Spoon Makes for a Good Fusion Selection

On a recent weekday night, after many heavy holiday meals, my husband and I needed a change of pace. We needed some fresh, clean flavors to help us get past days of meat and potatoes. Take-out from Spoon, an Asian fusion restaurant seemed to be just what we needed. The space itself is modern and comfortable, not seeming to fit in a row of retail stores. We wanted to eat on our couch though, in front of the TV, so we ordered accordingly and we were extremely happy with our choices.

Our order was placed at 6:52 p.m. on a Monday night. We were told 20-25 minutes. Indeed, it was fully packaged on our 7:15 arrival. We were given all of the food ordered with extra chopsticks and lots of low sodium soy sauce (which is much appreciated, usually they pack the regular version in to-go orders).  The take-out menu is slightly different than the menu you would get when sitting at a table.  Both menus are available for viewing on Spoon's Web site www.spoonasianfusion.com. The take-out menu obviously takes into account food that would generally travel well. I took a chance on the Wasabi Crackers topped with Spicy Tuna and Black Tobiko ($11.95). They were crisp, slightly spicy and absolutely delicious. The Honey Glazed Baby Back Ribs ($8.95) were subtle at first but the flavor begged you to eat more. The meat was very tender, reminding me of short ribs. My daughter had the Seafood Shumai ($5.95) which she enjoyed. The Dim Sum Specials would all make affordable and tasty take-out choices. Ranging from $2.50 - $4.00, there are Roast Pork Buns, Spring Rolls, Scallion Pancakes and Gyoza among the many options.  We also ordered the Chicken Wraps ($8.95). The meat was excellent, mixed with jicama, bell peppers and pine nuts. I would have loved a little more depth in the flavor of the sauce though. On previous visits, I have sampled the Tuna Tortilla Pizza ($15.95) which is full of flavor. I don't think, however, that would travel well for take-out. There are many salad choices like the Asian Duck Salad ($7.95) with mango, pineapple, red onion, mint and peanuts which sounds fantastic.

There are numerous interesting Chinese and Japanese options for entrees. Vietnamese BBQ Pork Loin ($16.95) sounded appetizing and would do well as take-out. On a previous visit I sampled the Asian Duck Fajitas ($23.00) which are delectable. All entrees come with miso soup and salad. There are also the traditional Chinese selections like Sesame Chicken or Beef ($13), Black Bean Shrimp ($12.95) and General Tso's Chicken ($12.95) which I assume would all meet their high quality standards.

On to the sushi and sashimi, which was some of the best I have ever had. I asked the sushi chef to do sashimi of his best available choices of the night. He gave me salmon presented as a rose (mouth-watering even though not usually my favorite) and yellowtail (which was incredibly fresh and silky).  These were $3-4 per piece and well worth it. We had a Volcano Roll ($14.95) which is a shrimp tempura roll topped with spicy tuna, tobiko, scallion and eel sauce. That was probably one of the best rolls my husband says he has ever eaten. The Spoon Roll ($11.95) was a California roll with crunchy spicy tuna on the outside. It was delicious and beautifully constructed.

There are no dessert options on the take-out menu but I have heard that they have a few yummy choices such as crepes, a vanilla ice cream "ambrosia" and a dark chocolate cake.

There is a set lunch menu that is priced so well that I will be visiting Spoon for lunch soon. You choose a soup, salad or an appetizer (not the typical choices). They have Tom Yum Shrimp Soup, Kani Salad with King Crab and Thai Spring Rolls among them. There are over 10 choices of main dishes including Curry Chicken, Spicy Thai Beef and Spicy Mango Shrimp for $9.95.  The Sushi Roll or Sashimi Combination Platters range from $11.95 - $13.95. These prices make this lunch incredibly affordable by area standards.

Chappaqua has an excellent Japanese-Chinese fusion spot at their beck and call. You should visit or take-out often – with an abundance of so many excellent choices on the menu, I don't think you could ever tire of the excellent food.