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Asqew Grill (American cuisine)  $$

 8
JaT Rating

5614 Bay St, Emeryville, 94608  (Directions)


510.595.7471


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Reasonably priced skewers, ribs, and chicken over a flame grill


Reviewer: Jason
Total Reviews: 1040
Reviewed: 9/17/2006
Rating: 8
My photo gallery 		I made the long trek to Emeryville to buy some Guns N Roses tickets from a guy off craigslist. I know GNR is without Slash but I never got to see them back in the day. It was either now or never and I was getting a good deal on these floor tickets. I arrived early and figured I would squeeze a lunch before the ticket deal went down. Asqew Grill has been on my personal list for some time now and it was my luck they had one at the mall.

They open at 11 and I was probably the 2nd customer of the afternoon. Yes, it appears to be chain but as of right now, it's a bay area chain which is fine in my books. I doubt this is a mom and pop operation as it's apparent there's some serious dough backing this place. Everything is new, nice, clean, and modern, all the touches of venture capitalists just eager to earn more money.

From what I'm told, the thing to get is the skewers, a side, and something to wash it all down. I ordered the full order of 2 shrimp skewers, cilantro jasmine rice, and a water. Total came out to $11.15 which is very reasonable for a flame grilled item. I took up residence outside in the barren wasteland of your typical cookie cutter outdoor mall setting. With a near perfect day outside, I can only hope this mall food doesn't rain on my parade.

My order was delivered to my table and I'm impressed. They did a very nice job on the plating and portion size is respectable. It looks like the real deal yo! Each skewer had 4 medium sized prawns, yellow squash, red onions, and garnished with a mango tomato salsa. Placed over a bed of coleslaw and 2 generous cups of cilantro jasmine rice.

coleslaw - no comment, since I don't eat the stuff. It's one of the few things I won't touch. I will pretty much eat anything except coleslaw and pickles.

rice - damm this rice is moist with chopped cilantro. I must have gotten 1st batch as it was excellent. I can swear it had a hint of coconut milk and taste like some of the stuff at thai restaurants but better....I will probably get struck by lightning for saying that.

skewers - cooked over a flame grill with charr marks to prove it. I quickly removed the items from the skewer and devoured my 1st skewer in 2 minutes flat. The prawns were cooked just right and had the right amount of seasonings. The 2nd skewer was equally as good if not better. Asqew Grill knows how to grill skewers! I would highly recommend trying the blackened prawns as the saltiness compliments the mild cilantro rice. Mix in the juicy veggies and when things are working the way they are today, you got BINGO.

It's hard to believe a restaurant this large can serve food this good. It's on the healthier side and still maintains a savory flavor. There aren't many restaurants that can pull this off but another place that comes to mind is Sonoma Chicken Coop. I've you've ever eaten there, you know the quality of food for the price is of great value. Asqew Grill does just that and might be better. I can imagine Asqew Grill will be opening up more places as more people try it. As of right now, there are 6 locations in the bay area. Hopefully they will open one up on the Peninsula.
 
8
Agent Rating


Reviewer: wchane
Total Reviews: 148
Reviewed: 10/28/2006
Rating: 8
My photo gallery		 This review is for the Marina location within San Francisco.

Neighboring such restaurants such as Pizza My Heart and Andele's in the Marina - Askew Grill stood out. As you enter it gives off almost a 'texas roadhouse' feel where the walls are decorated with building materials and the staff needs to wear X amount of 'bling.'

True to its namesake all items are served on skewers. We ordered a variety of items and the concept was marinated meats and vegtables skewered on short skewers and grilled. The beef items were grilled to delicious, where the juices just came out and the flesh still tender. The chicken skewers on the other hand although very flavorful were only breast meat and a bit on the dry side. All dishes were well presented and well dressed. The staff was more then accomodating especially since we were a huge crowd.

I'd drop by again.
 
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