Asian One

Update 8/24/12: Asian One is closed.

In a word: Knows the score.

The specs: #0623  
Address, hours & details via Isthmus; reviews at 77 Square,

JM ate the #22 phat cashew nuts with pork.
Nichole ate the #37 pho.
We split some #5 crab rangoon.
The bill was $18, or $9/person, plus tip.
JM and Nichole both gave Asian One an A- (see our grading rubric).

Latest Asian One news and reviews

Asian One was totally empty when we went for a weekday lunch. Inside were cushy naugahyde chairs, fluorescent lights and Cartoon Network, and enough delivery trade to maybe, we hope, sustain them. The location off Gorham is tricky and the competition in their niche is hard especially with the closer-to-State, flashier Fugu on the same block; not much can be done about that. Unlike many campus-area restaurants, they have a single menu for lunch and dinner. Maybe they'd do themselves a favor by offering lunch portions and prices. Anyway, we're just worried is all.

The food's good. We got rangoon which were probably the crabbiest ever. They'd enjoyed a dip in super-hot oil, resulting in a bubbly wrapper that was somehow greasy, yet not floppy. The cucumbers mentioned on the menu were missing, but there was no shortage of tidy condiment jars on the table, including sauces from rooster to oyster and more.

JM's phat cashew nuts with pork dish was savory, and well above standard. The vegetables were fresh-tasting and crispy when appropriate without ever threatening the woodiness of the flavor.

We try to remember to contribute to the great nationwide guide Pho Fever whenever we try pho. Pho Fever's rubric applies a five-star scale to broth (flavor, fragrance, clarity), noodles (texture, clumpiness), meat (tenderness, quality) and vegetables (variety, freshness).

We'd give Asian One's pho a 3.25. The broth was slightly cloudy and not very fragrant. The noodles were thick and satisfying. The meatballs were excellent, the beef was fully cooked and the "beef strips" on the menu turned out to be beef tripe (spell check run amok? Nichole picked it out and felt guilty). The veg garnish garnered the extra quarter star for the super fresh peppers and the fact that the gangly bean sprouts were chopped into easy-to-manage lengths.

We'd go back to try the larb, the "angel chicken wing" (filled with ground pork, bean thread noodle and onion) or the whole fish dishes. But we get the sinking feeling we'd have to hurry.

Comments

[Elizabeth]

We went there on a Thursday night. There were 2 other couples in there. I had a noodle dish (forgot which one - not pad thai or drunken noodles) and spring rolls. Todd had the chicken panang curry and egg rolls. We both really liked our dishes. The flavors reminded us one of favorite stops, Rising Sons Deli.

We got a lot of food for our money. We spent $25 for a beer, two main dishes, egg rolls and spring rolls. It was enough for two meals. I hope they are able to succeed.