Michael Kao's new restaurant Chia is a new pan-asian restaurant that opened three weeks ago on Bloomfield Ave just east of Fullerton.
Friends dined there last week and gave the place a great recommendation so we decided to give Chia a try. We were very pleased by our dinner.
The menu has many interesting dishes and the restaurant has a nice ambiance and good staff.
The menu is considered "Modern Chinese with Southeast Asian Influence."
It draws from many parts of Asia.
We tasted the "Japanese" Tuna Martini with spicy tuna, cucumbers, and avocado. It is topped with smelt roe and is served with a honey wasabi dipping sauce. Very pretty and very tasty.
We really liked the Roast Duck Soft Tacos with green onion, cucumber and mango salsa. This is like Chinese peaking duck, the mango salsa makes it more interesting. It is served with a very good hoisin sauce, which is found in both Chinese and Viet Namese cuisines.
For our entrees we had the Mango Chicken with peppers, snow peas, mango and a rum-garlic sauce. It is served with very tasty small grain white rice. Thailand seems to be the source of ths dish.
We also enjoyed the Kimchee Fried Rice. You may know that Kimchee is Korea's most well know food. It is basically pickled vegetables that are used in a wide range of dishes and worked very well in this fried rice dish. There is a great article on Cabbage Kimchi in the current issue of Saveur Magazine.
We are looking forward to returning to try some of the other dishes.
For wine, a white Reisling, Pinot Blanc or Gewurztraminer is the way to go. If red is your pleasure, Pinot Noir or perhaps an Aussie Shiraz would be my suggestion.
We enjoyed a delicious Pinot Bianco - Kellerei Cantina Terlan Vorberg Riserva.
Chia Asian Bistro
446-450 Bloomfield Ave
Montclair 07042
973 509-0799
Things to do, places to see, with food and booze
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