THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Asia de Cuba

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Asia de Cuba Restaurant Review:

Granted, it's a gorgeous setting in the Philippe Starck-designed room: sweeping floor-length velvet curtains, dramatic high-backed booths, and a long glass-topped communal table that emits a soft and sexy glow. Yet the chic facade quickly disassembles after imbibing the first cocktail and the often ungainly plates of food are served. Unfortunately, the large family-style servings cannot justify the high prices for the food. The dishes taste initially interesting, but they are merely cheap thrills of sweet, sour, crispy, etc. The Thai beef salad is made of beef carpaccio that pointlessly melts into the plate and is drowned under a sloppy salad, while the candy-sweet lobster pot stickers are greasy. The kitchen succeeds with a tender miso-cured butterfish, but the accompanying tempura-fried shisito peppers are cold. Cuban-spiced chicken is dry, but at least the coconut sticky rice is moist. For dessert, try the coconut-and-banana layer cake. Service is snappy and sassy--one component that is spot-on.