CAFETASIA - restaurant

Cafetasia (East Village)
85 Avenue A
(bet E. 5th & 6th Street)
New York, NY 10009
Tel.212-260-8570

Sadly, there’s nothing bad I can say about Cafetasia. Not only is the food tasty and affordable and the drink list long and even more affordable but they give you little cards to collect stamps every time you spend $10. Six gets you a free meal. It reminds me some coffee shops. And rightly so, because even decor-wise Cafetasia aims at a fusion of a bostro / cafe with a trendy lounge (dim lights, little table, slick minimalism and the Asian (elements of bamboo motif and an elephant wallpaper). The food is as noveau-East-Asian as the slick decor. The pan Asian menu (how I hate thatlabel for some reason) offers many choices of small, large and really large dishes—all in a brain-numbing range of $4 - $14. The brunch menu is also available with treats like the crispy flounder with honey-teriyaki sauce ($9). (As for drinks, it’s the $4 house wine for me. And nope, it’s not a happy hour). Apparently a friend of mine has tried every single dish on the menu (and there’s plenty), and she claims every single one is good. That I still need to check. But I will surely be back to get those stamps. I still need to check out their Greenwich Village location to find something to complain about. Though, alas, unless I stumble into NYU students, I might not succeed.