By Liem Ho

8 Erie Street
Jersey City, NJ

Quietly tucked off the side of Grove Street is Talde, a casual Asian-American fusion restaurant founded and named after ex-“Top Chef” contestant Dale Talde.

The Jersey City location of the restaurant was opened last February, with its original opened in Brooklyn. It competes with other neighboring restaurants which serve Asian cuisine such as Thai and Chinese food. However, as an Asian-American fusion restaurant, it boasts unique and western approaches to typically Asian dishes.

Several westernized traditional foods on the menu that were tried included grilled shiitake mushroom with pickled shallots, #6 bao, everything roti bread, and lobster tom kha. Dishes are served dim sum style, meaning that additional dishes can be ordered and shared amongst the entire table.

The grilled shiitake mushroom is Japanese with a western flavor provided by the pickled shallots. #6 Bao is fried chicken with lettuce and spicy mayo on a fluffy porn bun. The sweetness of the bun compliments the salty chicken and the creamy spicy mayo. Everything roti bread is a contemporary take on the traditional Indian Roti bread—it has sesame seeds, sea salt, and poppy seeds. The lobster tom kha is a take on Vietnamese tom kha—or shrimp soup, except with lobster. It is accompanied by sweet corn, lobster bits, and rice noodles, and has a spicy coconut milk broth.

The bar opens late on Saturdays and Sundays, and the entire restaurant is dimly lit with lanterns on the ceiling. Reservations are accepted, and the restaurant can accommodate parties up to 20 people. The pricing of items on the menu are a bit higher considering the serving size, but for the aesthetic and flavor, it is definitely still worth a visit.

Rating: 4/5 stars