Sunday, November 22, 2009

Feng Asian Bistro - Canton, CT


One of the perks of having a blog is that it eliminates the need for water cooler discussions at work. Never again will anyone pretend to act interested while you discuss at length your trip to the wallpaper store or how you foraged for mushrooms all weekend. They will have already read about it!

Last night we had a craving for sushi. Luckily for us, Feng recently opened a place in Canton so we had to check it out. Ginza has long been my favorite sushi place and Feng in Hartford rarely disappoints.

We arrived at 7:30 without a reservation to learn we were in for a 45 minute wait. No problem; it would give us time to grab a cocktail. The bar area is very small, with a 6 (or 8 seats?) seats. After a short wait, we ordered drinks…a Spellbound Petite Syrah for the Mr. and a Zen Green Tea Martini for me. I thought I was over the whole “frou-frou” martini thing until I had a sip. It had a nice mellow flavor of green tea liqueur and citrus, infused with real tea. A touch of sweetness, but not overpowering. There were a couple of interesting cocktails on the list, a nice way to start the evening.

The restaurant itself is very stylish, with a clubby feel. Be prepared, the noise level is very high, but I personally think it adds to the atmosphere. There is a separate room for the hibachi tables. One thing I love when eating out is the feeling that you've been completely transported to another place. Feng does exactly that, which really enhances the overall dining experience.

Once we were seated, we ordered sake for our meal. I tried the Ozeki Nigori and Mr. went with the Nagasaki. His was very clean with a slight hint of raspberry. Mine was crisp, with citrus notes. If you’ve never tried premium sake before, it is really worth exploring. You’ll never drink hot sake (you know, the stuff that smells like Mr. Clean) again. After perusing the menu we decided on a couple of rolls; the “Irene’s paradise”, “Angry Dragon” and a regular salmon roll.

While waiting for our rolls, I observed other dishes coming out of the kitchen. The plates were beautifully presented; the Jasmine Tea Smoked Filet Mignon seemed to be very popular. Our rolls were artfully prepared, and incredibly delicious. The “Angry Dragon” was a wonderful combination of spicy tuna, king crab, shrimp tempura and papaya. “Irene’s Paradise” was another delight, set off by a honey wasabi sauce. Both were excellent and after the first bite, we were already planning our next visit. The salmon was also some of the freshest I've ever tasted. I think we have a winner folks! Hibachi, anyone?

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