A little fusion.

This past week I visited two Asian restaurants in Rockland county, both with a fusion theme one with fusion in its name. When I think of fusion I usually think of two separate cuisines coming together like using bbq short ribs in a taco, but it can also be a chef that has studied in two different disciplines merging them together to create their own unique style. Many people have their own takes on what “fusion” can mean and to some who are looking for the traditional version of a certain dish they may be disappointed. However, if you try either of these next two restaurants, I’m sure you’ll find something to your liking.

The first is a place in Valley Cottage called Asian Fusion, located at 9 Lake Ridge Plaza Rt #303 .The menu boast dishes from Japan such as sushi and Nobe Yakiudon noodle soup to Pad Thai and Thai Basil Chicken and Chinese delights such as General Tao’s Chicken or Chow Mein. There is also a hibachi option for both lunch and dinner. I went for lunch and chose the lunch box which consists of a main dish, two pieces of Shumai and three pieces of California roll , I chose Mango Chicken as my main course. To start I had the chicken lettuce wraps.

The lettuce wraps can be messy but a lot of fun to eat. I enjoyed the ones I had at Asian Fusion and found the size to be more than enough for two people. The chicken was perfectly seasoned and the lettuce nice and fresh. The lunch box gave me a way of trying multiple cuisines at once. Both the Shumai and California roll were ok, nothing out of the ordinary to make them stand out. The mango chicken had many wonderful flavors merging together to make this a dish I would order again. The slices of mango complemented the spicy peppers and the cilantro really brought it all together. I liked the atmosphere of the place and the owners are very friendly and make you feel comfortable. I would say Asian Fusion is worth a second try and hope you’ll give it a shot as well.

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The second restaurant is Grub in West Nyack. They have been opened since 2017 and have been gathering a loyal following ever since. The cuisine here is influenced by a combination of Thai, Malaysian, Indonesian, Chinese and American . This makes Grub a very unique place in Rockland County. Whenever I go I like to get spicy dishes so I’m usually ordering one of the curries, but be careful if you order it hot, you’ll get your wish. One thing I love about Asian food is that you can bring your vegetarian or vegan friends and everyone can find something they like. This time we ordered the Tofu Satay buns for the vegetarians and Thai Chili chicken wings for the carnivores. Both dishes were stellar, I’m partial to Thai Chili on anything but that sauce is amazing on chicken wings! On this night I also chose the Roti Canai, which is a Malaysian yellow curry with Indian Style “Roti” pancakes. Yellow curry isn’t the hottest curry but I had not tried this dish at Grub yet so I went for it. While I loved the taste I could have had the spice level brought up a couple notches. I also found I’d rather have rice with my curry than the pancakes. They taste delicious but it could be me, I was making a mess trying to eat the curry with them! Other dishes of the night included Pad Grapraow which is a stir fry with basil and chili and can be made with meat or vegetarian style and Nasi Goreng, stir fried rice topped with a fried egg. Everyone enjoyed their meal at Grub. If theres one problem I find with Grub is the place is to small and the ambiance is more of a cross between an ice cream parlor and a friend’s mom’s eat in kitchen. Atmosphere can be overlooked when the food is this good. So when you’re in the mood for a little spice get out and give Grub a try. Also at the end of your meal be adventurous and try one of the amazing homemade desserts like the banana fritters.

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If you have any questions or comments please drop me an email or post them in the comment box below. Thank you for stopping by, until next time Boone Appétit!