Location: Daily Chow
                2 East 2nd Street
                New York, NY
Phone:     (212) 254-7887

Price Range: Mongolian BBQ - $8.50
                      Appetizers - under $10.00
                      Noodles - under $10.00

Daily Chow, a new eatery that just opened this fall, is fast becoming one of the trendy, modernized restaurants that attempts to embody elements of several Asian palates. The restaurant, situated at 2 East 2nd Street in the East Village is inspired by the cuisines of Vietnam, Thailand, China, and Korea. Whether or not Daily Chow indeed succeeds in conveying all the flavors of the East is a question left to be answered.

Perhaps one of the most attractive aspects about Daily Chow is the atmosphere. The overhead lights, screened by a simple bamboo covering, emanate a genuine feeling of warmth and comfort. At the same time earthy colors on the walls and Asian motifs on a back shelf convey a tranquility that's difficult to dismiss. The second floor, made accessible by a rustic wooden stairway, appears intriguingly darker than the ground floor. This Zen-like demeanor seems to capture a young, and trendy image that seems may be popular to the nearby college crowd seeking to escape the stress of school work.

However, to the foodie's dismay, the menu options at Daily Chow are a little less interesting. Or at least it seemed secondary to the gracious servers and the ambiance of the place. The City Combo appetizer arrives with edamame (steamed soybeans), cold tofu salad, steamed dumplings, and summer rolls. Ginger-carrot soy dressing flavors the tofu salad, tossed fresh with iceberg lettuce and onions. The homemade steamed dumplings, on the other hand, taste disappointingly similar to the frozen variety found in Chinese supermarkets. The Vietnamese summer rolls possess the light flavor of the tried and true classic of Vietnamese eateries serving as a bit of redemption. However, warning: the wrapper of the roll is loosely bound causing a spillage of the interior of shrimp, mint leaves, and vermicelli. Small dishes that appear noteworthy are the Vietnamese ravioli, rice noodle crepe with chicken, jicama, shitake mushrooms, and the duck roll - a flour tortilla with an interior of roast duck, cucumbers, scallions, and hoisin sauce. Though I did not try these items, I'll admit that they did catch my eye on the menu and perhaps they may be worth a tasting.

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