Asia de Cuba @ The Morgans Hotel | New York City (CLOSED)

Asia de Cuba reopened in Manhattan’s Noho district. Full restaurant review here.



Recently my friends and I met up for dinner at Asia de Cuba at the Morgans Hotel as one of our many last dinners before one of them leaves NYC.  🙁

I refer to our little circle as The 3 Musketeers.  Together the 3 of us have shared some amazing vacation memories and awesome food experiences in NYC.  It is great to have friends that are both open-minded and fun to be around.

LOCATION
237 Madison Avenue (btw. 37th & 38th) @ The Morgans Hotel
New York, NY 10016
212.686.0300
(Murray Hill)


MENU: Asia de Cuba Menu.
COST: $$$$.  Normally, Asia de Cuba is quite expensive, however for “Restaurant Week”, a 3 course lunch will cost you $24 per person, whereas a 3 course dinner will cost you $35 per pers.  Both are a bargains if you ask me.
CUISINE: Asian Fusion, Cuban.
RECOMMENDED TO: Couples, Fine Dining, Groups, Romantic Dining.


AMBIENCE
As you walk in…

We arrived pretty early so the restaurant was still empty.  Asia de Cuba is a beautiful lounge/restaurant that is a great after work hangout or would make a really “sexy” date spot.  I love the sheer white curtains throughout this lovely restaurant.

There were a few groups seated around the bar area just for drinks. 

This restaurant was featured on Sex and the City in the episode where the four women are waiting for Petrovsky, the Russian, to show up.  Remember?  I know, it’s so sad I have a recollection of every single episode!  I’m sucha loser!    This image below may help you recollect.





MY REVIEW
It was Happy Hour so the drinks were $8 each which is a bargain.  I went for the Mango Margarita with salt.  This was good, but a bit too strong for my liking.  I was pretty buzzed in like 15 minutes. 

My friend, MM, went for the Mojito which was really good, but also pretty strong.  You could really taste the mint.

Jhiane went for the Spiced Rum with some fruity juices and almond extract!  Her drink was unique and exceptionally good.  It wasn’t too strong, but just right.  I loved it!!!

After we were done drinking, our party was moved downstairs for dinner.  Since we were dining here for “Restaurant Week” we were served family style.  Between the 3 of us we were allowed to choose 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, and 2 desserts.  Although it may seem less, it was A LOT OF FOOD! 

For appetizers, we had the Lemongrass Skewered Chicken which was tasty, but nothing out of the ordinary.  I enjoyed the lemongrass flavor, it wasn’t too overpowering.

My friends are both beef eaters so I unwillingly complied on ordering the Beef Dumplings Two Ways.  Surprisingly, I really enjoyed the beef dumplings.  The dumplings were filled with spiced ground beef which contained a lot of flavor.  The fried were obviously much better than the steamed, but this was the best dish of the night.

Next up, entrees.  We ordered the Cuban BBQ Chicken which was a whole lot of chicken.  Although the chicken was flavorful, I thought it needed more spices. 

This came with a side of sticky coconut rice and guacamole.  The coconut rice was amazing… it was almost as though I was eating dessert.  The best way to enjoy this dish is to have a little bit of chicken, rice, and guacamole in every bite.  This dish was definitely both Asian and Cuban inspired – understandably so!

We also ordered the Sweet Soy Wild Salmon, you guys know how much I love salmon.  Unfortunately, this dish was very average.  The salmon had an overly sweet glaze on it which didn’t sit very well with me.  On top of that, I felt it wasn’t grilled to perfection, it was kinda flimsy. This dish was also served up over sautéed shitake mushrooms which were good.  I won’t be ordering this dish next time.

And then there was DESSERT!  Initially we were annoyed we had to share 2 desserts, however check out the SIZE on these desserts.  We started with the Cuban Opera, a devil’s food cake with layers of Kahlua, milk chocolate, and coffee mousse.  The cake was definitely very good, not too sweet, not too bitter, it was just right.  If you are a chocolate lover, you can’t go wrong with this cake.

Now the cake that blew my mind was the Coconut Invasion which consisted of shredded coconut in between layers of cake topped with a warm chocolate sauce.  This scrumptious dessert was served with a side of Vanilla Ice Cream infused with coconut flavors.  

Of course, no dessert is complete without my tea.  I have to admit it was disappointing since they served me a teabag sitting in boiling water.  Honestly, I prefer being served the teabag and hot water separate so I can control the strength of the tea.  Yeah, I’m quite picky with tea.  🙂

VERDICT: 4 / 5
The service at Asia de Cuba is impeccable.  Considering how packed this restaurant eventually place became, the waiters are constantly on their feet so there was never a dull moment.


The decor here is gorgeous – hot, chic, and sexy!  The music is awesome with Latin beats.  The drinks are pretty good.  Although the food here is creative, it was rather disappointing.  I believe the food could have used a little more seasoning, I mean this place is Asian/Cuban.


Having said that, Asia de Cuba is a great place to check out especially during “Restaurant Week” or during their Lunch/Dinner Prix Fixe menu – I just don’t think it is worth paying full price with mediocre food.  Food is NOT their selling point!!! Regardless, this restaurant boasts exceptional service, fine décor, great music with a hot crowd.  In addition, take advantage of their Happy Hour at $8 a cocktail with reduced priced appetizers between 5 to 8 PM. 



TELL ME: Have you been to Asia de Cuba?  If so, what did you think?