Asia Grill & Sushi in Mansfield

Good food, good drink, good friends.  A perfect trio, and one which I had the pleasure to experience last week during my trip to the Mansfield region.  While there, I visited a restaurant new to me, the Asia Grill & Sushi, and was joined by Kristin (of The Reserve Bin), her fiancee Jack, and Amanda (The Wineing Woman).  I would stopped by there again a couple days later, happening upon Kristin and Jack at the bar.

The medium-sized restaurant has a sleek, modern look with some muted Asian decor (though plenty of non-Asian decor as well) and a large bar.  The bar serves a good variety of different cocktails, and even has a small sake menu.  I ordered a bottle of the Bunraku Yamahai Junmai ($20), one of my favorite sakes, and they kept it in a large glass with ice to keep it chilled. That was a nice start.  Plus, as the Bunraku often costs about $15 retail, the restaurant's price is an excellent value. Now why can't more restaurants keep their wine prices at a reasonable level?

The food menu is quite extensive, with dishes from Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Korean cuisine.  You'll find appetizers, salads, soup, entrees, rice and noodle dishes and much more.  Most entrees cost under $15, making it reasonably priced.

I decided to order Shrimp Tempura ($10.95 with vegetables), an iconic dish, to best ascertain the quality level of the restaurant.  Would the tempura meet my high standards?  Yes, it passed easily, possessing a compelling light and crunchy coating, exactly as it should.  The good-sized pieces of shrimp were tasty and I had high hopes for the restaurant.  If they could prepare excellent tempura, then the rest of their food should be equally as good.

I tried some of their sushi too, including Maguro ($5.75), Unagi ($5.75), Tamago ($3.95), and Idaho Maki ($5.50).  All of the sushi was good, appropriate for the price. It is not the best sushi you will ever find, but the quality is comennsurate with the price. They have an extensive list of maki, including some very unusual ones such as the Hot Dog Tempura Maki and Pizza Maki.

On my second visit, I tried a couple of appetizers: Gyoza ($6.50) and Beef Teriyaki ($8.95). The gyoza were ok, just ordinary, but the teriyaki was excellent.  The beef was thin, tender and had a deliciously sweet sauce. It was actually one of the better beef teriyakis I have had at an Asian restaurant in quite some time.

Overall, I was very pleased with this restaurant and would love to return to sample more of what it has to offer.  Everyone else with me really seemed to enjoy their own dishes, and Kristin and Jack are regulars here. Plus, it is open late, till 1am, which is a rarity in the area.  I recommend that you check it out.

Asia Grill & Sushi
287 School St.
Mansfield, MA
Phone: 508-339-3888