Coffeemania

Coffeemania Restaurant Review:

First off, don’t let the restaurant’s name fool you. Coffeemania is not a coffee bar. Rather, on offer is a diverse international menu with Asian twists. The gleaming wood-paneled room feels like an upscale cafeteria, maybe located in Scandinavia, perhaps somewhere in Europe. Expansive, with an open kitchen and adjacent bar seating, the place serves three meals daily with food evocative of the best of Europe with vestiges of Russia to prove its heritage. On the Russian side, the borscht, here served warm with beef, is rich and smooth. Pelmeni, Russia’s wondrous tiny dumplings, would please any Czar, past or present. But the dishes with Asian spins are a highlight. Try the tangy hamachi tartare, enlivened with yuzu crème fraîche, apple and pistachio. A lobster roll mixes in shiso, adding a green note to the crustacean. Also traveling the globe are chicken wings cooked on the Josper grill-oven from Spain and a black rice risotto made with maitake mushrooms and Parmigiano. Desserts are on full display in a case you might find in a pâtisserie in Paris. Not surprisingly, the array of coffee beverages is extensive, with an unusual halva latte presented with the artistry of the specially trained baristas. The wine list includes selections from the U.S. as well as Old World Europeans.