Sunday, June 15, 2014

Asura Asian Bistro & Bar


235 West 35th Street
(between Seventh and Eighth Avenues)


Asura is the answer to three pressing questions that I’ve had for a very long time:

1) Where is a good place to go for dinner near Penn Station?

2) Where is a good place to go for dinner near the Javits Center?

3) Where is a good place to go for dinner near the AMC Loews 34th Street movie theater?


Asura is located on a rather seedy side street that is not trafficked much by pedestrians, and is next to (and part of) the Wyndham Hotel. The bar located at the entrance is rather deceiving as it makes the restaurant seem small as opposed to how spacious it actually is.

 
Went for their amazing happy hour special (from 5 to 9 p.m.): $4 beer; $6 wine; BOGO free cocktail; BOGO half-off special rolls. The specials are located throughout the restaurant and not only at the bar (which is good as the barstools fill up quickly with many happy happy-hour patrons).
 
At the suggestion of our waitress, we went for the Lycheetini: vodka, triple sec, and lychee juice. They fill the drink to the very tippy-top of the glass (so much so that you should not pick up the glass for fear of spillage, which I must confess is what happened to me!), so I recommend that you sip up the excess before you even dare try a toast.

 
Warning: The bartender is also very generous with the alcohol, so drink slowly and do not attempt to down the drink as if it were a shot or a glass of water.

For the rolls, we went with all of the suggestions offered by the waitress. The first plate contained the Manhattan Roll (top: shrimp tempura and cucumber, topped with spicy crunchy tuna, masago, spicy mayo, and eel sauce) and the Sakana Roll (yellowtail and avocado, topped with tuna and salmon). The Manhattan Roll was beautifully plated and the tempura was not greasy at all. Only small, minor complaint is that the shrimp came with its tail.

 
As we were still hungry, we ordered a second plate (again going with the waitress’s suggestion) consisting of the Salmon Dream Roll (spicy salmon, topped with avocado and salmon) and the Black Pepper Tuna Roll (bottom: spicy tuna, topped with avocado and black pepper tuna).


 
Of the four rolls, the Black Pepper Tuna was my favorite. I really appreciated the taste of seared tuna.

UPDATE:

Another excellent roll to order is the volcano roll (bottom roll in photo). Similar to the Black Pepper Tuna roll, but with salmon.


Not only are their rolls super tasty, their soups, are too! In particular the ramen noodle soup. The pork is delicious: sweet and the sides are seared for a crispy taste!


If you're a fan of pork, their harata bun is a must-try!

 




Pros:
Very friendly and helpful staff.
You can switch your cocktail drink choice for the BOGO free offer. We actually ended up sticking with the Lycheetini as our second drink as it was really good!


Cons:
Cell service does not work in the dining area, but there is reception at the hotel patio, which is easy to access.


 

Final Thoughts
Asura will undoubtedly become one of my new favorite dining spots, which I will be frequenting quite regularly.


Mira Sushi & Izakaya


46 West 22nd Street
(between Fifth and Sixth Avenues)
www.mirasushi.com


Dilemma! Had a lunch appointment, but I was craving both Mexican and sushi. Excellent solution to satisfying that problem is Mira Sushi in the Flatiron District.


In particular, ordering the Spicy Tuna Pizza is a must!

 
It’s guacamole, masago, kani, and furikake flakes on top of a crispy roti. Sooo good and really filling.

My dining companion ordered the beef sirloin bulgogi rice bowl lunch special. 

 
Sure, it looks like a salad, but there’s actually brown rice (it comes with white rice, but for $1 extra you may substitute with brown) in the bowl topped with beef sirloin, shitake mushrooms, sautéed vegetables, spicy bean paste, and a sunny-side up egg.

We accompanied our lunch with a teapot of Lychee Red tea, which is organic Yunnan tea with lychee, rose, and longan fruit scents.

 

 
The tea was a perfect complement to both the pizza as well as our Pinkberry dessert—yogurt mousse, lychees, blueberries, strawberry sauce, and candied orange zest. Though the yogurt and strawberry sauce were deliciously refreshing, the lychees tasted a bit sour.


Bonus: Our waitress was attentive and graciously refilled our teapot with hot water so that we could enjoy our tea without having to order another pot.


Warning: Restaurant gets crowded very quickly. Had an 11:30 a.m. lunch. The place became full in less than an hour. I cannot even imagine how busy the dinner rush must be.




Cafe Champignon: Part II


202 Seventh Avenue
(between 21st and 22nd Streets)


I am loath to discuss this gem of a restaurant again, but wanted to let frequent customers know that Café Champignon is still open. It just went through a major renovation.

It has now officially combined with what used to be its companion coffee bar next door. The coffee bar has been converted into a separate dining-room section, while what used to be the restaurant is now a bar-and-dessert area.
 
 

 
Along with retaining its former staff as well as its low-key, cozy atmosphere, the café still also offers the special of a complimentary cheese plate if you order a bottle of wine.

As it was a rather hot, summer night we ordered a bottle of the Sancerre La Craie—a dry, crisp white wine that made us feel as if we were in a bistro in Paris.




Final Thoughts
Still a favorite go-to spot for catching up with friends or relaxing alone while having a cup of coffee and dessert without feeling rushed.