Spectacular Flavors, High-Wattage Cooking, and the Invisible Front of House
Twin Tails, the upscale Southeast Asian venture by the Quality Branded team (the minds behind Bad Roman), has all the ingredients of a blockbuster. Located on the third floor of Columbus Circle, it boasts an incredibly ambitious Thai and Vietnamese-inspired menu that executes flavor profiles with dizzying brilliance.
Yet, for all the fireworks happening in the kitchen, the dining room suffers from a familiar modern ailment: a severe disconnect in service. After dining at the Golden Steer, you can definitely see different tiers of restaurant especially when it comes to service.
If you can handle a beautiful meal served with a side of profound indifference, here is what you need to know about navigating Twin Tails.
The Atmosphere: Low Lights, High Drama
The space is undeniably striking, but it relies heavily on the moody subterranean playbook. It is dark. The kind of dim lighting that forces you to rely on a prayer and an iPhone screen to differentiate your cocktail from your water glass. While it creates an undeniable sense of theater, it occasionally borders on impractical when you’re trying to appreciate the vibrant, colorful plating the kitchen sends out.
The Food: An Absolute Masterclass
Fortunately, what you can see tastes exceptional. The kitchen is firing on all cylinders, treating premium ingredients with a level of respect and culinary precision that makes every bite memorable.
The Opening Acts
Salmon Crudo: A pristine, refreshing start to the meal. Dressed elegantly with green apple, coconut, and cashews, it offers a perfect balance of clean acidity and creamy richness.
Maine Lobster Summer Rolls: Forget the uninspired lettuce-stuffed rolls you’re used to. These are packed with sweet, premium Maine lobster meat, tightly wrapped, and bursting with fresh herbs.
Chicken and Beef Satay: Beautifully charred and deeply marinated. The beef satay carries a rich black pepper punch, while the chicken remains perfectly juicy, avoiding the classic dry-skewered trap.
The Heavy Hitters (The Best of the Best)
Crispy Garlic Shrimp: Styled after the legendary Lotus of Siam, these prawns are a texture lover’s dream. The shells are fried to a shatteringly crisp perfection, heavily coated in an addictive, aromatic garlic dust.
Shaking Beef: A nod to the classic Vietnamese recipe, the cubed tenderloin collapses like butter. The wok-seared char locks in the juices, while the sweet-savory glaze hits exactly the right balance of soy, black pepper, and citrus.
Drunken Lobster Noodles: Decadent, fiery, and deeply satisfying. The pad kee mao vermicelli drinks up the smoky wok hei, while the generous heaps of lobster ensure the dish feels appropriately luxury-grade.
Grilled Branzino: A flawless seafood execution. The fish arrives with an impeccably seasoned, crispy skin concealing buttery, moist meat underneath, brightened beautifully by a sharp Mekong salsa verde.
Cho Lon Duck: The undisputed crown jewel of the night. At $95, it is a splurge, but the lacquered, crispy-skinned duck paired with rich coconut-red curry aioli and delicate silver dollar crepes is a transcendent dining experience. They prepared this dish to be instagram worthy.
The Service: The Ultimate Disappearing Act
If only the front-of-house staff shared the kitchen’s relentless work ethic. The service at Twin Tails can best be described as an exercise in patience. More like indifference.
Our server missed the vital opening move of the meal, leaving us stranded for nearly twenty minutes before asking if we even wanted a drink. Once the orders were input, the waitstaff effectively entered a witness protection program. Plates were dropped off mechanically by runners, water glasses sat empty, and trying to secure a check felt like flag-signals on a deserted island. There is an overriding sense of apathy that turns an expensive, celebratory meal into a frustratingly transactional experience. A high end restaurant should not treat its customers like this.
Twin Tails: At a Glance
| The Highs | The Lows |
| The Cho Lon Duck: A legendary preparation. | The Vanishing Act: Inattentive table maintenance. |
| Wok Precision: Flawless wok hei on the noodles. | The Opening Move: Long delays for basic drink orders. |
| Ingredient Quality: Pristine crudos and lobster. | The Dark Room: Aggressively dim lighting. |
The Verdict
Twin Tails serves up some of the most exciting, flavor-forward Thai and Vietnamese dishes in Manhattan right now, anchored by a spectacular Cho Lon Duck and a brilliant Grilled Branzino. However, the premium price tag demands premium hospitality, and right now, the detached, sluggish service isn’t matching the caliber of the kitchen. Go for the food and expect sub par service. A restaurant of this caliber should be able to do better!!
Rating: Food: 4.8/5 | Service: 2.0/5 | Atmosphere: 3.5/5