Taro

Review Highlights - Rooters report that this Montclair "fusion-cuisine masterpiece" with "minimalist decor" is a "journey worth taking" not only because the Pan-Asian fare is a "refreshing change in a world dominated by Italian" eateries, but because the "artful presentations" are boosted by a "stylish" "bamboo" backdrop that leaves fans "feeling purified"

-Rated Excellent by Zagat Survey 2004/2005

Taro

Montclair's "coolest-looking" eatery is "striking" and "chic", with "high ceilings" and "floor-to-ceiling bamboo" that play nicely against its "unique Asian fare" garnished with "elegant, sumptuous sauces"' true, this BYO's service can be "uneven", but grateful locals overlook it for the opportunity to take a "wonderful culinary journey."

-Zagat Survey 2001/2002

An Asian Oasis - A Haven for Diners in the Mood For Oriental Flavors and Cappuccino, Too.

"TARO is the kind of restaurant that people wish would open in their towns, an inspiring space that serves satisfying Asian dishes for reasonable prices.

You can make reservations, sometimes even that day, and troop in, wearing jeans, for a bowl of shiitake mushrooms and spinach noodles in basil-scented broth. The cold sesame noodles aren't the best money can buy, but the Peking duck is only $17 and almost perfect, and the cappuccino is at least available, which it isn't in your average Chinese restaurant. Perhaps 'other restaurants offer juicier portobello mushrooms, softer summer rolls and creamier banana cheesecake, but not all under one roof, and not in so interesting a setting. In this sense and others, Taro is a huge step in the right direction.

Before you dine, however, you may want to visit Church Street, the busy strip that is home to galleries, craft shops and other restaurants. When Taro first opened, people wondered how it could possibly compete, but now, instead of milling in front of one door on Church Street, hungry crowds cluster in front of two.

One reason is the decor. Peter Chu, the owner, who is a partner in the Manhattan architectural firm Tuller, McNealus, Feld & Chu, picked the interesting flatware and bud vases, which hold unusual species like freesia and Scotch broom, never carnations. Towering bamboo and a vast silvery wall painted shades of somber green lend drama to the lower level of the two-story dining room but I prefer the upstairs, which is quiet, Zen-like and a thousand shades of soothing beige.

The best of the four meals I ate began, upstairs, with a near-perfect hand roll. The nori, or seaweed, wrapping was soft as silk, and the enoki mushrooms and buttery salmon that filled each cone were as interesting to look at as they were to consume. Occasionally an unripe avocado disrupts the assortment, but it doesn't diminish the impact of the rolls, which are garnished with ginger and wasabi mustard.

The chicken satay is also flawless, a stick of juicy meat that offers the same long-lasting pleasure as a Sugar Daddy. In this case, the sweetner is a peanut sauce that isn't too rich or too fiery. Paper-thin wisps of sesame-scented carrot and turnips surrounding the plate are more pleasant to crunch on than the vinegary kim chee at other fusion restaurants.

In the vegetarian category, the sesame peanut tofu is stir-fried with garlic and ginger, then buried in a sweet but pungent plum-flavored dressing. Although the sauce saturates the tofu, the outside of the cubes remain marvelously crisp while the insides stay soft and creamy. The same lively sauce transforms the Chinese greens around them into a delicious vegetable stew. Consider your beta carotene quotient filled for the week.

Chinese-style spare ribs are often meager at other restaurants; these baby back ribs, served as an appetizer, have meat plus appropriate accessories. The dense white mound of mashed taro, which looks and tastes like mashed potatoes, is a fine receptacle for the tangy sauce. For a lighter appetizer, the featherweight shrimp and vegetable dumplings are served with equal flourish, in a bamboo carrier that keeps their wrappers moist and glistening.

...Salads, on the other hand, feature bright, springy greens and interesting combinations like duck and mesclun with fresh mango salsa.

The entrees are also complex and satisfying. A five-spice powder marinade enlivens the meaty pork tenderloin, which is accompanied by garlicky spinach dripping the same slightly smoky, evocative sauce. Meat and potatoes have seldom tasted so interesting.

The Peking duck is also attractive. Half the price of comparable versions, it's beautifully roasted - the meat is moist and the skin crunchy and the amber glaze is sweet but not cloying. After a recent encounter a friend reported, "It wasn't any different from perfect Peking duck anywhere, but that's what I wanted: duck with no surprises, except that this one had less fat."

...A hot pot steaming with chunks of lobster, shrimp and scallops, show what the kitchen at its best can do with seafood. The shellfish is succulent, and the broth around it is rich and dense.

Taro doesn't have a liquor license, but you can bring beer and wine, or order espresso, cappuccino or Tazo iced tea. The kitchen doesn't traffic in fortune cookies, but offers raspberry almond tarts and chocolate mud cakes that taste almost homemade.

Mr. Chu, a native of Taiwan who lives in Maplewood, said he opened Taro because of the sense of inadequacy he felt on behalf of New Jersey. "I was tired of listening to people complain that there was no place to eat in New Jersey and no place with atmosphere," he said. Taro has atmosphere, and it's very good."

-Rated Very Good by the New York Times

At Taro in Montclair

My first experience at Taro was so positive I couldn't wait to go back. Even though we went on a busy Saturday night, we were treated well by a patient, efficient staff. The food was fabulous, with most dishes delicious and imaginative and presented beautifully on attractive porcelain plates.. The ambience was equally impressive with extraordinarily high ceilings and towering bamboo trees. My only complaint was the high noise level, but I thought the weekend crowd was to blame.

Perhaps the second visit was doomed to pale by comparison, but it was disappointing all by itself. The waitress was so surly I was tempted to ask for another - server, the food more pedestrian and staggered in coming to the table, and the noise level excruciating.

Taro is the brainchild of architect Peter Chu and his wife, Theresa, who worked on the concept and tried lots of recipes in what he calls eclectic Asian cuisine. The dishes combine influences of Asian cooking Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, and Japanese - with western-style preparation.

The menu is divided among Small Plates (appetizers) and Large Plates (entrees) as well as salads, noodle and rice dishes, broths with noodles, and nonAsian desserts.

One of the best appetizers was the smoked salmon handroll ($7), a delectable cone-like presentation filled with avocado, cucumber, and radish and served with a pungent wasabi sauce. Peanut sesame tofu ($6), stirfried with ginger and garlic, was so delicious, it transcended its tofu origins. Chicken satay ($7) was accompanied with a tasty, though not especially spicy peanut sauce, while a vegetarian special hot and sour soup ($3) was a thick, spicy delicious 'blend. Barbecued baby-back ribs ($8) tasted great, but could have used more meat on their bones. The major disappointment from the Small Plates menu was the grilled portobello mushroom ($7); it was much too salty with a chewy consistency.

Two salads were memorable. The Asian pear and goat cheese ($7) with mixed greens was exceptional; the contrast between the sharp cheese and the sweet pears was excellent and was enhanced by a flavorful vinaigrette dressing and pine nuts. Honey-roasted duck salad ($8) included lots of tender duck complemented with plum' dressing.

Duck dishes also topped our favorites from the entree menu. Tangerine duck ($17), was featured with slices of succulent duck prepared to perfection. Peking duck ($17) was fine and came with the requisite scallions, cucumbers, and hoisin sauce; however, our sullen waitress rolled only one in an accompanying rice pancake and disappeared. Among seafood selections, grilled salmon ($17) was nicely done and flavored with a Chinese pesto marinade, while pistachiocrusted jumbo shrimp ($16) was crisp and served with a terrific sesame dipping sauce. The weak link on the Large Plates menu were the chicken dishes. Grilled lemongrass chicken breast ($14) was too dry and bland, while the grilled half chicken ($14) was quite ordinary, though overpowered by a thick honey-ginger soy glaze.

Each of our meals came with steamed vegetables, which were done to an ideal crisp consistency. Some dishes were accompanied by bricks of cooked rice, while others had the restaurant's signature mashed taro root.

Cakes and pies, each $5, are not made on the premises and are more Western than Asian. They include a rich chocolate pie,' raspberry almond torte, and lime cheesecake - all of which were fine, though not extraordinary. A. better choice is a dish of refreshing sorbet ($4) available in mango, coconut, and chocolate.

Taro is clearly thriving on a word-of-mouth reputation as a - trendy, beautiful place with interesting,, delicious dishes. In fact, Peter Chu, who has designed the interior of many other restaurants, has even grander plans.

He wants Taro to simulate the feeling of being on a veranda in a southeast Asian jungle. If he wants diners to have such a relaxing experience, he needs to work on better acoustics and more consistent service.

-Rated Excellent (***) by the Bergen Record