Cafe Asean

Lovely... if you like burnt food and mice on your feet

by smithydubs at Citysearch

After a reccomendation (both personal and from a travel book) it was with excitement and interest that we visited cafe asean.

How wrong we were

Though the monkefish was delicious, the clay hot pot turned up completely burnt, so much so that a little less than half the food could not be scraped off the side of the bowl.

To add to this there were several dirty looking black mice running around the outside area of the restaurant (where we were sitting). These little fellers were scurrying around our feet grabbing dropped food and making the whole experience thouroughly unenjoyable.

At the end of the meal we complained about the burnt food and the mice. We were told this was how the dish was cooked and that it was difficult to control the mice as the terrace was outdoors. two very weak excuses in our book.

After pressing the issue the manager was called over. He offered us the bill with the clay hot pot removed (burnt problem dealt with) and the suggestion that we should move inside (his terrible attempt at dealing with the mouse problem).

We accepted the reduction in price and were please just to leave the place

In summary: A lovely setting a full of promise, but major improvements to cleanliness, attitude and attention to detail are needed.

Really Good Paella, Cute Date Spot

by nychica5 at Citysearch

My friend and I came here on a Friday night at 8pm and were seated without a wait. The restaurant is small, but not cramped. It's a cute and cozy restaurant, the perfect environment for a date! We ordered the shrimp and chive dumplings to start, which were good and a little spicy. For entrees, I ordered the Paella, which takes 20min but they inform you of the wait when you order, and my friend ordered the lemongrass chicken. My paella was amazing, it came out piping out and was perfectly seasoned. The waitstaff were attentive but not overly so. The only things I didn't like about the place were my friend's lemongrass chicken (kind of bland) and the chair (super uncomfortable).

• Pros: Paella, Ambience
• Cons: Chairs, small menu

Great Asian Tapas!

by gaiamcraft at Citysearch

I really like this little place. They have a nice outside seating area in the back, although I wish their chairs were more comfortable. The appetizers are what it really is all about. I went there with some people and we particularly liked the shrimp dumplings, the salmon spring rolls, the fried mushroom dumplings, and the calamari. You cannot beat the prices either.

• Pros: Tapas, Price

VERY disappointed

by bornandraisedherenyc at Citysearch

Cafe Asean disappointed me. The staff there were rather unpleasant despite an effort on the customer's part to be pleasant. The food is okay sometimes but it can be very variable, there are much better places, with more solid food quality, and staff that is much more pleasant than at Cafe Asean. I will not go back, I was very unhappy, particularly the attitude.

• Pros: Good location
• Cons: Unpleasant staff

Best Asian food in the area

by rbraimon at Citysearch

Picture it. St. Patricks Day, 2007. We scurried past the drunken debauchery spilling out from neighboring bars and pubs, and came upon a cute Pan-asian restaurant off a side street in the village. It was a blustery cold evening and Cafe Asean's windows were foggy and inviting. We sat near the gas heated lamps in the enclosed back patio and settled into a great meal. The Sotong calamari had a great dipping sauce and was light and crispy. Kari Kapitan (Chicken with coconut curry) was tender with a tasty sauce. Gaeng Kheow (Green Curry with shrimp and vegetables) was mildly spicy in a good way and very fresh. Salmon Goreng entree was crispy with a great pineapple curry sauce. It was later in the evening and the birthday party crowds were dispersing. Our service came from a rarest-of-rare breed of New Yorker - an optomistic and authenticaly nice waiter who actually enjoys his job. Post dinner chat was charming and refreshing. We left full, happy and eager to come back and try a few more dishes.

• Pros: Friendly, Great Food, Inexpensive, Comfortable and no attitude