THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Azia Restaurant

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Azia Restaurant Restaurant Review:

A sleek, swanky Eat Street standby with a book-like menu of adventurous dishes spanning China, Vietnam, Japan and beyond, Azia is that rare restaurant that actually lives up to the hype. Owner-chef Thom Pham, one of the most hands-on restaurateurs in town, keeps close tabs on every detail of his establishment, from the dramatic dining room to the nouveau cuisine, which has a sense of fun and glamour. It’s hard to choose when dining here, which is what we like best about the place. Is the allure the terrific (and cheap) late night happy hour appetizer and drink specials? The saké list, which is the most expansive in the state? The bracing Femme Nikita cocktail, elegantly garnished with a fresh orchid? Perhaps it’s simply Pham himself, who brings an infectious joie de vivre to the cuisine and crowd alike. Snag a table by the window overlooking Nicollet---or on the sidewalk patio in nice weather---and order a starter of the addictive cranberry puffs, while soaking up the eclectic, Buddhist temple-meets-mod-nightclub vibe. There's nothing else like it in town.