Aseoma...then Razzy Fresh

Latino/Asian fusion can be done well.  Or not.

Take Tamari.  I haven't been back in quite awhile...but I need to go back.  They do fusion so, so well.  Sushi? Ok. Tostones? Sure. Combine the two? Whoa. But it's amazing!

Aseoma on Murray Avenue in Squirrel Hill is another one of those Latino/Asian fusion restaurants that seeks to combine the two cuisines; however, they seem to lean more toward the Korean/Thai end of Asian food, rather than Japanese and Chinese.  Food Collage joined me for dinner there, since our friends, Nancy and Tom, talked it up to us.

Aseoma (bad lighting!)

I arrived at 5:55PM - the restaurant was empty.  The host (who I believe is also the owner) was on the phone at the host desk in the BACK of the restaurant...so I awkwardly waited for him to finish his conversation while I waited near the entrance.  When he was done, he asked if I was a party of 1, and I told him no, there will be 2 of us.  He told me to sit wherever I like.

I picked a 4-top so we'd have room.  Doubt that would be a problem.

Food Collage arrived not long after, and we looked over the menu, fighting the urge to keep our voices down because it was so, so quiet.  And dark.  So if my pictures look terrible...well, there's not much I could do about it.

The menu was quite diverse, and we had a hard time choosing our meals, but one thing we both agreed upon was the Deep-fried Taro, which we decided to split.  Food Collage is the one who got me hooked on taro, after all:

Deep-fried Taro

These were awesome!  Like french fries, with a subtle difference in flavor and a larger difference in texture, they were served with a condiment: sweet chili sauce.  Mmmm, love that stuff.

Unfortunately, that's about as good as it got.

I also had the Coconut Soup:

Coconut Soup

All I could taste in this soup, for the most part, was coconut and onion - and the flavors were subtle.  That was the whole problem with it - it needed more FLAVOR.  I've had thai food at The Smiling Banana Leaf, and that place has no lack of flavor whatsoever.  This soup was disappointing.

Being the Mexican food-fan that I am, a burrito sounded like something I should order, right? I chose the Fire Meat Burrito, which was served with french fries:

Fire Meat Burrito and French Fries

This had more flavor - but the flavors were....weird.  The rice was Mexican-style, the red and green peppers were very large and prominent, and...kimchi. According to the menu, this is caramelized kimchi, but it did not work well with the flavors of the peppers and rice.  As I sit here eating the leftovers, I can't help but think this was one of the worst burritos I've ever had - and I'm someone who likes unusual flavors and new combinations.

Inside of Fire Meat Burrito

The french fries?  Bad.  I'm pretty sure they were frozen fries.  I should've paid the $2.50 more to upgrade to (more) taro fries.

I probably will not return to Aseoma, unless I have a hankering for deep-fried taro.  I don't post bad reviews often, but I can't deny that this meal wasn't great.

Food Collage and I hung around talking so much after we finished our sub-par meal that we developed a hankering for something else, knowing that it was nearby - fro' yo'.  Razzy Fresh, here we come.

It's undeniable to notice how many frozen yogurt places have popped up around town lately, but it's the best concept ever - fill your dish, pay by weight.  There are healthy options, along with unhealthier ones.  Who doesn't love fro' yo'?

Great concept of Razzy Fresh

Well, perhaps the lactose-intolerant, I guess.

My fro' yo' was taro.  SHOCKING. I added popping pearls (which are fruity and fun), yogurt chips, raspberries, and blackberries:

Taro Frozen Yogurt & toppings

A perfect end to a not-so-perfect meal with fantastic company. Fro' yo' saves the day!


Aseoma
2018 Murray Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15217 (Squirrel Hill)

Website: http://www.aseoma.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Aseoma/133104136789595
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Aseoma









Razzy Fresh
1717 Murray Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15217

Website: http://www.razzyfresh.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Razzy-Fresh/117733734917057