12.03.10
Review of Cafetasia, Saturday June 2010
38 E.8th St. & University/Broadway, 212-529-2363
Great for: really not much
This time the Average Wonderwoman had a Groupon and we were going to a party nearby anyway. I can see why NYU kids eat here – it’s super cheap – but it is not very good.
We started with the three small plates for $11. The wasabi-mayo scallops were juicy, though not the freshest. The calamari fritters with ginger avocado sauce were nice but rubbery. The best was the sa-tae chicken, which was very tender. I liked the wasabi mayo sauce the most.
Crying tiger sushi is grilled flank on sticky rice with spicy roast rice grain chili dipping sauce. It was not as good as we thought would be. It managed to be both interesting and eh. The lemongrass tuna tartare with chili lime dressing and mixed greens was better. The green papaya and cherry tomato salad was ok. We found the sauce quite sour.
The best thing we tried was the crispy fillet of flounder with garlic butter sauce and roasted potatoes. It was tasty and very large, and made up for a lot. AW’s Bangkok buck cocktail did its part too. Our service was not terrible, just a bit dopey. It’s mostly harmless but I can’t think of a reason to come back.
Rating: 5.5 / 10
Our cost: $60
Noise level: college kids are boisterous
Chance of walking in: pretty good. It’s a large place.
