ACE is a remarkable little restaurant. Neat and spare, it's a shoebox packed with a dining area and a sushi counter displaying dewy raw fish. A few pan-Asian artifacts dot the walls. Yet while the décor might lack luxe, the creative dishes delivered plenty.
Ace's style is elusive. The owner, who is from Indonesia, and the chef, who is from China, modestly call their cuisine Asian-French, but their menu lists items clearly inspired by ingredients from other parts of the globe as well. For example, note the Thai soup, and the Cajun spin on udon crawfish étouffée and the Tex-Mex echo in the new wave taco plate.
About two-thirds of the menu is devoted to creative use of excellent fresh fish. Sushi rolls are in good supply, including the simple and familiar tuna, salmon jalapeño, spicy crab, smoked eel and, yes, California rolls.
And then there are the more elaborate and delightful theme rolls, like the applejack roll made of apple, crab, shrimp, avocado and mango showered with bright red tobiko roe and the Manhattan roll with salmon, tuna, avocado and cucumber with red and green roe. All the rolls here are tightly packed and include only a modicum of rice. The only special roll that might be an acquired taste is the ikura (roe) cucumber roll, with a sea flavor that some diners might find unpleasantly strong.
The restaurant accommodates patrons who appreciate the complexity of rolls but who prefer cooked fish. A section of the menu lists the possibilities of having, say, lobster, soft-shell crab and tempura-style fish rolled up with vegetables. When a special item comes in like the top-drawer pale o-toro (tuna), it's announced on a card near the entrance. But no one will be disappointed choosing seafood from the usual supply, which includes wild salmon, scallop, yellowtail and Spanish mackerel.
Patrons could compose a satisfying meal of appetizers. A circle of grilled shrimp came with a terrific mango salsa heady with cilantro; and traditional shrimp shumai (steamed dumplings) were fat and homemade. Savory curried chicken lumpia (a Filipino rice-based wrapper) resembled a huge egg roll. And fanned, sliced avocado and a pool of roasted corn sauce thickened with goat cheese set off a flat crab-packed crab cake - a sweet dish.
This restaurant's artistic presentation was no better seen than in the avocado seafood tartare: petals of avocado formed two cups, one with a center of yellowtail and one with the fish tartare. Crisped open won ton shells were the tacos for marinated shrimp and for chopped tuna, both touched with chili. The pink of lobster shone through the translucent wrapper of cool Vietnamese summer rolls. Truffle oil laced the salmon tartare, filling another won ton cup; while fragrant basil vinaigrette added a fresh herbal kick to both warm and cold seafood salad.
The soups here are deep flavored. Try thickish sweet potato soup with a small lobster tail garnish and a shot of crème fraîche or Thai seafood soup flavored with coconut and aromatic lemon grass, a classic pairing.
Entrees, like most dishes here, are high in protein. Three succulent perfect baby lamb chops came arranged on a bed of gingery apple cole slaw, instead of the traditional mashed potatoes. A gentle orange sauce could have had a more pronounced fruitiness, but nothing was wrong with the slices of tender duck it moistened. A sweet bouillabaisse, thickened with Japanese pumpkin, had lobster as the star, with scallops and shrimp in supporting roles. Seared salmon, soft within and crisped without, arrived nicely medium-rare to order.
Desserts are also unusual. Roasted banana crepe might have been a tad too sweet, but the must-have dessert here is an airy little cake called fallen chocolate soufflé, freshly baked and served still steaming and oozing molten chocolate. Or try aromatic ginger crème brûlée.
ACE
677 Commerce Street,
Thornwood. (914) 741-0888
EXCELLENT
Atmosphere A tiled front patio with tables and market umbrellas leads to a small unpretentious dining room and sushi counter. Small staff hustles and aims to please.
Recommended dishes Almost all, but especially sushi and special rolls, grilled shrimp, curried chicken lumpia (rolls), avocado seafood tartare, Vietnamese summer rolls, shrimp shumai, Thai seafood soup, sweet potato soup, roasted duck breast, grilled lamb chops, new wave taco plate, fallen chocolate soufflé, ginger crème brûlée. The menu is on the Internet: acecuisine.com.
Prices Appetizers, $5 to $18. Entrees, $14 to $27. Lunch specials, $12 to $15.
Credit cards Major cards.
Hours Tuesday to Friday, noon to 10 p.m.; Saturday, Sunday and Monday, 4 to 10 p.m.
Reservations Usually necessary; space is tight and there is no waiting area.
Wheelchair access: A few shallow steps down from the dining patio.
The Ratings Excellent. Very Good. Good. Satisfactory. Poor. Ratings reflect the reviewer's reaction primarily to food, with ambience and service taken into consideration. Menu listings and prices are subject to change.
Review published: Aug. 28, 2005