You Can Enjoy A Food-Centric Party At Manhattan's Red Stixs

When I was younger, many neighborhood soirees were held at the local, high-end Chinese restaurant. They'd flash disco lights, blast music, and serve dumplings aplenty. 

The past two decades have been void of any such celebrations — at the very least, they have not been on my radar — but Red Stixs in Midtown East is looking to bring them back (for grown-ups only). 

On Thursday nights at 9:00 p.m., a high-energy dinner party — reservations only — offers a unique dinner experience courtesy of a guest DJ.

The cuisine is prepared by executive chef James "Skinny" Mei, who formerly ran the kitchen at Philippe Chow Restaurant.

Signature items include seven pounds of Peking premium duck carved tableside and served with house-made pancake and plum sauce, Beijing chicken lightly coated in a tangy sauce with sesame toasted walnuts, and crispy beef glazed in caramelized sweet tangerine-flavored chili sauce.

China sea lobster with parsley caper sauce and conch sautéed in ginger and scallion are also on that menu, along with razor clams sautéed in black bean sauce.

The Emperor's Bar is its own special menu, an "oasis" of shellfish delicacies including chilled lobster, the freshest catches of the day, the live king crab (which weighs anywhere from six to 18 pounds), and the cooked oyster served in Chinese character-engraved shells, personalized with the diner's name to take home as a souvenir.