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

...NYC, Day 2, Part 3: Rayuela

For Day 1 of my New York City trip, click here.
For Day 2, Part 1, click here.
For Day 2, Part 2, click here.


I needed to find some Latino food in New York City.


If I had left New York City and NOT had any Latino food, I would have regretted it.  I mean, the Spanish language is EVERYWHERE - on storefronts, billboards, directional signs...EVERYWHERE.  In fact, look at this Pepsi ad near Times Square:

The Spanish version is bigger than the English one!  Whoa!


Anyway, as I mentioned in my last post, James and I just happened to stumble upon Rayuela while seeking out Russ & Daughters, and it was probably the best coincidence that could have occurred - I needed to find a Latino restaurant, and James had this obsession with finding razor clams somewhere (they didn't have them at Eataly).  One of the paella dishes listed on the menu that was posted outside had razor clams in it, so he was immediately sold.


It was destiny.


After all of that walking during the day, and given the fact that we didn't have a reservation at Rayuela until 9:30, we took a cab from Russ & Daughters back to the hotel...and napped.  We were exhausted, but we wanted to enjoy our meal without yawning extensively.

Sign outside Rayuela

 There was no way that we were walking back to the Lower East Side, so we took a cab to Rayuela and arrived close to our reservation time.  We were immediately seated at a table at the end of a long corner cushion.  The restaurant was not crowded, and the people closest to us were about 3 tables down, at the other end of the cushion.


I loved the atmosphere of the restaurant - they played great music, mostly instrumental versions of popular music, mixed with some salsa-type rhythms.  Candlelight was the main lighting source, some real, some battery-operated.  There were even candles within the entrance door.

Rayuela is mostly lit with candles (and the Christmas tree)

 We were served a small dinner roll before our order was taken called "pandebono", a Colombian bread made without yeast - yucca flour, masarepa, queso blanco, eggs, and sugar.  It was heavy and dense, but soft, warm, and especially tasty with the garlic and olive butter with which it was served.

Pandebono

Garlic and olive butter

To start, we ordered two different kinds of ceviche: James's choice was Hamachi: a Japanese yellowtail with grapefruit, avocado, citrus sauce, and wasabi-lemongrass foam; I chose Langosta: lobster, shrimp, avocado, cucumber, queso fresco, onions, and rocotto pepper leche de tigre.

Hamachi Ceviche

Langosta Ceviche

 I was much more satisfied with my choice, mostly because I am not a fan of the taste of grapefruit, but the yellowtail itself was pretty tasty on its own.  The langosta combined some of my favorite Latino flavors (seafood, onions, avocado), so I made the right choice.


James had to have those razor clams, so for his entree he ordered the paella that contained them - Paella de Concha, or "shellfish paella", which also included saffron rice, conch, mussels, and sepia in a lemon aiolli.  As a fan of shellfish myself, I found this paella to be an excellent choice.

Paella de Concha

I chose a different paella - Paella Verde, or "green paella".  The rice is infused with cilantro and parsley, giving it its green color, and mixed with shrimp, clams, rabbit, chicken, and finished with a tomatillo poblano chili, adding more green coloring to the dish.

Paella Verde

I chose well, as I found my paella to be just slightly tastier than James's, although his was fantastic as well. 


We asked to see the dessert menu, and it was obvious that we had to try something.  To go along with my fondness for avocados and guac, I chose the Crema de Aguacate: avocado cream with poached plum de arbol, Pedro Ximenez Sherry reduction and a chocolate tuille.

Crema de Aguacate

James chose the unusual-sounding Chocolate-Jalapeno Ice Cream.  Yeah, really.

Chocolate-Jalapeno Ice Cream

If you can believe it, the ice cream was fabulous - chocolatey, with a hint of jalapeno flavor (no heat - I think the ice cream would have melted...).  My dessert was creamy and tasty, and James especially liked the flavor of the plums in their sauce.


Overall, we both made great choices for our meals, but even more importantly, finding Rayuela by chance was a strange (yet heavenly!) coincidence.  The restaurant is exactly what we wanted - Latino with a funky twist.  In Pittsburgh, the only place that compares to this type of restaurant is Tamari, and even it is not quite to the level of Rayuela.


Tired and full, we returned to the hotel.  We had our Russ & Daughters bagel breakfast planned for the next morning, followed by adventures in Brooklyn and our culminating experience: Babbo.


Rayuela
165 Allen St.
New York, NY 10002


Website: http://www.rayuelanyc.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rayuela/120614274618344?ref=ts&sk=wall
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/RayuelaNYC

...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