I don’t want to spoil one of Warwick’s most delicious hidden gems, but here goes:
New Asia House at 300 Quaker Lane in Warwick.
I’ve shared this restaurant to channel 10 viewers before, and those who visited New Asia House all wrote to me, loving the recommendation. Tried and tested by everyday viewers in Rhode Island and now: a review from my plate to yours.
The most obvious thing to love about a restaurant is its food. But as you’ll read, that’s not the only reason to eat here.
I order the same plate every time: Pan Fried Noodles and something from their Chinese dim sum menu.
“Dim Sum” is sort of like the Chinese version of “tapas.” They’re small plates, many of them different types of dumplings, vegetables, meat combinations. Much of it is fried or steamed.
On their Dim Sum menu, I’ve tried:
• Roasted Pork Steam Rice Roll (my favorite)
• Crab Rangoon (my friends’ favorite)
• Siu Mai (family favorite) – steamed or pan fried dough, filled with pork, seafood, whatever
• Steamed Pork Buns
• Har Gao – steam rice-dough dumplings with shrimp
• Dumplings – shrimp and vegetable filled dumplings are the most popular.
• Fried Shrimp Balls
If you’re nervous about what to pick from a foreign list of foods, ask for the sampler plate. Better yet, ask for Yen’s pick. He’s the owner, and always knows what to choose.
Yen also always brings out Fried Wonton Chips and some duck sauce for you to enjoy while you wait for your order to come out. Sort of like the classic Bread and Butter.
But you’ll only get through a few great bites because it’s not much of a wait. Great for h’angry souls.
Here are the Pan Fried Noodles I eat every time.
It’s not the usual soft noodles, they’re fried; a little crispy, but not too much of a crunch. I like it because it doesn’t taste like noodles that become soggy if you don’t eat it fast enough.
On the top of the Pan Fried Noodles, there’s a nice sauce, and kind of like a stir fry of beef and different vegetables.
Comfort foods are a little difficult to photograph, but if could smell and taste this plate through the blog, you’d see why it’s my regular choice.
During this particular visit to New Asia House, I get adventurous — I still order my Pan Fried Noodles, but I ask for another one of Yen’s recommendation, and it’s a good one.
He chooses “American Dragon” sushi:
On the inside it’s Eel, Shrimp, and Cucumber.
On the Outside: spicy Tuna, crunch, tabiko, their special sauce.
I grew up in California, lived in Hawaii, but I’m in the minority of people who don’t go crazy for sushi. I know, shame on me.
But this combination of eel and shrimp? Oh, hand me a platter.
It’s not eel-eel per say. It’s like, the steak of the sea. Not exactly to quote Jessica Simpson who infamously called Tuna the chicken of the sea.
I take a bite and Yen delivers his promise on a good recommendation — so does his dedication sushi chef who not only makes it a delicious piece of cooking art.
The “American Dragon” sushi doesn’t taste fishy at all, which is what would repel me from sushi.
I asked what was inside the Sushi, because it wasn’t fishy and the texture didn’t freak me out. It’s just good. Seafood and sushi lovers, you’d be impressed by it too.
So beyond my taste buds’ love for this restaurant, there’s an emotional attachment to New Asia House’s menu too.
Those Pan Fried Noodles?
My aunt used to order it for me, a lot. I think it was one of her favorite plates, and so my mom always ordered that for me too.
Besides getting this dish in California, I haven’t seen Pan Fried Noodles anywhere else I’ve lived. Seeing it on the menu made me an automatic customer – especially since it tastes as great as I remember growing up and especially because it brings me back to my aunt.
I’ve gotten into the habit of doing what I can to save some of my memories with her.
If none of these orders seem your cup of tea, no worries.
Their restaurant is truly “New Asia” which means cuisine from many Asian countries, all in one restaurant. That’s a crowd pleaser if your group has different, fickle tastes.
They have a massive menu, taking you to all different parts of Asian. Chinese, Thai, and Japanese dishes are the most popular. Dim Sum and the sushi are customer favorites.
What I like about this restaurant is its great taste with comes extremely reasonable costs.
I’d even say they’re too generous with their servings which are good helping of deliciousness and value. But I hope they always keep it like that.
I leave with leftovers, full and happy, and a check that almost seems criminal. Every time.
Now, those are the basics to the review.
But here are the extras: the service.
The owner, Yen, is there 7 days a week. This is to say, every day. This restaurant and serving food to hungry customers is his unmistakable passion.
Whenever he sees me, he greets me with a “Hi Crystal!”
He learns most of his new customers by name. He’s that dedicated. And he remembers each of my coworkers and friends who came in.
There’s warmth about him. I know the joke in Rhode Island that Italian families, Jewish families — I’m missing the whole list of other families — all enjoy feeding people.
I’ll raise you; Eastern cultures enjoy feeding everyone too. Especially Yen.
He makes me smile telling me, in caring “restaurant father” kind of way, to “take one more bite” before he packs it all up for me to take on the road.
I laugh because my parents always told me that when I was young and didn’t eat much.
Yup, there was a time where I didn’t enjoy eating. What dark days.
So maybe what I said in the beginning of the post is wrong: This hidden gem of a restaurant deserves to be revealed.
Leave a comment after you visit. I’m curious what you think of the spot.
More soon,
