nomadbistro crop

nomadbistro

Photos by Noah Kelly

Right next to United Artists Theaters in The Marketplace comes a new Chinese restaurant aiming to gain some solid footing. Nomad Asian Bistro spaciously occupies where Jimmy’s Fish & Grill used to be, complete with outdoor seating, well-lit open floor space and private booths for parties. Their official grand opening was on Saturday, but they’ve been hosting soft openings during regular hours for the last few weeks.

Nomad Asian Bistro specializes in a northwestern Chinese cuisine that uses Mediterranean spices–like cumin–for a wildly aromatic experience. But don’t worry, some favorite staples of Chinese cuisine are still on the menu in force.

I had the fried wonton stars, which were expertly portioned with just enough cream cheese and crab gooeyness to offset the crispy crunch of the shell. Coming alongsid the wontons was a great sweet and sour sauce and a hot mustard that would make any Irish man blush. For starters, I also got a roti beef roll, which was wrapped in the house specialty “Scallion Pancake,” packed with cilantro and pickled veggies. Of course, Sriracha sauce was available for ample slathering.

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Speaking of the scallion flatbread, this order is monstrous. Easily the size of a large pizza, this delicious sesame seed encrusted bread was perfect for tearing and stuffing full of whatever else you have on your plate.

The entrees themselves can be smelled across the restaurant before they even hit your table. A generous bowl of caramelized black-pepper chicken was just the right amount of spice and the chicken was flavorful and juicy. Large chunks of fresh bell peppers and mushrooms accompanied this dish.

nomadbistro2The last item that came out was the cumin lamb which sees the not-too-common meat prepared unlike any other. Tender and juicy, with a unique spicy taste, the lamb paired delicately with sautéed cilantro sprigs, which were all begging to be wrapped up in the scallion flatbread and stuffed unabashedly into your mouth.

At the moment, there are no desserts on the menu, but the server said that they are working on green tea ice cream and other goodies to round out an adventurous meal that will probably leave an eater wanting something sweet.

Since they are a new establishment, Nomad Asian Bistro does not currently have their ABC license, so beers and wine are not available, but for the time being, there is no corkage fee. If you want to bring some family and friends, stop over at BevMo right next door and pick up your couple of your favorites.

Be sure to bring some friends because the portions are large and the meals are made so that everyone can get a taste of something new.

Nomad Asian Bistro is located at 6563 E. Pacific Coast Hwy, (562) 430-6888, nomadasianbistro.com

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