Calling all New Yorkers. I am trying to find a restaurant to celebrate my daughter’s 25th birthday in a couple of weeks. This will be for a family dinner and maybe a friend or two. Her favorites are Indian food and also Asian (Ramen, Onigiri, Udon noodle dishes). We live outside NYC so no touristy areas unless they are super fun.
I ran a yelp search but there are so many choices and I am not in the city so often these days to really know what’s good these days.
Thank you!
A young woman at that age might like the fashionable hustle and bustle at Tao:
Big, loud, fun, decent food, only slightly overpriced.
Spice Symphony for Indian food.
http://www.spicesymphony.com/
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d3603515-Reviews-Spice_Symphony-New_York_City_New_York.html
The Bao has the best soup dumplings. https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-bao-new-york It is around St. Mark’s place.
Tao is a great place for people watching, especially at the bar. It is definitely over priced for Chinese food. But what would you expect when it is right next to the Four Seasons. D1 had her 18th birthday party there with her friends.
If you like spicy Chinese then try Cafe China, http://www.cafechinanyc.com/
Korean BBQ: https://www.yelp.com/biz/dons-bogam-bbq-and-wine-bar-new-york-3?osq=korean+barbeque
It is very traditional and you see mostly Asian people there.
We love this restaurant for asian brunch: http://pigandkhao.com/
Bottomless mimosas: orange, lychee, white peach, mango for $15
If you are in the lower east side, go to The Mermaid Inn, http://www.themermaidnyc.com/ for drinks and oysters. During their happy hours, you could get $1 East Coast oysters
Select $5 beers, $7 wines and $8 cocktails
I don’t care for Indian food. 
I went here:
http://www.babujinyc.com/about/
with my daughter. Fab food. Fun atmosphere. Like a lot of NYC restaurants tiny place- you’ll get to know your neighbors. It was busy. We went midweek and got seated straight away. They take limited reservations. There are a few fun bars close by that you can wait if there is not a table available.
Highly recommend.
My “go to” in NYC for upscale Indian would be Tamarind Tribeca. Terrific food in a very elegant atmosphere. In the evening it draws a young, professional crowd. While you won’t get the party atmosphere of a Tao or Buddakan you will be able to carry on a conversation and receive attentive service.
http://www.tamarindrestaurantsnyc.com/tribeca/home.html
Edited to add: check the online menu as it is expensive for Indian, but I can tell you that you definitely do not need to order one entree per person. We always have food left over when we do.
If you’re considering sushi, we like Jewel Bako. We also like Ma Peche, which is one of David Chang’s restaurants.
^^^^ Pork Buns w/ Ssam Sauce at MaPeche, yes! But if you want to have a carnivore party, do the Bo Ssam at Momofuku.
My only recommendation (Jean Georges’ Spice Market) has closed. I have a similar aged NYC DD but she is a vegetarian so our dining options are limited. I would suggest (in addition to the great ideas you got here) to go on Thrillist (sign up for free with your email) and get some insights there. Good luck!
Thank you everyone for all the great ideas!