For the foodie looking for that special dish at Vortex Asian Bistro, you may even consider looking beyond the menu, said restaurant manager Jay Wang.
Shortly after the restaurant opened its doors in New Hyde Park last month, one table asked for the chef’s recommendations.
Jay Huang, the head chef who trained under restaurateur Benny Huang, his cousin, made them something special of his own creation.
“One dish he made, the customer loved,” Wang said. “It had a very thin slice of apple on top of salmon with wasabi dressing. Whatever he came up with – he’s just a good chef.”
The customer came back the next day with six friends, Wang said.
But Wang suggested leaving the off-menu options to more experienced “sushi eaters.”
“We definitely recommend to try our menu first,” Wang said. “They (the people who defer to the chef’s discretion) know what they’re doing; they know what they’re eating.”
The sleek Asian fusion restaurant and lounge specializes in sushi rolls and kaiseki – traditional multi-course Japanese fare.
“In the present day, kaiseki is a type of art form that balances the taste, texture, appearance, and colors of food. To this end, only fresh seasonal ingredients are used and are prepared in ways that aim to enhance their flavor,” the restaurant’s website says. “Kaiseki has since evolved to include an appetizer, sashimi, a simmered dish, a grilled dish, and a steamed course, in addition to other dishes at the discretion of the chef.”
The key to Vortex’s food, Wang said, is fresh ingredients – “freshness and technique.” The restaurant receives fresh fish deliveries daily, he said.
“We use top quality everything – rice, fish,” Wange said. “We don’t put a lot of sauce on things. We really want people to taste the freshness of the fish.”
The menu features a number of specialty dishes, including the Vortex roll, made with lobster tempura, spicy tuna and black fish eggs decoratively arranged.
“It’s really good,” Wang said of the roll. (One Herald Courier reporter agrees.)
The New Hyde Park establishment, which is located at 1215 Jericho Turnpike, is the second of two Vortex Asian Bistros on Long Island. The first opened in Port Washington in December, Wang said.
In charge is owner and executive chef Benny Huang, an experienced sushi chef who spent years studying food in Japan.
The Port Washington Vortex has a 4.5 star rating on Yelp with 11 reviews and a 95 percent thumbs-up rating on Groupon.
“Fantastic service, quick and easy seating, delicious food all at an affordable price,” one Yelp reviewer said. “I was served something new on the house, an interesting salad that was served with crab… Just now as I am writing this, the manager is explaining their food and nearly every aspect of the meal to a more needy customer.”
The New Hyde location had yet to receive a review prior to publication.
The restaurant will hold its grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony featuring traditional Lion dancers on April 12 with the Greater New Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce.
The New Hyde Park Vortex is located at the former site Empire Billiards, which shut its doors following a tumultuous tenure in the village that included two men being stabbed just outside the establishment.
Vortex also features a full bar with a selection of Saki and cocktails.
“The food is amazing but the drinks are even better,” one Groupon reviewer said.
