Chef King Phojanakong's "Asian tapas" menu fuses the cooking of his Filipino mother and his Thai father with a few tricks he learned under the tutelage of David Bouley and Daniel Boulud. Mom and Pop's influence shows in dishes like Chinese sausage with Thai chili sauce, while pan-fried pork tonkatsu sliced into delicate strips and layered over watercress owes its decidedly un-Japaneselike butteriness to the chef's schnitzel days at Danube. — Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld
Love Kuma. Can be hard to find, but once you make it up the stairs you will be happy you made the effort. Food is excellent, could eat the Chinese sausage 3 meals a day and BYO policy makes it very affordable. Highly recommend you give it a try.
About a month ago I had dinner there with two friends. The table was on the petite side, but the food was outstanding! The chinese sausage was a big hit, as was the special of the night - steamed pork buns. My friend lived in china for years and she said the buns were the best example of that dish she'd tasted in the U.S. The service was great, very friendly. Don't be put off by the slightly stale/unpleasant smell in the stairway leading up to the second-floor restaurant. The restaurant is clean, chic, friendly, and fun. And BYO rocks!