No....I hadn't forgotten about them. A busy summer, and that minor matter of a trip to Russia, have interrupted my schedule some, but I still have Utica's (and other places) ethnic restaurants in my sights. Last Thursday (apologies for the wait, again, a busy weekend) I hit A7 Asian, located in East Utica. This wasn't my first time to this spot, but it was my first visit back since writing restaurant reviews crept into mind. I went with my friend Mainak, a no-kiddin' Indian (he's from Kolkata, or Calcutta if you prefer the old style....not from the Cherokee tribe). I wanted to see what he thought of the Indian fare.....
.....which is one of the five types of Asian dishes on offer (the first time I went, I thought the 7 in the name referred to seven styles of cuisine, but, on closer inspection, there are only five. So, I have absolutely no idea what the title A7 Asian refers to). The other four are Chinese, Japanese, Burmese, and Thai. The actual setting doesn't look like much. Housed in a square building that, according to my parents, used to be an Italian restaurant back in the day, the place can be easy to miss, with a small, obscured sign the only indication that it's a functioning business. The interior is more akin to a deli, with simple white walls and maybe twenty sets of table and chairs (four seats to a table). If you are looking for ambiance and a romantic atmosphere, A7 probably isn't your jam. I have no truck with that, but personally it doesn't bother me and, in a way, I rather like such humble surroundings and the rather obvious hole-in-the-wall feel.
But let's get down to way we are really here. I cannot speak to the Chinese or Japanese dishes from the menu, but have sampled the other three styles. For beginners, if you like Pad Thai, than A7 is an absolute must. Its the best Pad Thai I've ever had.....and I've been to Thailand. Meat choices include chicken, beef, squid, crab, and shrimp (though the last three bump the price up $1.00, to $8.50). My first visit to A7 saw me try to just regular Pad Thai with chicken, which I gave a thumbs up, way up. This second time around the proprietor (a nice, quiet young fellow from Burma), having recognized me (unfortunately, and I think due to location, A7 doesn't seem to get may customers), suggested the Burmese Pad Thai. As for that....fantastic recommendation. Both Mainak and I fell in love with the dish. It has a very pronounced peanut-buttery flavor (for lack of a better term) which I couldn't get enough of. Mainak and I tried it with the beef, but I think with any other meat it would still go down real well.
The only other dishes I can give a rating on are both Indian: Chicken Birayni and Tikka Masala. Birayni (it can be served with other meats as well) is a rather simplistic dish of colorful rice and, in this case, a roasted piece of chicken. It seems a pretty hard thing to screw up, and I have enjoyed it both times. The chicken is tasty, not overly spiced, but not bland either. For those not in the know, Tikka Masala is some form of meat served in a creamy, spicy tomato sauce mixed with onion and pepper. Now, I like this dish quite a bit. I have only had it at A7, so have no means of comparison. Some may find the sauce a bit heavy, but I like such sauces, and it goes well with naan (Indian bread, be sure to order some, its a must at A7). Unfortunately we ran into a bit of a problem here with Mainak. Now, on the menu (Tikka Masala is listed under "Curry", and is one of the more expensive items, at $10.99) both lamb and goat are offered. Mainak was elated when he saw this, declaring goat was his favorite dish, but it was difficult to find in the States. He did say that it was common for places to put it on the menu, but just serve lamb in its place. I'm sure you can see where this is going. The Masala tasted good, but Mainak was convinced it was actually lamb, instead of the goat we ordered. The Burmese owner insisted it was in fact goat, and was apologetic. Again, there was no issue with the taste, it was very good for lamb.....its just that it wasn't goat.
For desert we tried two different items. First I ordered something called Lassi, an Indian desert drink made from yogurt mixed with pulp from fruit. I got a Mango Lassi and, yeah, its really good. You will feel like a fat mess after drinking it, but don't worry about the food guilt, Mango Lassi is where its at. As for the other desert, Indian pastries (one a mixture of chocolate and vanilla, the other pistachio), don't even bother. The owner admitted they just have it shipped from New York City, and they obviously were not fresh.
Price-wise A7 is decent, but not as cheap as the first place reviewed here, Sunny Asian. Again, the curry dishes will run you the most, but everything else falls between the $6-9 range. For the quality of the food, which, save the deserts, is very good, you really can't complain.
Now, A7 has become a firm favorite of mine, but it isn't without its faults. I find the food delicious, but the incident with the lamb/goat was disappointing. I trust Mainak's instincts on this one, he would eat goat meat often while growing up in eastern India, so I suspect that it was just lamb that we were served. Also the deserts were a 50/50 split, with the Lassi to die for, while the pastries were, well, not. In the most important categories though, A7 still scores well. Overall I enthusiastically recommend this place, just with a couple of caveats.
Score: 4.5/5
.....which is one of the five types of Asian dishes on offer (the first time I went, I thought the 7 in the name referred to seven styles of cuisine, but, on closer inspection, there are only five. So, I have absolutely no idea what the title A7 Asian refers to). The other four are Chinese, Japanese, Burmese, and Thai. The actual setting doesn't look like much. Housed in a square building that, according to my parents, used to be an Italian restaurant back in the day, the place can be easy to miss, with a small, obscured sign the only indication that it's a functioning business. The interior is more akin to a deli, with simple white walls and maybe twenty sets of table and chairs (four seats to a table). If you are looking for ambiance and a romantic atmosphere, A7 probably isn't your jam. I have no truck with that, but personally it doesn't bother me and, in a way, I rather like such humble surroundings and the rather obvious hole-in-the-wall feel.
But let's get down to way we are really here. I cannot speak to the Chinese or Japanese dishes from the menu, but have sampled the other three styles. For beginners, if you like Pad Thai, than A7 is an absolute must. Its the best Pad Thai I've ever had.....and I've been to Thailand. Meat choices include chicken, beef, squid, crab, and shrimp (though the last three bump the price up $1.00, to $8.50). My first visit to A7 saw me try to just regular Pad Thai with chicken, which I gave a thumbs up, way up. This second time around the proprietor (a nice, quiet young fellow from Burma), having recognized me (unfortunately, and I think due to location, A7 doesn't seem to get may customers), suggested the Burmese Pad Thai. As for that....fantastic recommendation. Both Mainak and I fell in love with the dish. It has a very pronounced peanut-buttery flavor (for lack of a better term) which I couldn't get enough of. Mainak and I tried it with the beef, but I think with any other meat it would still go down real well.
The only other dishes I can give a rating on are both Indian: Chicken Birayni and Tikka Masala. Birayni (it can be served with other meats as well) is a rather simplistic dish of colorful rice and, in this case, a roasted piece of chicken. It seems a pretty hard thing to screw up, and I have enjoyed it both times. The chicken is tasty, not overly spiced, but not bland either. For those not in the know, Tikka Masala is some form of meat served in a creamy, spicy tomato sauce mixed with onion and pepper. Now, I like this dish quite a bit. I have only had it at A7, so have no means of comparison. Some may find the sauce a bit heavy, but I like such sauces, and it goes well with naan (Indian bread, be sure to order some, its a must at A7). Unfortunately we ran into a bit of a problem here with Mainak. Now, on the menu (Tikka Masala is listed under "Curry", and is one of the more expensive items, at $10.99) both lamb and goat are offered. Mainak was elated when he saw this, declaring goat was his favorite dish, but it was difficult to find in the States. He did say that it was common for places to put it on the menu, but just serve lamb in its place. I'm sure you can see where this is going. The Masala tasted good, but Mainak was convinced it was actually lamb, instead of the goat we ordered. The Burmese owner insisted it was in fact goat, and was apologetic. Again, there was no issue with the taste, it was very good for lamb.....its just that it wasn't goat.
For desert we tried two different items. First I ordered something called Lassi, an Indian desert drink made from yogurt mixed with pulp from fruit. I got a Mango Lassi and, yeah, its really good. You will feel like a fat mess after drinking it, but don't worry about the food guilt, Mango Lassi is where its at. As for the other desert, Indian pastries (one a mixture of chocolate and vanilla, the other pistachio), don't even bother. The owner admitted they just have it shipped from New York City, and they obviously were not fresh.
Price-wise A7 is decent, but not as cheap as the first place reviewed here, Sunny Asian. Again, the curry dishes will run you the most, but everything else falls between the $6-9 range. For the quality of the food, which, save the deserts, is very good, you really can't complain.
Now, A7 has become a firm favorite of mine, but it isn't without its faults. I find the food delicious, but the incident with the lamb/goat was disappointing. I trust Mainak's instincts on this one, he would eat goat meat often while growing up in eastern India, so I suspect that it was just lamb that we were served. Also the deserts were a 50/50 split, with the Lassi to die for, while the pastries were, well, not. In the most important categories though, A7 still scores well. Overall I enthusiastically recommend this place, just with a couple of caveats.
Score: 4.5/5
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