At 114 Meadow Farm Drive, Suite #100, located off of Ambassador Caffery Parkway is Nhi Taste of Asia, a pan-asian fusion restaurant that serves sushi, hibachi, bento boxes and many other treats. Two coworkers and I had visited Nhi, never having been there before and quite enjoyed the experience.
Walking into Nhi, the establishment has a grandiose feeling with opulent yet open decorations. Three large crystal chandeliers adorn the ceiling as well as a smaller rain-like chandelier in the back corner of the restaurant. There is open seating and a partition to distinguish the bar in the back from the main eating area closer to the entrance. It is also daylit which has a fresh feeling that complements the food.
The service at Nhi was kind and attentive. Our waitress was very sweet and accommodating to us reviewing, even waiting to light an entree on fire so that we could obtain the shot we needed.
When ordering food, I had purchased in total, the Crab Wontons, Bento Box and took advantage of their buy one, get one free sushi deal available on Sundays and from Tuesday through Thursday from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. With this sushi deal I ordered a Philly Roll and a Fiery Pacific Roll. For sharing, my coworkers ordered the Flaming Roll, Ragin Crunch, Lava Roll and Tiger Eye Roll.
As an appetizer, we all got the Crab Wontons. The outside was deep fried and crispy with a mildly sweet but distinct imitation crab flavor and the cream cheese included inside wasn’t too overpowering. The chili sauce that came with though was the best part as it had a zing to it without attacking your tongue.
Next out was an Osumashi, also known as a clear soup which is included in the Bento Box along with an entree of General Tao Chicken, a side salad, side of fried rice and four maki pieces of sushi. The Osumashi is a fish-based dashi broth with inclusions of scallions, mushrooms and crispy onions.
The soup in my opinion tasted similar to a gumbo broth which I wasn’t totally mad at although it was different to clear soups I’ve had in the past. I think the crispy onions accounted for this change in flavor that made it different from other clear soups I’ve had in the past. It still had a distinct umami though and was a little salty but not anything super overpowering. I finished the whole bowl.
Later in the meal came the rest of the Bento Box, which is a lot of food that justifies the $17 price tag. The General Tao chicken with broccoli had distinct orange notes and a sweet tone accompanied by some tang. The chicken arrived warm and very tender and the broccoli firm.
The side salad was probably my least favorite thing on the menu consisting of various iron-rich greens like spinach as well as tomatoes and cucumbers. I think this mainly comes down to the dressing which was sweet and thicker and is just not my personal taste. However the vegetables were firm and fresh.
With the fried rice, I noticed a maple syrup-like sweetness, which was from the combination of jasmine rice and soy sauce. I was not expecting it, but I was pleasantly surprised by the unique flavor. Inside the fried rice, there were scrambled eggs, diced carrots and scallions. Overall, it was a pretty decent fried rice, I personally would have just liked a bit more soy sauce, though I can understand not overpowering the flavors of the floral rice, veggies and egg.
Finally, in the Bento Box entree was the maki rolls of which I chose the Spicy Tuna Roll, recommended to us by our waitress as a common order amongst customers. The rolls contained cucumber and tuna wrapped in seaweed and sushi rice. Although the tuna itself was quite fresh and not spicy, the garnish Japanese 7 spice seasoning and Sriracha on top was indeed spicy.
For the first of the two sushi rolls, the Philly Roll, was probably one of if not my favorite roll I had eaten. Although it may be simpler, containing smoked salmon, cream cheese and avocado, the smoked salmon flavor came through strong with the cream cheese following closely behind. As an avid lover of smoked salmon this roll lets the salmon shine, accompanied by the cream cheese.
Next up was the Fiery Pacific Roll which, as the name implies, was a bit spicy. The roll’s interior had spicy tuna and cucumber and was topped with avocado, Japanese 7 spice seasoning and Sriracha. Like most of the other sushi rolls, the flavor wasn’t very intense and focused more on highlighting the freshness of the fish.
The overall vibe and experience at Nhi was quite good. It’s a nice environment for nicer lunches and dinners with family, coworkers or even friends.
The prices on average range from around $12-$26 with the cheapest menu item being $4 and the most expensive being $34.
If you want to pay them a visit, their hours of operation are from Friday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m and Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., excluding Mondays.
