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

Spice Island Tea House

AHHHH, this weather is making me SOOOOO happyyyyyyy!!!

Can you sense my enthusiasm?  For that reason, it was irresistible for James and I to take one LOOOOOONG walk along the trails in Frick Park on Saturday.  The weather was perfect, the air was crisp, and we were motivated to walk as long as we could through the trails, despite the changes in elevation.

While walking, I received a message via Facebook from a fellow co-worker, asking my opinion of the Spice Island Tea House in Oakland - rarely do I ever venture into Oakland (I did not attend Pitt - Penn State was my homeland), so I had never been, but I figured that James had.  I asked his opinion, and it was positive, so I relayed it to my co-worker friend.

I guess the positive thoughts on the place stuck in James's head, because he suggested going there for a late lunch.  We had walked 4.7 miles, up and down many steep hills, and were famished.  I agreed to go on one condition - he had to drive us there, as I had driven my car to Frick Park.

Oakland is foreign territory to me.

Spice Island Tea House

We found a spot right near Spice Island, luckily, and once we arrived at the restaurant, we were immediately seated at a table for two.  The place was small, but 3/4 full of people, with lively conversations taking place in all corners.  We ordered the house iced tea to drink, which today was oolong:

Oolong Iced Tea

I had no idea what to order.  I had thought about the Pad Thai, but I also thought that I should venture outside of my comfort zone.  I left the ordering up to James, who ordered for himself - oh, guess what? - PAD THAI (he claims it as his favorite Pad Thai in the city):

Pad Thai 

For me, he ordered the Five Spice Chicken, with Coconut Jasmine Rice (which is $1 extra as a substitute for steamed rice), which was also accompanied by the Soup of the Day, :

Burmese Hiringa with Tilapia Soup

Five Spice Chicken

James's Pad Thai was fantastic.  I can see why he claims it as his favorite - I haven't had Pad Thai at many restaurants around town, but this was GREAT Pad Thai.  Best I've had, for sure.

My dish was good - not very adventurous, by my standards.  As I cut into the chicken, the skin immediately separated from the meat.  If the chicken had five spices, I could not identify any of them, but it had flavor.  I mentioned to James on the way home that if my dad (the non-adventurous one) had been forced to eat at Spice Island Tea House, I would recommend that dish to him, since it was similar to barbecued chicken.  The Coconut Jasmine Rice was definitely worth the extra dollar - much more flavor than boring old steamed rice, but not so much to overpower the flavor of the chicken.  I especially liked the crispy fried onions that adorned the top of the mound of rice.  On the side of all of this were two small samoosas, and I gave one to James (awww, I'm so sweet!)

Speaking of sweet, at this point we were presented with the choice of dessert or no dessert - so we compromised and decided to share a dessert - Fried Banana...

Fried Banana

...with a side of Coconut Ice Cream (which the waitress forget to bring with the banana - and we crushed the banana before she made it back out, hence the separate pictures):

Dave & Andy's Coconut Ice Cream

Well, I mentioned that we crushed the banana - SO yummy - and the coconut ice cream (from Dave & Andy's up the street, by the way) was TO DIE for.  Dessert is a must-do at Spice Island.

With full bellies, we walked up the street so that I could see what this Cuban place up the street was...

The Black Bean, also on Atwood Street in Oakland

*Adds to list*

And then we walked down the street to visit Las Palmas #2, similar to the one in Brookline (maybe a bit smaller), with a taco stand outside!  SO TEMPTING, but it wasn't possible for us to fit another morsel of food into our stomachs that day :-(

Maybe I should go into Oakland more.  I'm not a traitor if I do, am I?


Spice Island Tea House
253 Atwood St.
Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (Oakland)

Website: http://www.spiceislandteahouse.com/Homepage.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spiceislandteahouse

...Tamari

Fusion.

From dictionary.com: 

adjective 8.(of food or cooking) combining usually widely differing ethnic or regional ingredients, styles, or techniques: a restaurant serving French-Thai fusion cuisine; a fusion menu.

Fusion is a fancier way of saying "combining", but fusion is much more than "combining" - it's more like "melting".  I could take a taco and put it on the same plate as sushi, but in no way would I call that fusion.  The dishes are separate, unique in their own ways.  I could put them on separate plates, and you would feel as if you were eating two totally separate dishes from two totally different cultures - putting them on the same plate masks the cultural differences.

Tamari fuses.  It does not combine.

Thanks to James, who never fails to suggest a restaurant that I will absolutely adore, I was able to have one of the most fantastic meals ever at Tamari.  Their concept is Latin American and Asian fusion - my two favorite ethnic cuisines, fused in culinary heaven.

They did not disappoint.

We decided to go the tapas route, trying to taste many different dishes, as they all sounded so appealing, and James had received so many suggestions via Twitter earlier in the week.  We started with the Ceviche, Chipotle Tuna Tartare, and two selections from their Robata Grill: Hanger Steak and Bacon & Quail Egg.

Ceviche

I was automatically enamored by this restaurant with my first bite of ceviche.

I have had many different types of ceviche from several different restaurants.  Their ceviche is served on a tostone and has a layer of yuzu crème that gives it a taste unlike that of any other ceviche I have ever consumed.  

Chipotle Tuna Tartare

The combination of tuna tartare and chipotle, in addition to yuzu crème fraiche and wasabi tobiko, dressed the tostones with which it is served well.  

Bacon and Quail Egg Robata & Hanger Steak Robata

 The Robata was mouthwateringly incredible, especially the Bacon and Quail Egg (I know, some of you are probably turned off by "quail egg", but believe me, it MELTS in your mouth).  The beef robata was tender and juicy.  At $2 each, they are well worth the price (and if you're old enough - ONLY if you're old enough - they are 1/2 price during happy hour!)

We decided to try more - the lobster macaroni and cheese, and we definitely wanted more of those robata.

Lobster Macaroni & Cheese

 Lobster macaroni and cheese definitely exceeded my expectations.  I love lobster.  I love macaroni and cheese.  Smoked gouda is a huge selling point to me when choosing a dish.  I was entranced by the - wait for it - fusion of flavors.

Sushi & Sashimi Plate

 We also ordered the sushi and sashimi plate, just because James and I are huge aficionados of both.  If you've had sushi at Nakama, or Yokoso, or - I know, convenience is of the essence - Giant Eagle, NONE of those compare to the sushi and sashimi at Tamari.  In no way did I ever question the quality of the seafood used, and the rice was perfectly cooked. 

After all of this savory food, you would think that we couldn't eat another bite - falso!  We had to at least take a peek at the dessert menu - and the thought of a churro with peanut mousse was too tempting to resist.  Of course, James and I shared the dessert instead of each getting our own (just as we did with every other dish, by the way!  That's a lot of calories!).  

Churro with Peanut Mousse & Pineapple Shooter (no alcohol in it! All fruit juices)

 Te amo, postre.  Te amo, Tamari.

As meals go, this definitely is in the top 3 - I love Latin American food, I love Asian food - and the fusion of both is a foodie favorite.  Fusion is genius.  Taking the best parts of ethnic cuisines and fusing them into culinary creations doubles the deliciousness of the cuisine.

When things are fused, they cannot be divided.  When things are combined, they can.  I will still enjoy each cuisine separately, but I will never forget how perfect they are when fused.

I also got a surprise - remember my post on Mexico Lindo, and the picture of the purse that I liked?  I now possess it, thanks to James.  Sorry to anyone who was going to buy it for me for La Navidad.  Muchas gracias, mi amigo bueno :-)

Purse made of gum wrappers from Mexico Lindo!

Tamari Restaurant

3519 Butler St.

Pittsburgh, PA 15201 (Lawrenceville)

Website: http://www.tamaripgh.com