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Home > Restaurants > Aja Asian Bistro & Lounge

Aja Asian Bistro & Lounge

1068 First Ave., New York, NY 10022
at 58th St.  See Map | Subway Directions Hopstop Popup
212-888-8008 Send to Phone

    Reserve a Table | Order Online

  • Price Range: $$$

    Key to Prices and ratings

    Upscale
    • Almost Perfect
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    • Good
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    • Best in Category
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  • Reader Rating:

    8.0 out of 10

      |  

    1 Reviews | Write a Review

  • Cuisine: Asian: Southeast
Photo by Shanna Ravindra

Official Website

aja.lighthousenews.us

Hours

Mon-Fri, 1pm-midnight; Sat-Sun, 2pm-midnight

Nearby Subway Stops

4, 5, 6 at 59th St.; N, R, W at Lexington Ave.-59th St.

Prices

$15-$26

Payment Methods

American Express, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

Special Features

  • Good for Groups
  • Kid-Friendly
  • Online Ordering
  • Online Reservation

Alcohol

  • Sake and Sojou
  • Full Bar

Reservations

Recommended

Delivery

Profile

Over-the-top décor and high-quality pan-Asian fare are served up in equal measure at this Midtown Asian outpost. Inside the main dining area just past the sushi bar, colored lights illuminate a six-foot-tall Buddha like a 70s-era rock star. Underneath, the stone pond and an inset floor aquarium gurgle with live carp. Exposed gray-brick walls and stylish dark natural wood tables add sophistication even as the amusement park feel persists. A broad list of starters—like Chilean Sea Bass skewers—complements a pan-Asian menu that leans heavily on high-quality, market-fresh sushi. And for good reason: The tuna is tender, and the mackerel and yellowtail taste as though they were pulled from the sea the same hour. The menu's Asian-inflected hot entrees will appeal to those with more land-based palates—Peking duck, plus steak, chicken, and lamb chops with mild chili glazes. There's also the signature Ishi-Yaki: Thin slices of Kobe beef, chicken, or filet mignon are grilled on a heated stone that's placed over a miniature grill tableside. The sight of diners cooking their own meat is apropos for a room guarded by a life-sized Buddha.

Recommended Dishes

Sushi and sashimi for two, $58; Ishi-yaki, $26-$50

8.0 "Recommended"
Average Reader Rating
on a Scale of 10
Write Your Own Review
100% Would you go back?
100% Would you take a date?
100% Would you take kids?
0% Would you go on business?
100% Would you go on a special occasion?
Food: 8.0
Service: 9.0
Décor: 8.0
Value: 6.0

Good food, good service.

abcdefgrace from 11219 | Posted on 8/14/08

Overall Rating: 8 (Recommended)
Food: 8
Service: 9
Décor: 8
Value: 6

My friends and I (a group of 5) came here to eat dinner (I called and reserved seats) to celebrate my birthday. I honestly didn't know anything about this restaurant (besides reading a few reviews), but I definitely enjoyed my time there. The food I ordered (White Rice, Spiced Lemon Grass Seafood, Philadelphia Roll, Spicy Salmon Roll, and Crispy Seafood Tempura Roll) was excellent. Infact, this restaurant made the best sushi that I've ever tasted! This restaurant has pretty loud customers (which for me, is good for celebrating), is cozy (my way of saying... not spacious), and does help with birthday cakes (meaning, if you bring a cake with candles, they WILL help light up candles, start the tradition birthday song for you, AND serve you the cake in plates)! ALRIGHT, maybe that wasn't so surprising, but I was extremely satisfied. Forgive me?

Read All 1 Reviews >>

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