AMA RAW BAR
Summer is just around the corner and NYC is starting to get warm and the people are starting to flock the once empty streets again. Going around the East Village has always been 1 of my favorite activities to do since I moved back here from Italy in 2018.
I always had a connection with the neighborhood as my friends and I would go around different bars and restaurants before when we had some free time to research on new dishes or cocktails. On this fine Wednesday afternoon, we are visiting Chef Harvey Woo of Ama Raw Bar located at 190 Avenue B in Alphabet City. This oyster and seafood cocktail bar opened in December 2019 and has remained a steady hang out for the locals even during the pandemic as they stayed open as an outdoor haven for their loyal customers.
Chef Harvey, a native of Long Island and Queens grew up around the restaurant industry as his father Herman was the owner and operator of Lung Hing, a Chinese restaurant in Long Island. He said that his father didn’t want him to follow in his footsteps but Chef Harvey had his own plans. While starting out as a Front of house manager for establishments like Nobu Waikiki and 66 by Jean Georges, his passion for food took over his career. Food is an extension of a story, a story of either a person, a place or a dish is what Chef told me about his vision upon opening Ama Raw Bar. “Ama” meaning Japanese women free divers who are famous for collecting pearls have a unique story to share and the cuisine here has its own amazing story as well…
The oyster tray with 6 fresh east coast oysters, 4 shrimp cocktail and 4 snow crab legs was how we started our meal. It came with 4 sauces which were gochujang cocktail sauce, yuzu koshu aioli, lemongrass mignonette and ponzu scallion.
This dish was so good that my brother and I finished it instantly as it was paired with the spicy Palawan cocktail served with tequila, jalapeño, calamansi, lime and spicy sesame salt.
As I slowly work my way on this super tasty beverage the crispy rice with tuna, nori and spicy mayo arrived on our table. This was such a refined take on this classic dish.
The mushroom bao followed next which was a crisp maitake with fresh greens and a chili aioli
Accompanied by the An Bong Collins cocktail which is with gin and lemongrass syrup. This drink was so soothing and refreshing that I almost finished half in one gulp.
Scihuan chicken wings was our third dish which had a dry rub and a scallion cilantro ranch dressing on the side. Being a huge wings fan, I have to say that this dish was flawless, from the crispiness of the wing to the spiciness of the rub and the flavor of the dressing.
Our last cocktail was the Sanya Bay which is named after 1 of the 5 major bays of china is served with rum, lychee, coconut milk and nutmeg. This was my favorite cocktail by far as it had a very southeast Asian theme to it with rum and coconut milk but had some Chinese flair with the lychee and it paired well with,
our last dish the “Mellow Mussels” which is tossed in a thai style green curry and served with nori fries and a toasted bun.
Wow, is all I can say. What an amazing experience we had here at Ama Raw Bar. The food, cocktails and ambience were all exceptional and I cannot wait to come back for more.
The next #KULINARYATRAVELS will be back next at Secchu Yokota for a Japanese omakase meal…