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Cafe Asean
Category: Restaurants Asian Fusion Asian Fusion [Edit]
117 W 10th St(between 6th Ave & Greenwich Ave)
New York, NY 10011
Neighborhood: West Village
(212) 633-0348
- Nearest Transit:
-
W 4 St (A, B, C, D, E, F, M)
14 St (1, 2, 3)
Christopher St - Sheridan Sq (1, 2)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 12 pm - 10:30 pm
Fri-Sat 12 pm - 11 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual, Intimate
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
Mark T. said: "All I can say it's goooooood. I come here for the falafel pita! So fresh, crunchy, and oh so yummy. I have not tried the other items on the menu. Next time." read more »
167 reviews for Cafe Asean
Review Highlights
"I highly recommend the clay pot rice dish."
(in 11 reviews)
"The prices are great but cash only."
(in 22 reviews)
"...to report that I have recruited many Mee Goreng followers."
(in 13 reviews)
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165 reviews in English
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Review from Ling W.
Fort Collins, CO
1/22/2012
Super cute & intimate. My friend who brought me had been here once before, which is how we decided on this place. My friend & I shared 2 appetizers & 1 entree, which we felt was the perfect amount of food for us. One of our appetizers was a fried shrimp, crab meat, & pea ball with a lemon grass dipping sauce, which was a yummy pairing. The shrimp ball was good, but it was the dipping sauce that made the whole thing special really. Another appetizer was a monk fish stir fried with peanuts to go in a lettuce wrap with fried shrimp chips, which was really yummy.
Our entree was grilled chicken on a bed of Chinese vegetables with a bowl of jasmine rice on the side. The menu description mentioned eggplant in a way that made me think it would be a significant portion of the dish but it wasn't: there was just one sad chunk of steamed eggplant that was tasteless, but the flavor & juiciness of the chicken made up for the eggplant.
We ordered sparkling sake to drink, which neither of us had before but really enjoyed. It was a really light sake flavor that was sweeter that regular sake. And bubbly of course =)
Would definitely return to try the rest of the menu & to enjoy the cozy ambiance. -
Review from Alan L.
Saint Louis, MO
1/13/2012 1 photo
3.5
I thought the food was was good, but not amazing--deserving of 3 stars. My clay pot rice dish had lots of good things in it (Chinese sausage, cilantro, etc.) but I thought the dish was just really dry. I know it was a fried rice dish but I think it just tasted like a lot of things put together in one pot and not as one cohesive dish. The rice around the edges was also a little too burnt and left a bad taste in my mouth. Also, I thought my dish was a little expensive for being fried rice....
However, the service there is great! We probably sat there for like 30-45 minutes after we were finished and the staff didn't try and usher us out the door and kept refilling our waters. So it gets an extra half star here! -
Review from Rachel H.
Portland, OR
1/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
i've been coming here for nearly 15 years (or maybe longer...definitely went during their first week open).
great vegetarian options - the mee goreng and mee rojak and the sayur campur stand out particularly, the mushroom dumpling, along with the sauteed chinese greens, outstanding. they also understand the difference between vegetarian and vegan, and many dishes on the menu that are listed with meat can be made without it. be SURE to get the black sticky rice pudding, served warm with coconut cream and bananas, mmm.
it is still unfortunately cash-only.
it's a very cozy space and i've always loved the decor. when the garden is open, it's a really surprising hidden gem - plus it doubles the seating capacity. -
Review from yuwi s.
Manhattan, NY
2/6/2012
Pretty awesome find in the West Village, which is generally much more shi shi and overpriced. This restaurant is incredibly cozy, and the food is wonderful & actually quite authentic (more than most other places anyway).
The clay pot rice is really great. Especially if you like burnt rice. Tastes like home cooking done well. The curry was good but a bit boring or at least not as well-flavored as the other things we tried. The chicken was incredibly done -- tender, flavorful, slightly crispy skin and resting on a bed of yummy greens. Super good.
The outdoor seating felt like a cozy greenhouse in the winter. It was definitely drafty, but not too cold. And they had heat lamps scattered throughout to help warm ya up. I really enjoyed the ambiance overall, loved the food, and would definitely go back! -
Review from Craig Z.
Updated - 1/3/2012
4-star to 5-star to 1-star (see my previous reviews) because I am annoyed they wouldn't accept my http://restaurant.com gift certificate last night. (I think it is almost a scam the way places like this sell them, but make it almost impossible to use them.)
I called ahead and asked if I could just show it on my phone because I don't have a printer--also, http://restaurant.com recently announced you can now do that. The person who took my reservation said yes. Once I was already there, they said no, and lied to me and said they had a deal with http://restaurants.com and needed to have the paper. Right, I'm sure this little place in the Village has a special arrangment.
It was their mistake, so they should have shown some flexibilty.2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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10/17/2011
I've been here a few times now and love it. Food is great, and they have that nice outdoor area out… Read more »
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Review from Sean C.
Tampa, FL
1/29/2012
The place has been around for 15 years and it is great! Every time I come to town, I make a point to stop by. I absolutely love bee hoon and fun see!
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Review from Wendy G.
Ama~~~~zing!!
I found a hidden gem, and fell in love with it. Cafe Asean is such a warm and cozy spot with lots of colorful lanterns flying around. Very unique and adorable decor. (check out my photos)
And the food, oh my gosh, they are like the best South Asian food that I've had for a long time.
Portions are huge, and literally any appetizers on the menu are extremely delicious. (Two of us had three appetizers: satay(chicken on skewers with peanut sauce),chien dai (crispy shrimp, crab meat and pea dumplings), and roast duck, fresh herbs and vegetables wrapped in rice paper.
I chose mee goreng (Malaysian-Indian style stir-fried egg noodles with shrimp, tofu & bean sprouts) as the entree, not as stunning as the appetizers, still really really good.
This is a South Asian food adventure that I won't forget. I will definitely take friends coming back!! (wanna try the ENTIRE menu...) -
Review from Stephanie C.
New York, NY
12/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
I bought a Bloomspot deal for $25 to earn $50 here. That goes a long way here- to cover you from app to dessert. Moreover, you can use it anytime- no Sun through Wed crap. Thus, I made a phone rez to come here for my Friday dinner date with BF, on the early side, 6-6:30. Not many people were seated at first but they started to roll in at 7 and after. DON'T let them con you to sitting in the small front area--there's a really nice heated garden in the back that I wish we were able to sit in.
The décor is really cute and lovely. It reflects the theme of the resto, which I'd say is pan Asian? There are, both in food and décor, Vietnamese (thus, French), Thai, Malaysian and Chinese influences--I esp. loved the hanging lanterns. The service was good too--really polite, prompt and made good recommendations
First off, I ordered the unique beverage of the fresh turmeric, line and honey iced tea while BF ordered a simple pot of green tea. Expect that you will taste a LOT of turmeric with this. Fortunately, I cook plenty of Burmese food with the spice so I know what the expect. I loved it- a SE Asian version of lemondade.
We ordered a side dish as our app- the garlic spring beans, which were crispy, and made fresh with hand shaved garlic- a plus. It wasn't too oily either. We then ordered two entrees to share; the whole grilled sea bass which was in a supper yummy sour/spicy/galangal sauce, and made crispy but without the excess oil ($20, most expensive thing on the menu)- only bad thing was the little bones here and there (it was mostly de-boned), and the Malaysian clay pot rice.
The latter was nothing EXTRODINARY but not bad- it was mostly rice ($14) It truly is a paella, but with bits of chicken (whatevs) chunks, and sweet Chinese sausage (yum). You can add in salted cod (dried fish, diced I presumed) but my BF scoffed at this idea. I would def have added it. The rice is just rice (but red- ish).
For dessert, we got the black sticky rice pudding with coconut, condensed milk and bananas. It was really yummy, and actually not too sweet like a lot of Asian desserts.
I would definitely return, esp since I love the area, and prices aren't bag for good fusion food that comes at pretty BIG portions for NY. -
Review from Ava R.
1/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
I'm glad I had a bloomspot deal here. After my recent trip to Rhong Tiam and my tried and true favorite Joya in Brooklyn, I wasn't too impressed with Cafe Asean. My date loved his hanger steak, but everything else was just ok.
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Review from Danielle W.
New York, NY
12/8/2011
Wow what a lovely surprise. My friend and I decided to have Vietnamese for dinner and picked this spot after hearing good things.
It was a rainy winter evening and we were seated around 6:30. The crowd was small but had started to get more and more crowded. The place was small but very intimate and cute. We ordered the shrimp and ginger scallion dumplings, which were excellent. They had a little bit of a kick if you dunked them into the dipping sauce on the side. There were about 7 in our order and the perfect amount to split and be the right full before our main entrees came out.
I ordered the Tofu stir fry with vegetables in ginger sauce. WOW- I loved it. It was delish. The tofu was cooked perfectly and the veggies were amazing, the sauce really made the dish. I highly recommend.
My friend had the noodle dish with tofu and vegetables. It looked awesome and she finished the whole thing, so...I am assuming it was also great.
Definitely going to go back- I had a lovely evening.
One point to take note: CASH ONLY! -
Review from Lindsay C.
Manhattan, NY
12/21/2011
My friend and I decided to stop in for a quick meal and were pleasantly surprised! We were seated in the outdoor "heated" area - which was very cute but our table was a little far from the heat lamps. The staff offered to move a lamp over which definitely helped warm us up. Staff were all very nice - our order was taking a bit long so when we asked the waiter, he check on it and brought out 2 beers on the house for us. The food came out literally 2 minutes later. We split the coconut chicken curry and the mee goreng - both were sooo delicious!
Cash only! -
Review from Ken D.
Clifton, NJ
11/26/2011
After shopping in the West Village, we walked over to 117 West 10th Street to try (for the 1st time) Cafe' Asean. Our decision to try Cafe' Asean was based on recent reviews.
Note: We arrived early, around 5:30PM, w/o reservations.
Pros:
An intimate, warm setting w/o frills, yet comfortable with adequate table spacing.
Our order was taken within minutes of being seated.
My wife's entree' included rice; a substantial portion which we shared.
Our selections were fresh, tasty, and obviously not pre-cooked.
Our water glasses were replenished w/o asking.
Around 6:30, all available seats were taken, a good sign.
Reasonable pricing, although portions may not satisfy the very hungry diner.
Upon asking, our Check was brought to us promptly.
Cons:
Portions could have been more substantial.
Credit Cards are not accepted.
Ownership, nor Server, did not check-in with us to ask if all was "OK".
There appeared to be only 10 tables in the restaurant's main room.
There is, however, an additional dining room which is themed like
an outdoor garden area; probably open when weather permits.
Conclusion: We plan to re-visit Cafe' Asean as this restaurant has good potential to be better than it is. -
Review from G S.
New York, NY
1/10/2012
Would've gotten 5 stars had the service been better. Very slow on a Sunday night. But they were gracious about it and comp'd us dessert.
The Mee Goreng is amazing.
They should start taking credit cards.
Great hidden gem in NYC. -
Review from John R.
New York, NY
12/29/2011
Really enjoyed the spare ribs and the green curry shrimp was excellent. The ambiance is really nice too. The server was so nice too. Enjoy!
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Review from Alexandra C.
New York, NY
10/21/2011
I am torn on how many stars to give this place..Different ratings for different dishes but 5 stars for the prices!
Started with the overly hyped calamari. This was actually the worst calarmi I've ever had. Not the thick good type. It was thinner and mostly breading with that deep fried oil taste - I didn't get any of the salt and pepper flavor. The sauce could have been great but it was super watery and didn't do anything for the clamare besides make it less crispy.
I've never had an appetizer I couldn't eat before.
Then the other app came.. The seafood dumplings. These were THE best dumplings I have ever had, I think. Perfect texture/consistency and most flavorful shrimp and chive filling with perfect ginger soy (none of that vinegar stuff) dipping sauce. Steamed too, so no oil here. 5 stars.
My laska was also delicious. Great texture and taste to the noodles, the broth was flavorful and not too overly spicy and nice amount of seafood. I'm not an expert on this dish, but definitely 4-5 stars for me.
My bf's dish was an expensive disappointment. Sea bass which lacked flavor and was too crispy and well..just blah. Served on top of even more blah string beans!
1 star here.
The jasmine rice was great and sticky rice was so-so.
Best to stick to the basics here.
I would definitely return for those dumplings!!! -
Review from Elaine T.
10/11/2011
Yum! High ratings for 1) accepts reservations, 2) good for group settings, 3) cute and cozy atmosphere, 4) $$- most dishes are $15 and under.
I highly recommend the fun see and sea bass! Delicious. Will definitely come back.
Hint: They only take cash -
Review from MichLee A.
New York, NY
12/2/2011
A place that's constantly packed usually means one of two things: (1) it's trendy, so people go to be seen or (2) the food is great. With Cafe Asean, you get both.
We ordered the pea/lobster/shrimp fritters with the delicious coconut sauce to start...mmmm...I could have had about 5 more :) For entrees, we had two of the noodle dishes (one with vermicelli-like noodles and seafood; one with flat noodles and beef), as well as one of their specials of the night (shrimp/butternut squash). Everything was sublime! -
Review from Alice C.
9/5/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Even though Cafe Asean is just slightly pricier for what it is, it still deserves 4 stars for good food and a great atmosphere.
The interior is really cute and pretty much what you think of when you imagine a West Village restaurant. It was a disgustingly muggy night, but I was still excited to sit in the cute lil garden in the back. Lighting was dim and the space was decorated with very rustic looking mirrors and whatnot. Totally makes for a cute and affordable date spot. Lucky for me, I was third-wheelin' with fellow Yelper Christine Y. and her boyfriend (after an unsuccessful attempt to get friends together for dinner), but def making a mental note to take future dates here!
Food was also tasty. I had the mee udang, which was noodles with pork belly and veggies in a spicy broth. (Can't find it on the online menu.. website is probably not updated.) Enjoyed every bite of it, and it was very filling. They were also able to accommodate my friend who wished to substitute the pork belly with veggies.
Definitely will try to come back before the end of nice summer weather, just so I can dine in the outdoor garden again!
**CASH ONLY**Listed in: Date Night!
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Review from Remy S.
Brooklyn, NY
10/10/2011
As the chilly weather starts to rear its head, my friends and I huddled into this eatery on a Thursday night for our reserved party of 5.
The environment was slightly disorienting and it became quite noisy as the tables quickly filled up. Seating is tight (tall people beware of the hanging lanterns!) and the atmosphere is very intimate. The servers are polite hustlers and they refilled our water constantly.
Appetizers:
Calamari-- salt & pepper fried rings with more batter-content than squid; the dipping sauce was an interesting (and redeeming) compliment--fishy and tangy, cilantro-y and sweet
Satay-- tender chicken with cubes of spicy pickled cucumbers served with a coconut-rich peanut dipping sauce--- a delicious recomposition of the other flavors on the menu
Main Dishes:
-Steak-- four 2 oz. strips of grilled streak atop a pile of Chinese broccoli swimming in soy-sauce; tasty but over-seasoned, will have your mouth parched and SCREAMING for hydration (I get the same feeling from eating movie-theater popcorn).
-Clay Pot Rice--reminiscent of jambalaya or paella because of its mixed nature, burnt to a crisp at the bottom (if you're into that, ask the wait staff for hot water on the side to lift it up-- porridge TA DA!)
-Green Curry Shrimp (or rather, coconut shrimp)- served in a clay pot, this dish was super rich with little contrast or balance in the flavors
-Curry Chicken- slices of chicken and potato cubes in a creamy coconut curry sauce--very similar to the green curry but the flavor is slightly more pungent. Do not attempt these dishes without rice.
Its quaint exterior and "cozy" interior can be appealing; the menu writer made an obnoxiously noticeable effort to appeal to indigenous sensibilities, but it seems like a phony reincarnation of Asian-fusion cuisine that's all over this neighborhood. Good to impress a date but it doesn't earn a second visit. -
Review from Steven T.
Staten Island, NY
Good Asian food. Pricey for the quality of food. Feels here like you're in Thailand or China somewhere.
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Review from Jess L.
10/13/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Cafe Asean is a new favorite lunch place. Their prices are really reasonable for the quantity you get, and the ambiance is very quaint and earthy. The food doesn't come out instantly, so make sure you have a good hour lunch break. Otherwise, though, the food is definitely worth the wait. There are some traditional dishes as well as some less common sounding ones -- my awesome dish had lotus root. I can't wait to go back and try more dishes!
Listed in: Lunch around NYU
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Review from Joel S.
Armonk, NY
11/10/2011
Steak is very full of flavor and spicy
All the other dishes were as good
They even have a good dark Asian beer. Only negative was cash only and awful desert. But...who needs desert when the food is so good? -
Review from Laura P.
I think perhaps I had high expectations of this place but I prefer Obao to this joint in terms of similar cuisine.
I definitely appreciate the small homey feel and eclectic local crowd. The food does taste home made which is a plus. We ordered Singaporean fried rice noodles with shrimp, Chinese sausage and vegetables, duck spring rolls and chicken curry. The flavors are there but for some reason not as good as obao. I can't pin point exactly what but some punch is missing.
I definitely want to go back and try the fish dishes there and see how that goes. Maybe I just didn't find the dish that does it for me. -
Review from Tom S.
8/11/2011
To be fair, maybe I set the bar too high for Cafe Asean. I think I had been waiting so long to eat here that too much excitement had built up. But there is still a lot to love about this place, and I will be coming back to give them another try.
First of all, I can tell that these guys know flavors. Even though I may not have cared for some of the underlying food, the sauces and the garnishes were completely out of this world. I was blown away.
For starters, I wasn't wowed by the ped muan (duck and herbs in rice paper) and the chien dai (shrimp, crab meat and pea dumplings). I thought the wonderfully-flavored duck was completely lost in too much greenery and the dumplings tasted too much like fried coating than the filling. However, the ped muan and dumplings came with a feisty garlic and chili sauce and Indonesian sweet and sauce, respectively, that added a ton of flavor.
I thought my broiled sea bass special was kind of small and a little overcooked, but it was absolutely smothered in a delicious papaya-mint-ginger relish that was probably the most flavorful garnish I've ever had.
My companion ordered the clay pot rice (sounds amazing), but was discouraged to do so by the server, who suggested that the kitchen was too busy -- bummer! She ended up with the ikan bakar (snapper) -- I enjoyed my sampling of it, and but the coconut lime sauce didn't pack nearly as much flavor. Still pretty good, though.
For dessert, the black rice pudding with coconut creme and banana slices was as delectable as it was unique.
The interior of the restaurant is richly decorated and plenty of lamps and lanterns hanging from the ceiling, but the real winner was the garden in the back with a retractable roof. Amazing setting on an unseasonably cool August evening. -
Review from Christina G.
Valley Stream, NY
12/4/2011
I went here with a $25 coupon from the deal map and took my mother out for Mother's Day and we both loved it. From the moment we arrived we were treated very courteously and given seats outside in the charming patio. Our waitress was extremely helpful and friendly and welcomed our coupon. She even told us to come again with a second one that we had. She pointed out her favorite and customer favorite dishes and was very sweet.
The food was amazing!!! Everything was fresh and flavorful! The dessert of coconut flan and fresh mango was divine.
I will definitely be returning! -
Review from Taiyo O.
8/11/2011
Lunch Special without offering any appetizer.
Weekday
The village delivery: 23 minutes
Laksa ($9.25 w/ tax) - too standard to comment but if I may...
Americanized and no heat spiciness with coconut curry broth was okay.
I definitely had better at Jaya in Chinatown with less MSG.
I would try next time, Yelp favorite, Been Hoon fried rice noodle dish.. -
Review from May L.
8/10/2011
This place gets five stars because of it's food is amazing, the atmosphere is solid, the service is wonderful, and the price is really affordable.
I am adding it to my Search for the Best Noodles. It gets the only 5 star rating thus far for it's Lhasa Noodle Soup, inching out the others, not only quality, but the overall ability to bring people here to enjoy them. It is one of the few that will not, in any way, feel scary.
The Lhasa is pretty good here. It tastes approximately like what you'd expect in Singapore. The ingredients are fresh and the flavor is wonderful. It's a little bit pricey -- relative to the other Noodle entrants. This is made up for in atmosphere.
The problem for me is that all the other stuff on the menu is fairly amazing. It's hard to choose the Lhasa Noodles in the face of their beef and fish dishes. Most of the appetizers are fairly amazing as well. Who has time for the noodles in the midst of all of this yummi-ness!!
A couple of things for those dining on the cheap. First, the Lhasa noodles are cheap relative to any of the other "entrees" as it is an appetizer. It is a full meal, so you're good with just those noodles, if you want to just check this place out.
Second, they often work with http://restaurant.com. You can get a coupon there for $25 (can't remember what the coupon costs). You just need to spend $50 in fare, which is easy to do.
Service is awesome. It's in the W Village so rainbow friendly, though the crowd is a normal, NYC mixture. They have an adorable garden area in the back with larger tables and slightly quieter than the main front dining area. Service is slightly slower in the back. On the weekends, seating for large groups can get difficult; but during the week, there is plenty of room.
Oh.. cash only!! -
Review from Jian L.
New York, NY
7/14/2011
This place is amazing !! I highly suggest the calamari and duck summer rolls as appetizers and my main dish of grilled spare ribs with coconut sauce is so delicious! Sparking sake is a great choice for summer time, I couldn't stop ordering more and more bottles! :)
Servers are sweet and attentive! !! and price is very reasonable!! -
Review from Harry K.
New York, NY
11/22/2011
Great place and interesting dishes for the right price. Location is convenient and food was delicious.
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Review from An B.
Manhattan, NY
6/29/2011
I am happy to say that when i go this little place i almost feel teleported to Asia, but more like hawker style streetfood. As a half Indo (Indonesian) i grew up eating Chicken Satay and Nasi Goreng for breakfast lunch and dinner, and "Cafe Asean" gets the flavors right and everything you order here is mighty tasty and always fresh.
My favorite is the Ikan Pangang, and the Singaporean noodles are delicious as well!!! YUMMY
And the prices are very good here! -
Review from Shweta S.
New York, NY
11/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
Adorable little seating area at the back. Friendly waiter who was more than happy to recommend menu favorites for us to order. I wasn't too impressed by the entree he recommended to me (clay pot shrimp) but the mushroom dumpling appetizer was delicious. Look for the prosecco with rambutan in the drinks menu.
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Review from Marnie B.
New York, NY
10/20/2011
I have never had a bad meal here, and the service is always friendly and attentive. The green shrimp curry is some of the best I've ever had. There ain't much to say. Oh, it's cheap!
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Review from Ashwin M.
5/7/2011
Quintessential west village restaurant scene: very small and cramped in the front room, but the back room is perfect for larger parties. Loved the atmosphere and crowd in this place, and wouldn't expect anything less knowing the neighborhood it's in.
We ordered family style and shared. Everything was fantastic. Especially recommend scallop/monkfish entree, hanger steak (very juicy and served on bed of greens) and shrimp noodles.
Only negative was somewhat spotty service, had to flag down the waiter to ask for more napkins, another drink, etc. He spilled two glasses of champagne on my friend and without us saying anything we later realized they comped about six drinks and added a free dessert so that was a VERY nice gesture :)
Verdict - not cheap by any means, but portions are pretty solid and food is very fresh. will be back for sure. great little scene, nice spot for a weekend date. -
Review from Bradley O.
Manhattan, NY
7/27/2011 1 photo
I come to this place twice a month and never disappointed by the food. The specials are made with ingredients bought locally, the food is cooked just right and really I am all about the sauces. Love me a good sauce. Oh one of my faves is clay pot rice $13.25: Malaysians style paella with chicken. mushrooms, sweet sausage and salted cod. Love it!
I will be honest the services needs a little polishing, it just seems a little difficult to figure out who your server is but the food is always served promptly.
They also have a beautiful and romantic enclosed back garden with a retracting, pitched glass roof with a big old tree growing through it. -
Review from Kristel S.
Manhattan, NY
5/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Probably my best idea on a rainy, crappy wednesday afternoon.
It was Cafe Asean or TUE, but I went with the former because of the widow seat. It's perfect for people watching and having some quality time with yourself. The place is quiet (even if it gets crowded) and the waiter---he's like a ninja. Every time you turn around you wonder, where is he? but he stops by the table every once in a while to check up on you... so you won't feel abandoned.
The food portions were not small. A good amount of rice, with slightly more meat than you need---and you reach that decision of "should I finish this? or get it to go?" it's too litte, but too much at the same time. But hey, I'm not gonna complain about extra food. I liked my kari kapitan, a mild coconut curry dish... I wish the curry were more soupy... would have been so good over my rice.
To pick up my crappy day, I got some hot sake. Maybe it took me too long to drink (i really dont think so), but it cooled down rather quickly, and it tasted a bit funky when hot. Maybe it's just the particular type of sake... but this is the first sake I wasn't a fan of.
Should be a nice place when the weather is nice, especially when the back yard is open. Still.. I dont think this place would be good if you have a party larger than 3 or 4.. it gets cramped. -
Review from Dan Q.
1/16/2011
I love it when my friends decide where to eat when I'm in town....
[ikan bakar - Lemongrass-crusted filet of snapper with coconut lime sauce
sautéed string beans]
Typically I am very very fearful of places that are 'south east asian'. Typically that means they don't know how to cook anything well and rely on lots of dishes to fill a menu.
Expectation wise, I was really like, "how good could fish be?" Their lemon grass crusted snapper was perfectly pan fried (I'm guessing east coast - good fish), but the kicker was their coconut lime sauce.
Basically their sauce was sour, but just enough to be balanced by the buttery mouth feel of coconut milk (i'm guessing.. coconut water would be a bit odd).
Even though I've only had one dish at this restaurant, I give credit to places who can be very bold on their flavors, and "tell me" why dishes are good.
If you are in nyc, its definitely worth checking out. These guys know their flavors. -
Review from Matt K.
Manhattan, NY
7/10/2011
I don't want to be throwing around a 5 star rating on my very first review - but this place is absolutely fantastic! It's right down the street from me, so I figured I'd give it a shot - being a huge Asian food buff.
First, the ambiance of the restaurant is truly remarkable. From the moment you step in, you feel like you're welcomed into someone's living room. The hanging lanterns from the ceiling are a nice touch.
We started with an appetizer, Calamari with a mango salsa. I love Calamari and I enjoy trying it at different places, and this was easily one of the best I've had that I can remember. A generous portion that was perfectly breaded, and the mango salsa was just the right amount of sweet, spicy, and tangy. It's worth getting for the salsa alone!
Everyone I was with thoroughly enjoyed their meals. I tried a bit of my friend's dish, which was a noodle/chicken dish with some other bells and whistles and a succulent peanut sauce. My dish was a masterfully crusted snapper over string beans in a coconut lime sauce. The string beans left a little to be desired, but the fish practically melted in your mouth. The sauce was excellent as well.
My experience at Cafe Asean was great, and I will definitely be back to try more dishes! -
Review from Giacomo C.
New York, NY
1/12/2011
I was there a while ago and had a blast. I sat in the outside patio, which was really cute. I had both the crispy and the steamed dumplings, which were delicious. Then I had the snapper, which was perfectly prepared. The service was attentive and not overwhelming. It wasn't too crowded, despite being a Friday evening.
Overall it was a very positive experience I would definitely go back.
Recommended. -
Review from Christi D.
Brooklyn, NY
10/6/2011
Came here for our anniversary after reading the positive reviews and seeing that they partcipate in http://restaurant.com.
WHAT WE GOT:
Zucchini blossom special appetizer - very good and loved that they served it on a bed of PURSLANE! I'd never had it before and loved it!
Fried seafood dumplings - very good
bBoad noodles w/chicken - very good
Spare rib entree - very interesting. not sure what the sauce was made from, but it seemed like pureed cashews. I liked it, my husband seemed confused by it
Hanger steak - delicious
We also ordered a bottle of the red Primitivo. For some reason, it wasn't going down as easy as wine usually goes down, though my husband didn't seem to have any problem...
So you can see that the food is above the cut. I took a star away because the noise level in the "garden" was really high and it was pretty hard to hear each other. Next time we'll stay in the inside room.
The service was very good too. -
Review from Quincy G.
Brooklyn, NY
4/7/2011
I really didn't want to have dinner out at all this week! I had just lived through an overtly boozy weekend (Too much $$$) and wanted to relax home with my make shift extra lean spaghetti with bolognese but I threw caution to the wind.
After running 5 miles and almost going into cardiac arrest, I acquiesced and met my friend here. I have to say that the place has a particular charm to it but the tables are way too close and small for someone my size and comfort...and I'm not even that large height or width, I'm only 5'11 and 190 lbs, (well I guess I do have broad shoulders..whatever my proprioception is still off after 80 lbs of weight loss! Thank you Gym!) We were squeezed between two sets of couples at the end of the restaurant and I couldn't even put my legs between the two table legs...I felt like a giant..and not in the fun way when you're at a club/bar and can see over the top of most people's heads. More like a Philistine with giant clothes and a bag that hits people as you try to squeeze by on the way to a table that looks like the one you got you're little sister for her 7th birthday.
We were seated between two sets of very slight couples, one was a woman and a man, and the woman had had way too much wine but was kind of cute until she blabbed on and on about her inability to find a decent mate. My friend was not happy at all to be sitting next to her and when we got our food and she asked about it, I thought he was going to throttle her! HAHAHAHAHA! The other couple, in which the taller girl I had almost taken out with my bag, were very nice quiet talkers, which I liked. In such a small space, I really prefer not to hear others conversations..but you really can't help it. I actually thought that they were pretty thespians at first but I guess not.
After being knocked in the back a couple of times by the Southeast Asian waiter serving the table behind me, we were able to place our order:
Chean Pai (please excuse the names, my memory is awful and I'm way too lazy to look up the menu) - which were fried dumplings with shrimp, peas, and egg I believe. They were crispy, light, and the sauce was very good....I loved these.
Duck rolls wrapped in rice paper - This was kind of like a vietnamese summer roll but with duck and alot of cilatnro/mint with a sweet and sour sauce. The duck was AMAZING! I'm typically not a duck fan as I think its tastes too buttery but this was extremely yummy! EXTREMELY.
Everything tasted so fresh and home cooked that I was almost mentally teleported back to my Village Mingala with its money tree and quaint dishes...Oh how I miss it so!!!! Ok, back to the food...
I don't remember what my friend had besides like two Sapporos (yeap he was ready for some b'ness) but it looked really good...IT kind of looked like chow fun with some vegetables and tofu...think it was the mee goreng. I didn't get to taste it because I was busy with mine and he didn't offer..for once! I selected the tofu and vegetables with noodles and a peanut lime sauce but I substituted the tofu for chicken (PROTEIN sans estrogen! GUHHH!). Not extremely complex flavors but it was all around tastey, the vegetables were steamed and fresh, the meat was grilled and yummy, the noodles were not overly done and sticky. A great simple and filling dish.....I didn't even finish it all. I gulped that all down with a pot of Jasmine tea (geez when I did become such a p*ss!)
I like the food and want to come back but the small interior really kind of turns me off..especially since I had to put my coat on outside so as not to break anyone's neck!
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