Restaurant Review: Asabi Bistro Sushi Bar and Grill in Lake St. Louis, MO

1325 Lake St. Louis Blvd.

Lake St. Louis, Missouri

Mon-Thur: 11-9

Fri-Sat: 11-10

Closed on Sundays

Asabi Bistro is a small, intimate restaurant located on the outskirts of St. Charles County in Lake St. Louis. They offer a wide range of Asian fusion specialties, with the focus on hand-made sushi. Owner and chef Dara has designed quite a creative collection of gorgeous sushi options for all his patrons. The selections include Maki Rolls, Nigiri, Sashimi Specials, and Makimo Rolls. One could certainly make an entire meal out of the sushi selections alone. But alas, other selections await your taste buds!

The specialties at Asabi include Curries, Soft Noodles, Pad Thai, Fried Rice, and various other entrees. We tried a Yellow Curry with Chicken, served with brown rice. As the milder of the two offerings, the Yellow Curry was still quite hot. I can only imagine how hot the Red Curry is.

We also tried the Pork Soft Noodles and Vegetable Fried Rice. Both dishes were seasoned well, served hot and delicious. On a prior visit, we enjoyed the Char Tofu with Pork, a wonderful stir fry of marinated pork, tofu, bean sprouts, onions, and scallions. We have also tried the Pork Fried Rice on a prior visit. It is a step above the vegetable version.

Appetizer options at Asabi include Pork Lettuce Wraps, Spring Rolls, Shrimp Tempura, Octopus Salad, Seaweed Salad, Gyoza, and Miso Soup. We've tried them all but the Octopus Salad. They're all great. The Gyoza are soft pork dumplings, served with a soy-based dipping sauce.

Dessert options include New York Cheesecake and Banana Rolls. We've tried the Banana Rolls and they are amazing. Equally amazing was an off-menu item on our latest trip; Fried Green Tea Ice Cream. Simply divine. With a hard, warm exterior and a soft, cold interior, this dish is a perfect contrast in textures, complimenting a subtle, sublime flavor. Possibly the highlight of our two visits. But, it's hard to compete with that sushi!

With the plethora of Asian restaurants around the St. Louis region, combined with the reality of Lake St. Louis being so distant for most, it can be a challenge to make a visit to Asabi Bistro Sushi Bar and Grill a priority. But once you enjoy the ambiance and taste Chef Dara's wonderful creations, you'll make the trek more often.