THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Bia Garden

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Bia Garden Restaurant Review:

Michael Huynh’s empire has expanded to the Lower East Side with Bia Garden, his ode to al fresco drinking and dining, Southeast Asian-style. Diners may grab six- or twelve-packs of beer, and then they are charged for however many they consume. The beers themselves are quite authentic, including everything from Beer Lao to 33 and Tiger. Huynh doesn’t bother going high-end here; instead, the eats cater to the big drinker, so there’s a lot of salty, hearty fare. But the food isn’t what you’d find at a typical pub. Crispy pork belly comes with a black sesame bean curd sauce; short rib rolls come stuffed with beef and pork belly to boot. Vegetarians, though, don’t have many options---even the spicy mango salad comes with dried fish and shrimp. Either way, these snack-size servings are the restaurant’s strength; larger entrées, like a seafood hot pot with squid, shrimp and fish or crispy sole, fall flat from over-ambition. Feeling particularly brave? Order balut, an off-the-menu special that’s made from a fertilized duck embryo that’s cooked in its own yolk.