I’ve yet to travel overseas, but I felt as if I stepped into the highlight of the Asian culture when I set foot into Naked Tchopstix on 96th St. This family-owned business, around since the fall of 2003, is dedicated to delivering a combination of Chinese, Japanese and Korean dishes sure to excite and satisfy your senses.
While the restaurant’s setup piqued my attention, with its wooden crimson and gold benches which replace traditional seating, I was even more drawn to the table my two friends and I shared. Our booth was draped with colorful curtains, which acted as a sheer barrier between our table and other diners. “How neat!” I thought to myself.
Although Naked Tchopstix is famed for its sushi bar and chopstick-savvy patrons, I searched for items I knew I could handle with a knife and fork.
After being amused by my waiter (who was very comical and a great salesman I might add), I decided to order the Skewered Chicken dish, which consisted of three skewers of chicken breast marinated and charbroiled in a sweet teriyaki sauce. Sweet was right! It seemed as if the chicken breast had been marinated overnight, because the sweet and tangy flavors of the teriyaki sauce were so deeply embedded and provided great taste to compliment the sweetened peppers.
While sushi isn’t my personal favorite, they do offer a wide variety including the California Roll stuffed with crab, cucumber and avocados; the Crunch Salmon Roll; Rainbow Roll, which includes five kinds of seafood; as well as other specialty and vegetarian rolls. Their appetizers, also known as “small plates” offer an Asian Lettuce Wrap, Crab Rangoon, Orange Calamari and Korean Seafood Pancakes whipped together with green onions.
Soups, salads, noodles, rice, pork and steak also grace the menu. Not ready for a full meal? Try an appetizer at the restaurant’s full bar that has delicious drinks for the perfect evening out. The bottom-line: Naked Tchopstix delivers a wide range of Asian food, so give it a try and expand your culinary horizons.
