Hot & Spicy in a Heated City

Asian Bistro is located on a busy avenue in Manhattan known not so much for its Chinese food as for its crowds, bars and multicultural clubs and friendly bakeries and eateries. Even though Chinatown is but a stone throw's away, here in this part of the west village is another world altogether.

Owner Wilson Lee re-opened Asian Bistro in October as a fine dine-in/take out restaurant and bills it as Asian fusion. But what does that really represent really? The restaurant used to house the takeout spot Fast Wok, also owned by Wilson Lee back in 1992. Before re-opening, Mr.Lee did some research and consulted with his regular customers and leaders in the community on food taste, style and décor. He finally came up with a design scheme: to simplify the décor while remaining impressive.

The result is a striking black and white motif. With ceramic tiled walls, black tables and chairs and an inviting front window table setting, and matched with exquisite white tea sets, the contrast is a perfect match. Asian Bistro can be seen as a humble eatery or a stylish bistro that goes off the beaten track. Although it's an Asian restaurant, you cannot find any traces of that except from the red awning with the name “Asian Bistro” on it. The owner eschewed the many noisy colors and traditional Chinese and Japanese paintings so as to give the impression of a new classic restaurant with a modern twist. People have been taking notice both, ordinary customers as well as the media. In October, 2009, Asian Bistro gained recognition as one of the Top 100 Chinese restaurants in USA in the category of “Top 100 Chinese/ Asian Fusion”, in the nationally distributed magazine, Chinese Restaurant News.

Fused Cuisine

Since discerning New York customers have become more demanding than ever, a single cuisine simply wouldn't satisfy them, said Mr.Lee says. They tend to seek something more exciting, something out of the ordinary. Fusion cuisine came into being roughly ten years ago and was soon found in thousands of kitchens , delivering a unique dining experience. Asian Bistro is one of these kitchens to courageously take the leap. A long list of menu items include the usual assortment of Chinese delights. Including Japanese items along with a smattering of Thai delicacies .Mr.Lee insists on simplicity;in both food and decoration. He believes, “a simple menu allows for quick and easy decision making.”

Traditional entrées, such as Chicken Broccoli and Orange Beef are covered with some very innovative dishes in the tofu series. There’s General Tso’s Tofu prepared with tofu and seasoned with General Tso’s sauce and the Chinese style Mapo Tofu. Asian Bistro’s signature dish is Hot & Spicy Tofu, served with salt, oyster sauce and a dollop of pepper sauce to enhance the strips of tofu. Customers go wild for this. The Tofu dishes are known to be healthy and loaded with  proteins and nutritious value.

A spectrum of Japanese entrees, from sushi and hand rolls to sashimi are also available. The ingredients vary from tuna, salmon, and yellowtail; to cucumber, asparagus and even sweet potatoes. The best seller is Lobster Tempura Roll, rolled with asparagus, avocado and red leaf lettuce. It's matched with tobiko and seasoned with spicy yuzu eel sauce.

In the Thai corner at Asian Bistro, Pad Thai is a big seller. Other selections include Mango Chicken and Lemongrass Duck.

An Eye on Lean Healthy Cuisine

The tofu innovations of Asian Bistro qualify for healthful adventures in the culinary realm. Of course, mostly all Japanese cuisine is considered healthy, as the ingredients are raw and fresh and rarely fried. The chefs use sweet potato to make rolls, called Sweet Potato Tempura Roll. Sweet potato is rich in Vitamin A and C, and is also a low-fat source of Vitamin E. It has been proven to have rich nutritional value. Mr. Lee was a doctor in China before starting his career in the restaurant industry. Perhaps this is why he pays special attention to health when preparing a menu.

Customer Care through Innovation

Customers can opt for different types of meal packages. In the Lunch Bento Box, there is one entrée, served with the soup of the day and fried rice. There are 12 varieties to choose from, including General Tso’s Chicken, Teriyaki Chicken, and others. For dinner, there are several delectable selections: flavor-packed dumplings, Sweet Potato Tempura rolls, Miso soup, salad and your choice of entrée chosen from the Asian entrée category on the menu.

Asian fusion, as defined by Mr. Lee is the cuisine of a region or sub-region combined with other regional dishes. To expand his fusion eatery, Mr. Lee says he will continue to create new dishes from the ever expanding horizons of Asia, and continue to experiment with various seasonings, such as tea and Chinese herbs.  

Asian Bistro's inventive chefs created Long Jing Tea Shrimp. This unique dish is flavored with first class Long Jing Tea. It is quite a taste experience, as the entrée is infused with tea flavors. It reminds one of the chocolate makers in Belgium who have tried tea flavored fillings.

It's not just the customer's health that Mr. Lee is concerned with. He is equally as passionate about giving excellent service. As a small bistro, it is easily visible and noticeable whether the restaurant is well kept or sloppy. If floors are spotty, plates or tableware worn or chipped, if the rest rooms are dirty, customers will not be handing out accolades.  One recent “mystery shopper” provided this opinion:

“The dining area was well maintained, and all of the plates and silverware were spotless. The restroom was clean and stocked with supplies.”

Mr. Lee is a forward thinking individual. He believes, “Change is what we can do to better our establishment. Whether the food is healthy or not has become an essential factor when people choose somewhere to dine. Chinese food has long been maligned as inferior food. We have to dispel the customers’ misgivings by catching up with the trends at hand. We should be alert about what's going on in the market by bringing customers more fresh and healthy choices.”

About Wilson Lee

Owner Wilson Lee was born in Fu Jian province of China and came to the USA 30 years ago. He lived in and ran a restaurant in Washington DC. Several years later, he came to New York City to manage the restaurant Fast Wok. In the 1990s, the area around the restaurant was not that crowded. The owner joked that “we could only see the trucks and railways without much business.”

Eventually, Fast Wok took part in the booming prosperity of the area and business thrived. Having witnessed the huge change taking place in the surrounding neighborhood, Mr. Lee took a chance and remodeled the restaurant, giving it a brand new image. He also gave the customers more bountiful choices in a laid back atmosphere. The change has proven to be a huge success.

In January 2009, Mr. Lee had the grand opening of Asian Bistro; complete with the traditional Chinese Lion Dance. The response by his customers has been positive, enthusiastic, and continues to grow.

Asian Bistro

Location: 70 7th Ave. New York, NY 10011-6603

Cuisine: Asian Fusion cuisine

Capacity: 30

Offers: Dine-in, Take Out, Delivery, Online Order

Signature Dishes: Hot Spicy Tofu,     

Year of establishment: 2008 

Phone: (212) 255-7385

Website: www.asianbistronyc.com