November 11, 2019Ambrosial Asian fare with a sublime culinary twist, and a delicious one at that.
Asia Fusion of Rochester MN
Website: Click here
Address: 2711 Commerce Dr NW, Rochester, MN 55901
Our search for delectable Asian fare brought us to a seemingly unremarkable restaurant in the Rochester MN locale. This humble Asian brasserie stands dwarfed by some of the city’s more prominent culinary contenders, yet came out strong when it comes to robust Asian flavors we find hard to resist.
Located in a strip mall on Commerce drive in Rochester, this casual eatery resonates a relaxed dining atmosphere with an open invitation for patrons to hang out and relish good food. Decor is simplistic yet quite pleasant. Main dining room dominated with tall dark tables with contrasting hued seatings. Atop are 5 signature sauces with varying degrees of spiciness and flavors that are sure to meet individual taste preferences.
Food selections accentuating Asian classics including a generous variety of appetizers, soup dishes, stir fried dishes, curry dishes, noodles and Chinese dim sum, along with a handful of duck dishes included in their offerings. Beverages include a modest selection of red and white wines, Japanese sakes, beers, soft drinks and Thai iced tea.
The place was packed at lunch time, and that’s usually a good sign. These chilly Minnesota fall days is just the perfect time to savor a delightful bowl of hot ramen. Three different ramen dishes are available, we tried the seafood and the pork rib ramen. Both dishes have a konbu and shoyu stock base with a beautiful flavor depth and the right amount of saltiness elevated with a subtle hint of sweetness. You can also taste a bit of sesame or chili oil that seems to bring all the flavors together. Noodles are perfectly al dente, veggies tasted fresh and the pork rib was extremely flavorful and fork tender. Only minor complaint was the egg does not have the runny yolk consistency typical of ramen dishes.
Korean BBQ Beef was beautifully seasoned with a soy sauce marinade that is sweet, salty and spicy. Both flavor and textural attributes are commendable, making it quite an addictive dish when served over rice. Kimchi topping has a great supporting role of bringing some acidity and crunch to bring the dish to completion.
Panang Chicken Curry was utterly spot-on as well. Tender cuts of chicken breast simmered in red curry sauce served with rice. Curry flavor was spot on and the coconut cream added a beautiful creaminess that goes perfectly well over rice. The level of spice is perfectly delightful with an optimal balance of flavor and heat.
For dessert, Mango sticky rice is an obvious choice. For those who are unfamiliar with this dessert, it is a traditional Thai dish of sliced mangoes served with glutinous (sticky) rice cooked in sweetened coconut cream or milk. We just adore this dish and order it almost each time we see it on the menu.
Here are some of the menu items we tried:
