Aoyama Brings Deliciously Creative Flair to Boulder Run

Seeking respite from a hectic day at work?

Aoyama, a French Thai and Japanese restaurant in Boulder Run might just be the solution. Their unique Asian fusion menu will treat you to an “off the beaten path” lunch or a savory dinner right in your own backyard.

Aoyama satisfies both your Japanese and Thai cravings in one sitting-choose between two different menus and a full sushi offering from the sprawling sushi bar. Lunch is generously priced with a substantial offering of diverse entrees; dinner is more moderately priced but offers a greater assortment of dishes and specialty sushi rolls.

Every meal at Aoyama begins with a refreshing towel to wash up and a bowl of papadum, thin, crisp crackers that melt in your mouth, as well as salsa to dip them in.

For those gluten-free diners, like myself, the papadum is safe to eat, unlike the tempting basket of bread at most restaurants. They also offer gluten-free soy sauce for an additional $2, and it can be purchased by the bottle to enjoy at home. The server was very knowledgeable about which menu items contain gluten, so don’t hesitate to speak up so that they can assist in your dish selections.

For my lunch entree, I opted for the “sushi route” and ordered the Boston Roll, filled with shrimp, cucumber, lettuce, and mayo, and created my own Spicy Avocado Roll.

The rolls were fresh and very tasty, though still slightly bested in quality by the sushi offerings at Sakura.

If you’re not in the mood for sushi, there are endless diverse dishes to choose. For lunch, there are several noodle dishes on the Thai menu, along with “lunch plates” like Pad Khing — your choice of sautéed chicken, beef or shrimp with mushroom, snow pea and onion ginger sauce-served with soup or salad.

On the Japanese menu, you can choose from Teriyaki — chicken, salmon, or shrimp — or a noodle dish, like the Nabe Yaki Udon. Aoyama also offers various “lunch box specials” ($13) each offering a different assortment of foods, including Miso soup and a house salad to start.

For dinner, the dishes are exotic and savory. You will find common appetizers like Chicken with Pine Nuts in Lettuce Wraps and Vietnamese Spring Rolls, but for your main entree, don’t be fearful and try something you wouldn’t normally try.

Aoyama offers a Suko Thai Curry-homemade red curry with coconut milk, Asian eggplant, bamboo shoots, with your choice of chicken, beef or shrimp, or even Pan Seared Ostrich, with a mustard glaze berry marmalade sauce and sweet potato croquettes. As intricate as these dishes sound, you are likely to find them a delicious change from your go-to restaurant.

Aoyama’s dining experience is complete with its modern decor and gleaming, color-changing wall. Whether you're sitting up in the stage-like area or down on the restaurant floor at a long row of tables, you'll certainly feel like you’ve been transported out of Wyckoff.

Carefully planned and decorated and with ample seating room, Aoyama earns an A in atmosphere and décor.

In addition to its Wyckoff location, Aoyama can also be found in Mendham for Chinese and Japanese cuisine and in Martinsville for fine modern Japanese cuisine. You can make a reservation on the Aoyama website at http://aoyamanj.com/wyckoff/.

While some of Aoyama’s unique offerings might be a change for some diners, their exotic dishes are definitely worth a try.

The restaurant is open Monday through Saturday for lunch and Monday through Sunday for dinner — the restaurant is BYOB. If you are looking for a change from your usual restaurants, Aoyama will not disappoint.