Asian/Italian Mashup

This hot new Chelsea restaurant is firing up a mix of Asian and Italian flavors, but in ways you haven’t thought about – this isn’t kimchi pasta or anything remotely resembling the late-night guilty pleasures of order-in Chinese. The focus is not on drawing lines on a map for a specific nationality profile, but focusing on being straight-up, indisputably delectable, playing up exotic flavors – street food meets posh NYC, baby.

We’re keen on their take on chicken and dumplings and the cacio e pepe with fermented chickpea paste taking up space on the plate where you’d expect to find parmesan to be.

Sparely decorated walls with futuristic Escher print, wooden bar stools and communal tables. Not the kind of seating to sink into, a rigid reminder you’re here for food excellence and not to soak into the upholstery. Nishi, which translates to ‘west’ from Japanese, has some foodie-appreciating hits, but it likely needs to work at dazzling beyond the food to being more comfortable—and more inviting—to justify its prices.