My Cup of Tea

[tommy]

returned to this byo in allendale recently.

i do enjoy this place. it's "asian-fusion," for lack of a better phrase. chinese, thai, indian, and even italian flavors all make their way to the menu. wife in the kitchen, husband running the front room. always a good sign.

apps:

spring rolls - these are fried rolls with an "italian" slant. filled with radicchio and ricotta cheese. served with 3 sauces, including a soy-based sauce, a sweet orange sauce, and a pesto. interesting, but not mind-blowing.

crispy calamari salad with lemongrass vinaigrette - this was a very large salad, and could have been an entree. it wasn't the usual "o-ring" calamari, but rather the solid tubular part of the animal that you often find at vietnamese restaurants. the calamari was lightly fried, and wonderful. the dressing was tasty enough with nice citrus overtones. went well with the sauvignon blanc that we brought along.

entrees:

indian lamb chops - 5 chops were served on the rack. they were tough to cut, but were tender afterall. i think the knives could have been a bit sharper. served over a white bean ragout, which i like very much. however, as with my previous visit, the ragout suffered from over-salting. which is a shame, because it's very good otherwise. the lamb chops were cooked perfectly to order, med-rare.

chilean sea bass, steamed cantonese style - yeah yeah, i don't usually order this fish, so put your soapboxes away. served with a *light* citrus sauce over leek and edamame. this was probably one of the healthiest things i've ever eaten. however, it lacked flavor. i think the dish would have been a lot better had the fish been seared. the steaming didn't do any favors for this near flavorless fish. the fish, however, was perfectly cooked, and had to weigh in at about 9 ounces. served with "forbidden rice," which is black rice. i don't see black rice often, but i love the texture and the nuttiness.

the service is friendly and efficient.

they offer both red and white wine glasses, which i appreciate. so many byobs have the most horrible stemware. it's a nice touch.

total before tip was about 74 if i recall.

here is their website

as an aside, they are now a proper "chinese restaurant" (operating under a different name) for take out and delivery, which a completely seperate menu. details on their website.

[ngatti]

Thanks Tommy,

I've been hearing so amny nice things about this place. This is the first detailed report I've seen from a knowledgeable diner.

"Nick"

[tommy]

This is the first detailed report I've seen from a knowledgeable diner.

"Nick"

"yeah," mrs. tommy "told me what to say."

[tommy]

reviewed in the NYT today (tomorrow?). "satisfactory." yikes.

link to follow if i can find it.

[Kim WB]

this was probably one of the healthiest things i've ever eaten.  however, it lacked flavor.

Yep, this sums it up for a lot of healthy dishes!

[tommy]

this was probably one of the healthiest things i've ever eaten.  however, it lacked flavor.

Yep, this sums it up for a lot of healthy dishes!

unforuately that's oftentimes the case. but you can coax flavor out of a piece of meat, or augment it without adding too many calories or fat.

[ngatti]

reviewed in the NYT today (tomorrow?).  "satisfactory."  yikes. 

link to follow if i can find it.

Here is the link to David Corcoran's review:

FYI: My Cup of Tea

Nick

[Rosie]

You're doing a good job Nick and I officially appoint you link master for David Corcoran's reviews! Thanks for posting.