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By
Susan Reigler
sreigler@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal
This spring, Asiatique
made the move from its original St. Matthews address to new digs on
Bardstown Road's Restaurant Row. The restaurant is now nestled into a
series of rooms austerely decorated in black, white and beige spread over
several levels.
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Peppery oil set off the cool fruit in the spiced tempura scallops.
Photo by MARY ANN GERTH, The C-J
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n some, the windows
look straight into one of the old trees growing around the building, giving
the rather adventurous feeling of dining in a treehouse. Downstairs you'll
find a stylish, contemporary bar and an equally stylish, but quite cozy,
lounge furnished with soft sofas and chairs.
A friend and I had a
table closer to treehouse territory the other evening when we stopped by to
sample some of the new dishes chef/owner Peng Looi has added to his menu in
honor of the move and to enjoy some familiar Asiatique sips and bites.
Looi's dishes are still as flavorful and artfully prepared in these stylish
new surroundings as they were in the original location.
One of my favorite
flavors is ginger, a spice much in evidence on Looi's palate of Pacific Rim
seasonings. So a visit to Asiatique always begins with a ginger martini
($7) made with ginger-infused vodka, Canton ginger liqueur and a garnish of
fresh sliced ginger.
The drink made a nice
accompaniment to one of the new appetizers: spiced tempura scallops with
fruit chutney ($7.50). The fall-apart scallops had been gently coated in
tempura crumbs and fried. A peppery oil set off the cool fruit of the
chutney. Fried leeks were sprinkled on top.
Indian flavors mingled
with Chinese in another new starter, the marinated duck breast ($9). Slices
of tender duck meat were arranged on a teepee of organic greens dressed
with a balsamic and hoisin vinaigrette. The Indian touch was the papad chip
on which the other ingredients rested.
In case you were
worried, several of Asiatique's most popular starters still grace the menu,
including the woked spicy lamb in the sweet potato basket, the smoked
salmon quesadilla made with Indiana goat cheese and the char-grilled
Portobello with strawberry-garlic sauce.
Many long-standing
entrees made the move to Bardstown Road too. You'll still find the
wok-seared salmon with roasted shallot and tomato concasse (one of the
city's outstanding salmon dishes), the peppercorn ahi tuna with ginger
crisps, roasted mandarin quail served over a noodle pancake with fried
spinach (my all-time Asiatique favorite) and Angus medallions flavored with
lemongrass.
We sampled meat and
fish.
The New Zealand spring
lamb chops ($24), seasoned with a medley of herbs, are best eaten by
picking up the bones and nibbling. You'll want every scrap of the rich
meat. The lamb was served with a mix of grilled spring vegetables and a
cool Thai cucumber salad.
The shellfish
bouillabaisse ($20) enjoys some Thai inspiration too. The broth is an
aromatic (and addictive) coconut-milk-and-curry recipe in which plentiful
shrimp (tails on), mussels and scallops are packed, along with spinach and
baby carrots.
Asiatique's well-chosen
wine list includes several selections by the glass. The house white ($5) is
the very drinkable Folie a Deux Menage a Trois blanc (a blend of
chardonnay, Muscat canelli and chenin blanc) from California's Napa Valley.
It paired wonderfully with the bouillabaisse.
The Renwood Winery
zinfandel ($6) was an appropriately peppery glass to go with the lamb.
Asiatique's Pacific Rim
flavors are perhaps at their most unusually creative in the desserts (each
$6). We were fairly conservative with our selection (being too pleasantly
full from dinner to contemplate very much sweet) and shared a grilled
banana served with ginger ice cream and drizzled with a chocolate and
Kahlua sauce.
But if you are more
adventurous, consider ordering the lemongrass-scented panna cotta; the
assorted creme brulee served in saki cups; or the terrine of chocolate
ganache, butter cream and mousse, which also comes with ginger ice cream
and a fresh fruit relish.
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