Forbidden City (CLOSED)

It isn’t really Chinese. It’s Japanese with a Sinophile bent. And it’s not really a restaurant. It’s more of a late-serving dim sum bar, with a hefty emphasis on sakes and fancy cocktails. Dishes like shark-fin dumplings and wasabi baby octopus come in take-a-bite-and-pass-it-on portions, and the salt-and-pepper squid—a steaming mound of it—turns into a perfect beer snack for four. Visiting DJs, scenesters and a steady projection of anime and surf movies help fill the downtime between visits from the sweet, cheery servers. Sesame balls are a weekend-only treat, but the green-tea crème brûlée is good six nights a week.