Shauna Eats Sunnyside

Sunshine and Sperm at TJ's Asian Bistro

HA. Okay, before you lambaste me for the slanderous header… take a look at these decorative sushi platters we scored last week at TJ Asian Bistro (on Skillman Ave. b/w 50th and 51st Sts). We all know TJ’s mad scientist sushi chefs have a borderline drug-induced flair when it comes to swirly, multi-colored condiment splash art, but c’mon… really?!

Above: One of our favorite standbys, the Lobster Tempura Roll (which, judging by our last run-in with it, looks different every time)… meaty hunks of lightly batter-fried tail meat, strips of cucumber, tobiko, and considerable avocado immersed in flamboyant streams of sweet (possibly unagi?) sauce alongside an explosive, tie-dyed sun.

Above: B’s faithful, the Black Pepper Tuna roll (again, different flow than last time… the mad scientists love to keep ya guessing). The slithering sperm wishes us to know, quite interpretively via orange spicy mayo, that we are “OK.” Thank you, abstract sperm. And chuckling sushi chefs…

(moving right along)

Even TJ’s BBQ Beef Salad came festive in presentation:

Though I could definitely nosh on some tasty romaine rather than a bland bed of iceberg, this was a hearty appetizer of medium-rare beef filet (sweet-n-sour saucy) that B and I filled up on. Crunchy veggie strands and sesame seeds were a nice touch, though B still won’t go near tomatoes.

TJ’s Electric Kool-Aid Acid Tests get better with every visit. Somebody should be framing this shit and auctioning it at Sotheby’s. We admire the staff for having fun at the job, and for dropping some serious artisanship onto an otherwise ho-hum plate of seaweed-wrapped fish. For that matter, we do dig Hanami’s swagger (and it can sometimes be a bit easier on the pockets), but TJ’s fish quality has proven consistently on point… and as visually evidenced, their band of junior Picassos behind the sushi counter deserve your support. On one particular visit, B and I actually witnessed TJ’s men assemble sashimi fish over multicolored neon LED ice cubes in an elegant frosted martini glass. NO F’N SHIT.

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TJ Asian Bistro
50-19 Skillman Ave (b/w 50th and 51st sts)
Woodside, NY 11377 
718-205-2088