Azia Restaurant

Minneapolis's Azia Restaurant is an Asian/Minnesota fusion restaurant that is housed with A25: Anemoni Sushi and Oyster Bar and the Caterpillar Lounge. It is a great area: close enough to downtown to be a short drive but far enough away to give you a sense of the hip Eat Street neighborhood. Azia provides valet parking or there is plenty of street parking around the corner.

Azia’s seating offers large outdoor tables on 26th Street, where many families were seated. There are also cafe tables for two on the Nicolette side. Sitting on the Nicolette side offered us a wonderful view of the people driving by and also gave us a chance to chat with people who were walking, especially those with pets. The interior of Azia is fabulous and Zen like, with rich shades of dark woods and jeweled toned furnishings. The seating is both intimate and able to accommodate larger groups. The restaurant also features a bar along one wall, complete with a waterfall and more seating. In the Kowloon Room, which connects Azia with the Caterpillar Lounge, there is an amazing semi-private seating area inside a boat. The atmosphere was extremely relaxing greatly due to the great mixture of music that was playing, including jazz, Arabian and some new Sade music.

The wait staff at Azia was impeccable, highlighting offerings in each section of the menu. For starters, the edamame, softshell crab, and a new seafood ceviche were highlighted. Under the Azia Nouveau section, the Grilled Pork Tenderloin was recommended and under the Seafood/Whole Fish & Crustacean section, the Red Snapper. Also recommended were the various sushi offerings, including the house special Chef's Select Omakase, a unique presentation of maki, nigiri and sashimi starting at $35.95. I had planned on only ordering an appetizer and a side item, however, our server did such an excellent job of explaining the menu that we decided to take the plunge with the Omakase (the Japanese word for ‘trust.’)

The wait was a little lengthy (25 minutes), but it was definitely worth it. Arriving on a large round crystal platter, we were presented with a breathtaking array of sake (salmon), shiromaguro (tuna), suzuki (striped bass) and hamachi (yellowtail) nigiri and sashimi, and a shrimp tempura-avocado-asparagus maki topped with tuna. I concentrated first on the sashimi, of which I found the sake to be the most flavorful, though all of them had a firm texture and a wonderfully mild taste. My daughter, who accompanied me, chose the maki and nigiri. We managed to finish all of the maki (which was delicious and fresh), half of the nigiri, and half of each of the different kinds of sashimi. The leftover nigiri and sashimi made a fabulous brunch the next day. During our meal we drank ice water with lemon and our bill came to just under $43.00.

If you are interested in out of this world atmosphere, Asian/Minnesota fusion flavor, an extensive sushi menu, and fabulously prepared cocktails (with two great happy hours!), the place for you is Azia Restaurant, the Caterpillar Lounge and A25: Anemonie Sushi and Oyster Bar. Itadakimasu!

SPOTLIGHT: Mixologist Brad Smith lures in the crowds with innovative and fun new drinks

Foodies know that what one has to drink with their meal is almost as important as the meal itself—it can enhance the flavor of food or complement it to enhance the overall dining experience. With the cocktail world becoming increasingly focused upon, Azia's very own Brad Smith allowed us to gain insight into the world of Mixology—and gave us samples as well!

Azia's summer menu will offer three new concotions: The Merriweather—a gin and tonic drink boasting five ingredients including shaved lime, The Dirty Pirate—a golden drink also featuring five ingredients including tequila, honey and cilantro, and a drink which has yet to be named, with six ingredients, one a secret. For anyone who is familiar with Brad Smith and his history with the Iron Bartender competition, these concoctions shouldn’t be a surprise.

Brad: I've been here for three years and when Thom [Pham - executive chef and owner] decided to add A25 in November, he needed a cocktail menu created, so he asked me. I've been “unofficially” creating drinks for regulars and I've done menus across the cities, like at Psycho Suzi's, so he approached me to do A25 with a distinctly Japanese flavor profile. From there, adding an additional bar to the two that already existed in the building, he needed somebody to take on the whole project.

HP: You never really think about who actually makes up the cocktails!

Brad: It's kind of a boom right now. A lot of places are getting into a lot of fresh ingredients. We're using juices that are not pasteurized, homemade bitters, boutique cocktails, lots of cordial liqueurs...there's this really interesting importer in Eden Prairie that's importing these apricot, pear and dark cherry liqueurs from Belgium and Germany, so it's becoming easier and easier to get your hands on a lot of these ingredients, making for much more interesting cocktails.

HP: Cilantro is a surprising ingredient...that was really cool. Is that a new fad?

Brad: I do a lot of cooking as well so I incorporate ingredients like that is natural. There's a drink on the menu right now that has paprika and some bourbon and basil, so getting the fresh flavors in with the alcohol makes for a much more rewarding experience, in my opinion. As far as a drink goes, flavors are a really subjective thing and once you try something you know what you like. You don't have to have a discerning palate to know. I mean, what is a discerning palate? It's somebody that knows what they like and isn't afraid to tell other people.

HP: The Dirty Pirate reminded me of a salsa...

Brad: For sure, for sure. That's kind of what I was thinking of, actually.

HP: What about the Iron Bartender competition you are involved in?

Brad: This is the second year that they're doing it. This year it's being held at Hell's Kitchen and the format is loosely based on Iron Chef [TV show]. There's a secret ingredient that's unveiled right at the start of the competition. There are a total of sixteen two-man teams and you have twenty minutes to build a cocktail, martini, and a shot incorporating the secret ingredient. And then there's a panel of three judges that will taste it. Each judge can award you up to one hundred points, fifty points for the flavor profile, twenty-five points for the presentation and twenty-five points for originality.

JM: And people watch you do this?

Brad: Oh, there's probably like two hundred and fifty people. It's on a stage...every seat in the house is filled, there's people standing everywhere, people cheering and going crazy. It's a show unto itself.

AZIA - 2550 Nicollet Avenue South, Mpls, MN (corner of Nicollet Avenue and 26th Street)

www.aziarestaurant.com

By Jeanette Madden