Table 81
"Plant-based Traditional Chinese Dining Experience"
ABOUT US
Table 81 NYC is started by two Chinese girls, who have been eating together since elementary school. Disappointed by the Chinese food scene in NYC, they want to offer a different Chinese dining experience in the heart of Manhattan’s Chinatown.
Table 81 experience centers around a Chinese dining table: 8-seat, wooden, perfectly round, topped with a glass lazy susan -- exactly how dinners in China are done. We are unique in our 100% plant-based approach that incorporates traditional chinese medicine (TCM), seasonal ingredients, and chinese culture.
Our Saturday dinners feature 12-16 dishes served in family style, featuring 100% plant-based traditional Chinese ingredients such as Chinese yam, bamboo fungus, black ear mushrooms, and celtuce. All food are made from scratch, free from refined sugar, refined oil, and MSG that are commonly found in Chinese restaurants. We call it “experience” because there will be more than just food. You can expect Chinese hospitality from head to toe and to meet other interesting foodies.
Our Sunday brunches are coursed and includes wellness talk by Zoey, a registered dietitian in training. You can expect the vibe of a morning in an old Shanghainese mansion. This TCM-focued nourishing meal cannot be more different from the generic avo-toast brunches. You will be able to taste different herbs, flowers, nuts and seeds, whole grains, and many more Chinese ingredients that are central to oriental wellness philosophy. All food are 100% plant-based and mostly gluten-free.
Booking for any weekends are welcome. 8 seats for dinner; 8 seats from brunch. Please email us for inquiry. We can cater to different dietary restrictions. Why do we call ourselves Table 81? You’ll find out when you arrive. ;)
MEET THE TEAM
Zoey Gong
Food is everything for her-- taste, wellness, environment, history, and very importantly, culture. Graduated from NYU with a nutrition and public health degree with departmental honor, Zoey is passionate about offering food that is delicious, nourishing, and interesting, while preserving the cultural aspects behind it. Her Chinese background makes her food unique with the addition of Traditional Chinese Medicine philosophy and the flavor profile from the East. In China, she is a food and wellness blogger under the name “Sweet Beet Lady”; in the U.S., she has worked with Chef Russell Jackson, Osakana, Di Palo’s Fine Foods, NYU Wellness Initiative, and so on. Mostly a plant eater, she is a little bored with the chia-pudding-avo-toast-matcha trend. At this moment, with Table 81, she focus on bringing traditional Chinese ingredients to NYC, which are naturally vegan, nourishing, and unknown to many. More about her work on: https://xgong96.wixsite.com/zoeygong
Cassie Zhang
Starting off her photography career by chronicling daily life and special moments, Cassie admits that she is a “superficial” person. Her hard drives have been filled with photos ranging from landscape to portraitures, and from fashion to food. She is striving to present beauty and culture in her unique style, using her skills in photography and marketing. She has worked as the Photo Director for Baked Magazine, which named by Pinnacle as the first place for Four-year Feature Magazine of the Year. In addition to that, her fashion photography has been featured in Jerk Magazine and Féroce Magazine. Holding the title of College Photographer of the Year, Cassie has been continuing her journey in the visual and art field. Growing up in a traditional Chinese family, Cassie used to practice Calligraphy and Guzheng in her spare time. Starting her new life in NYC, Cassie decided to pick up her passion for food photography and share traditional Chinese culture to more New Yorkers. Check out her photos at: