Many Asian cultures share the practice of gathering the family together to mingle or celebrate over a big meal; the variety of cultures of Asia each developed their own ethnic cuisine through the interaction of history, environment, and culture. Culinary historians identified 3 main styles in Asian cultures that roughly represent the main types of traditional Asian cooking:
Southwest style is comprised of cuisines from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Burma. In Persian-Arabian culture, the eating of nan (or flat bread) became common, along with mutton, kebabs (from Turkish cooking), usage of hot peppers, black pepper, cloves, and other strong spices, ghee (a butter oil) became a staple in this dietary culture. Through the teachings of Hinduism, cows were used only for their milk and not for meat. In addition to rice, chapati (made from wheat or barley) is also a main component of the diet, and beans also play an important part in meals.
Northeast style is comprised of cuisines from China, Korea, and Japan. This tradition developed to highlight using fats, oils, and sauces in cooking. In the northeast dietary culture, the foods, spices, and seasonings go beyond being simple products as they are also used as medicines to promote a long and healthy life. In addition, food became associated with many religious customs, and many northeast Asian cultures used food as symbolic offerings to worship their ancestors.
Chinese cuisine has become the most well-known of all Asian cooking, with numerous styles based on region. The most basic disparity being between northern and southern styles of Chinese cuisine is that Southern dishes highlight freshness and tenderness, and while due to the colder climate - Northern dishes are somewhat oily and the use of vinegar and garlic is more popular. In contrast, Japanese cooking came to highlight the frequent use of deep-frying (i.e., tempura, etc.) using vegetable oil or on the contrary, raw foods (i.e., sushi and sashimi). In Korea, much of the tradition cuisine is centered on grilling or sautéing and the use of hot chili spices (i.e., kim chi, etc.).
Southeast style is comprised of cuisines from Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Viet Nam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei. The traditional emphasis in this region is on fragrant and lightly-prepared foods, using a subtle balance of quick stir-frying, steaming, and/or boiling, supplemented with distinct spices and seasonings, including citrus juices and herbs such as basil, cilantro, and mint. Also, while northeastern cuisines emphasize using soy sauce in nearly everything, many cultures in the southeast substitute fish sauce, along with galangal, lemon grass, and tamarind for extra flavor.
In comparing the three cuisines with each other, they noticed that curries are very important to the cuisines of the southeast and southwest, and less in the northeast. Southwestern curries are generally based on yogurt, and the curries of the southeast are generally based on coconut milk. Rice is a staple starch in all three areas. In addition to rice, southwestern cuisines are supplemented with a variety of leavened and unleavened breads while southeast and northeast cuisines add noodles made from rice, egg, or potatoes. Garlic and ginger are used in all three areas, and chilies are much more common in the southwest and southeast.
With all of this in mind, comes Pan Asian Cuisine – which consists of foods across the entire East Asian Region. The menu offerings at Asia Kan are typical dishes from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Japan. Their menu adheres to some original recipes and use authentic ingredients to deliver a balance of remarkable flavors. Asia Kan is ornamented with colorful Buddha paintings, dark wooden tables, and dark leather banquettes that are quite comfy. The staff is extremely friendly and extra attentive. The menu is a fantastic collection of very tasty offerings, although some items are sauce-heavy and predictable Chinese/Thai-influenced dishes, like pad Thai and roast duck, it’s the Japanese dishes that are quite popular.
Flavorful starters include tasty hamachi kama, grilled yellowtail drizzled with ponzu sauce; beef Negimaki, grilled miso cod, and the citrus octopus ceviche. Hamachi Kama is the grilled collar of the yellowtail, and at Asia Kan, they do it just to my liking, it is tender and juicy in every bite and best dipped in a ponzu sauce and eaten with a bowl of rice and some seaweed. Don’t be put off, many like to chew on the bones. Their sushi assortment is excellent, there are over 40 rolls to choose from, including the Chef’s Special which is spicy tuna, shrimp tempura with tobiko outside and the Wasabi which is salmon, tuna, yellowtail, avocado, cucumber with wasabi tobiko and red tobiko outside – YUMMY. They have a fabulous cocktail menu plus various sakes to accompany your meal … try the lounge downstairs – it's nice, cozy and dimly lit …
Asia Kan
710 Amsterdam Ave
New York, NY 10025
(212) 280-8878
