satisfying and we were left hungry after. For dessert, we choose the Padan Custard. Now that was bomb. Will I be back... no. Pretty pricey and very underwhelming.

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An amazing drink menu with unique delicious drinks!

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Very chic ambiance and an innovative way to enjoy Indonesian cuisine. Went here with some friends and had a great time. Drinks were over priced but tasty. Food is all SHARABLE. Please do not make the mistake of ordering one time per person this is family style. All the food is very rich and heavy. Service is quick but has the vibe of a nice long dinner. A bit too loud for a date spot unless you reserve a corner table. There always is a wait so make sure to make a reservation.

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We enjoyed our cocktails (especially the Kopi), devoured the small plates (the Gabo Gabo is a must), melted over the large plates (lobster noddles were *chef's kiss), and ate every last bite of our sides (gotta try the Brussel Sprouts). I recommend sitting at the Chef's counter to watch the fantastic staff work their magic, and enjoy the beautifully designed space. I went for brunch, will definitely be back for dinner.

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Wow - no words for this restaurant! We came here with a big group for a birthday brunch and it exceeded all expectations. The two waitresses were extremely friendly and attentive (I think one was named Pheobe). The food was all delicious - super unique flavors and so fresh. We tried practically everything on the menu and loved it all. Would highly recommend.

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Went during restaurant week to enjoy the 3 course prix fixe menu and we really enjoyed the experience! Loved the ambience and the servers were very friendly and helpful. Food was amazing! The sautéed shrimps and ayam goreng set were delicious and highly recommended. The sambal has a kick and had so much flavor. Service was abit slow in between courses but the good food made up for it. Great option for fusion Indonesian food in SoHo.

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