Asian, French, even Italian enhance new fusion restaurant

A sushi dish is ready to be served at Geisha Modern Asian Cuisine & Lounge in West Chester Twp.

Ohio’s abundance of water parks makes it easy to melt away your cares
10:55 a.m.
Taste of Cincinnati expected to draw 500,000 people
5/24/12
Local ingredients key for bartender
5/16/12
Hamilton theater group presents ‘History of America’
5/16/12
How well do you know Kings Island?
5/13/12
> More headlines

By Teri Horsley, Contributing Writer 10:31 PM Thursday, March 24, 2011

WEST CHESTER TWP. — Fusion. In the culinary world it refers to a style of cooking that combines ingredients and techniques from around the globe. Locally, West Chester’s newest restaurant, Geisha Modern Asian Cuisine & Lounge, offers an interesting fusion menu of Japanese, Chinese, Thai, French and a bit of Italian thrown in for dessert.

“Asian Fusion has become very popular, and since our head chef comes from a French background we offer a more modern presentation than what you would find at a typical Asian restaurant,” said owner Andy Chi.

Even the decor at Geisha could be interpreted as Fusion. Asian lighting and a massive sushi bar are surrounded by the Italian stone walls of the building’s former tenant, Johnny Carinos.

My dining partner and I started with a French appetizer, four Sakura duck rolls, one of the restaurant’s most popular choices. The pieces of chopped duck were rolled in puff pastry and topped with both a spicy Thai chili and a mild miso sauce then garnished with iceberg lettuce. The chili sauce had a nice kick and blended nicely with the gaminess of the duck.

I decided to continue with Asian for my entree, choosing the Thai chicken curry. The dish had large pieces of fresh vegetables tossed with thinly sliced pieces of grilled chicken, mixed with a mild curry sauce. If you typically choose Thai because of its spice, add the chili sauce to kick up the heat as the curry was very mild.

Meanwhile, my friend went with the more traditional Japanese chicken and vegetable tempura, a huge portion of chicken strips and vegetables lightly battered and served with a side of tempura sauce.

“In addition to the entrees and our expansive menu, we also have one of the largest sushi bars in Cincinnati and one of the largest selections of sake at our regular bar,” said Head Server Stuart Marshall.

With the portions being so large, my friend and I decided to share dessert, choosing the Italian inspired Exotic Bomba, a scoop of mango, passion fruit and raspberry sorbet surrounded by a hard, white chocolate shell. The dessert was light, which was nice after the huge meal but the sorbet was very tart, making it my least favorite part of the dining experience.

Geisha has more than 100 menu items of soups, salads, sides, sushi, rolls and desserts. It also offers a children’s menu for those younger than 10, featuring smaller portions of regular menu items. A party room for up to 50 guests is available with a limited menu being offered. Carry-out is typically ready within 15 minutes, and Happy Hour at the bar runs 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. seven days a week. Reservations are not necessary, but are recommended on weekends.

ontact this writer at tlhrsly@cinci.rr.com.

How to go

What: Geisha Modern Asian Cuisine & Lounge

When: Lunch is served 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Dinner is served from 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday. On weekends, the dinner menu is all that is available and is served from noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 10 p.m. on Sunday.

Where: 7691 Voice of America Centre Drive, West Chester

Cost: Most dinner entrees range between $15 and $25 and include choice of miso soup or house salad. The full eight-page menu is available online with prices included.

More info: (513) 777-3888 or www.GeishaBistro.com