NYC's Restaurant Week Served Up Asian Style
Our top picks for Asian cuisine during restaurant week
New York City foodies rejoice! Restaurant Week is upon us and there is quite an impressive lineup of prix fixe menus at over forty Asian and Asian-inspired restaurants throughout the city July 12-25. Lunch and dinner choices range from traditional fare, found at places like the Hatsuhana Sushi Restaurant and Indian hotspot Amma, to unusual Asian-fusion dishes at places like Zengo in Midtown east. Thai chicken empanadas followed by lemon grass panna cotta? Hey, we won't knock it ‘til we try it!
With such an overwhelming amount of restaurants participating, it's easy to get a little intimidated by this week-long, city-wide food fest. Luckily, we have broken down the Asian restaurants worth checking out.
Lunch is $25.07 and dinner is $35.00 at all participating restaurants, so there is no better time to try out that fancy Thai place you have always wanted to go to or taste a world famous chef's sushi.
It's too hot to cook anyway, right?
Asian Fusion Restaurants:
Ajna Bar (Meatpacking District, dinner/sun dinner) Celebrity Chef Hung Huynh of Top Chef fame serves up hip Asian dishes with French influences. Go here if you're into a nightclub-like atmosphere. Their description calls the bar and lounge, "a nightlife mecca for those wishing to see and bee seen."
Asia de Cuba (Murray Hill, lunch/dinner/sun dinner) This fashionable Cuban/Asia fusion spot's menu is chock-full of inventive dishes like Cuban BBQ chicken with Thai coconut sticky rice, marinated crispy tofu with soy lime chipotle marinade, and pan seared ahi tuna with crunchy wasabi mashed potatoes. Wasabi mashed potatoes? Who knew Cuba and Asia could be such a culinary match made in heaven?
Zengo (Midtown east, lunch/dinner/sun dinner) Description says Zengo, "spins Latin-Asian ingredients into colorful, beautifully balanced dishes designed for sharing-everything from ceviches to dim sum to crispy tofu to lamb loin." Yelpers say they "Totally dig the Latin-Asian fusion concept."
Chinese Restaurants:
Chin Chin (Midtown east, lunch/dinner/sun lunch/sun dinner) One Yelper says Chin Chin is, "Probably the best gourmet Chinese food in the city!" Go here if you're in the mood for classic, traditional Chinese fine dining.
Shun Lee West (Upper west side, lunch/dinner/sun lunch/sun dinner) Shun Lee West is another great choice for traditional Chinese cuisine. Their menu features dishes such as Braised Chilean sea bass in hot bean sauce, Chan Do crispy chicken, and slippery shredded pork, to name a few.
Indian Restaurants:
Amma Restaurant (Midtown east, lunch/dinner/sun lunch/sun dinner) Time Out New York says, "Amma is the Hindi word for "mother," and if you let Mom take care of you...you'll thank her later." Plus, this traditional Indian restaurant is a fan favorite at yelp.com.
Tamarind (Gramercy/Flatiron, lunch/sun lunch) Tamarind has become one of the most popular destinations for Indian food in the city. Time Out New York says, "Fusion reigns at this bright, modern Flatiron restaurant: Even traditional coconut chutney is transformed into a mayonnaise-based dip for plump cod-and-crab cakes." Yum.
Mint (Midtown east, lunch/dinner/sun lunch/sun dinner) With a long list of tasty dishes to choose from such as, Spicy Shrimp Balchao, Saag Channa, and Lamb Boti Kabab Masala, it will be difficult to pick just one plate per course at this midtown hotspot.
Japanese Restaurants:
Hatsuhana Sushi Restaurant (Midtown east, lunch/dinner) Incredibly fresh fish, great service, and traditional presentation makes this Japanese sushi destination a New York City favorite.
Megu Midtown (Midtown east, lunch/dinner/sun dinner) Sautéed Scallops with Foie Gras Sauce, Chef's Omakase Sushi, finished with a matcha green tea crepe? Sign us up! And if you're not into sushi, the kobe beef "Kagero" Filet Steak looks pretty tasty too.
Morimoto (Meatpacking District, lunch) Ever watch Iron Chef America on the Food Network? Yeah, that Morimoto. Those who visit this famous chef's restaurant for lunch will choose from three bento boxes: grilled wagyu beef, braised black cod, or vegetarian. Each box comes with miso soup, salad, tempura, sushi, and seasonal fruit panna cotta.
Pan-Asian Restaurants:
Tao (Midtown east, lunch/dinner/sun dinner) The description says, "For a place to see and be seen, look no further. This Asian-fusion hotspot leaves no stone unturned with its menu, which covers Thai, Chinese and Japanese cuisines." Plus, this innovative, untraditional Pan-Asian restaurant is a popular destination for celebrities.
Thai Restaurants:
Kittichai (Soho, lunch/dinner/sun lunch/sun dinner) Steamed mussels in sour curry broth, braised chicken thigh in red curry with wonton noodle, bamboo shoots and choy sum, topped off with a banana spring roll with burnt honey ice cream is just one of many course combos offered in the delicious prix fix menu. Time Out New York calls this Thai staple in Soho "one of the city's finest Thai Fusion restaurants." We believe them.
Vietnamese Restaurants:
Indochine (Noho, dinner/sun dinner) This twenty-year-old Vietnamese restaurant has been known to draw in a big yuppie and celeb crowd. For those of us who don't fall into either of those categories, restaurant week is the perfect time to check this place out. One Yelper raves, "The food is amazing, the lychee martinis are deadly, the wallpaper is iconic and the people-watching is amazing." Sounds good to us!
Click here for a complete list of restaurants participating in New York City Restaurant Week. And if you find yourself salivating over any of these descriptions and menus, don't put off making that reservation because seats are sure to fill up fast!