It's a matter of fact: No college student can live without occasional Asian food delivery. But the culinary expertise of Asia isn't exactly limited to lo mein and pork fried rice delivered by Rose's in Medford or soups from Harvard Square's Pho Pasteur. Venturing into Boston's Chinatown might open up some new opportunities for casual dining, including Japanese and Korean-style eateries.
Suishaya Restaurant, found smack-dab in the middle of Chinatown on 2 Tyler Street, might seem a bit sketchy from the outside: It appears dark from the street corner, like a midnight convenience store stop. Inside, however, this lively place is a pleasant surprise, with fast, professional service and a comfortably simple setup. It features a wide variety of Asian dishes as a whole, including stir-fried noodles and vegetables, but it's known mostly for its Korean spiciness as well as its sushi selection.
Before the appetizers, you get an array of little dishes to snack on free of charge. These include tofu, soybeans, bean sprouts, and kimchi (pickled cabbage with a fermented chili), all served with a bit of varying spicy sauces. A little salty, tangy taste is a good prep for the appetizer course, and keeps one munching: The wait's not long, but you might as well chomp up.
For appetizers, the steamed mandu is a good choice: It's a dish of wholesome beef dumplings similar to ones you might find at Martsa's, the Tibetan place in Davis.
There are many choices for the main course. To stay with the Korean theme, however, we ordered a beef dish with fried egg and vegetables on a sizzling pot of rice (with just enough flavor not to overwhelm), and Gook Su Bok Keem, a stir-fried noodle and veggie concoction with chicken, lightly oiled and sprinkled with sesame seeds. Portions are moderate-to-large in size, but very eatable. They're not quite like your average Carmichael Tuesday night, though; dinner arrived very quickly, and the stir-fry wasn't laden with grease. The pasta was fluffy but filling, and the chicken had been fried in a healthy amount of flavorful sauce. Both dishes arrived with a very appetizing sizzle.
Suishaya, for such a conventionally casual place on a street corner, is surprisingly authentic-tasting. Korean food is known for its piquancy and numerous side dishes, but Suishaya manages to offer a lot of choice for those without a penchant for the chili. The meats are softly well-cooked, and the appetizers proved to be salty little starters that make you want to eat more. Additionally, there's a wide sushi selection that went untried, but appeared to be quite popular among the other diners.
As for the crowd, it varied from a group of teenagers to middle-aged, business-class diners, so the casual yet tasty atmosphere has wide appeal. The servers are very professional: quick, polite, and, in general, very helpful.
The ambiance, however, leaves something to be desired: While clean and well-kept, the place passes on any real decorations in favor of various advertising posters and seemingly blank walls. Despite the authentic taste of their sumptuous noodles, sushi, and spices, the room comes off as bare and even a bit too casual. It's nice for a lunch or a relaxed dinner with friends after wandering through Chinatown, but Suishaya might consider scaling up a bit with a few well-placed ethnic decorations or by easing up on the artificial lighting.
Still, yummy food and Korean sauces make it a welcome break from Carmichael for a leisurely lunch or dinner. But be sure you're up on your table etiquette: These guys only serve with chopsticks.
