Minnesota Palate, January 2005

Exotic Azia...it's closer than you think

By Kelly Westhoff

Are you hip? Do you want to be? If so, you need to see and be seen at Azia, a swanky night spot on Minneapolis' Eat Street. Amidst taquerías, Asian groceries and neon money-order-to-Mexico signs, Azia adds a touch of big city style to one of the Twin Cities' already unique and eclectic neighborhoods.

Azia (pronounced Asia ) has two bars. The first, in the restaurant, is a high-ceilinged, richly-hued open space. The second is the Caterpillar Lounge, a chic space filled with couches and sleek chairs tucked off to the side and hidden behind thick, velvet curtains. Both serve the same happy hour specials and are open to the public, but the Caterpillar Lounge opens only at night.

Drinks galore are waiting to be tried. The bar menu features martinis, specialty cocktails, beers, wine and more. One deceptively alcohol-filled cocktail is the Blue Fin. Its charming turquoise shade is delicately topped with a slice of pineapple and a magenta orchid bloom. Champagne is in the mix, and it fizzles faintly while sipped. This cocktail disappears easily though, so drinker beware.

If you want to taste your alcohol, order Thom's Tamarind. This martini arrives pretty and yellow, but the vodka inside will clear your sinuses. It's mixed with tamarind juice, a tropical, equatorial fruit for a distinct hint of sunny days.

For a more unusual concoction you'll want to give the Ginger Martini a try. Vodka infused with fresh ginger root gives this martini a special flair.

Saké it to me

The saké runneth over at Azia...and in more ways than one. Saké (pronounced sah-kay) is an ancient Japanese rice wine. It pours cloudy white or clear depending on the filtration process it has undergone. Azia's saké menu warns patrons up front that saké has a higher alcohol content than either wine or beer—so order yourself a glass, but plan on sipping it, sharing it or enjoying it with food.

Order a saké and you'll get two glasses for the price of one—suspicion and tradition dictate that it is good luck to spill saké. For this reason, Azia's bartenders fill saké glasses to the rim ensuring the liquid will spill. Then, they gently set the brimming glass inside a larger one intended to catch the overflow.

Twenty different sakes grace Azia's menu. That's more saké than the Average Joe can find in a local liquor store. Some quick calls across the Twin Cities revealed saké stocks in a number of area stores, but most places carried only a dozen or fewer brands. The saké menu at Azia boasts traditional Japanese brands as well as upstart California names.

Azia had made good use of its saké selection. One of the bar's hottest happy hour cocktails is the Saké Cosmo. The Saké Cosmo isn't listed on the menu, but ask for it by name and you'll be served a candied pink martini with a tart, grapefruit taste.

If you go

Where

Azia Restaurant and Caterpillar Lounge
2550 Nicollet Ave. S., Minneapolis
Northwest corner of 26 th St. and Nicollet Ave.
612-813-1200

Parking

Free parking lot behind building, enter off of 26 th St. or Nicollet Ave. You'll be lucky to find a free spot on the weekend. Valet parking Thursday–Saturday evenings for $5.

Hours

Restaurant: 11 a.m.–2 a.m., seven days a week
Caterpillar Lounge: Sunday–Thursday, 8 p.m.–2 a.m. ; Friday–Saturday, 6 p.m.–2 a.m.
Happy Hour: Daily 3–6 p.m. and 10 p.m.–2 a.m.
1/2 price on select cocktails and glasses of wine and saké.
1/2 price on select appetizers.

Drink to Try

Blue Fin
Thom's Tamarind
Ginger Martini
Sake Cosmo

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