Among New York City foodies, it is no secret that there are no secrets. A good thing, too --- a kept secret is more likely to become a closed restaurant or vanished food cart. However there are some hard to find spots, places that you are less likely to stumble across by accident. Kuma Inn is just such a place.
On the southern end of the restaurant and bar-filled blocks between Houston and Delancey Street, it would be easy to miss Kuma Inn. Hidden away behind a relatively non-descript door and up a staircase you’ll find this cozy space serving excellent Southeast Asian-style tapas (from the menu: “small plate appetizers that usually accompany sherry or other aperitifs, in this case sake”) accompanied by an extensive sake list.
Tapas suit my eating out style – I hate to commit to a whole entrée, and love to taste a little bit of everything. The night we visited, two of us shared five dishes plus one order of sticky rice. Four dishes per person is the recommendation, so consider placing more than one order of a few dishes at a time to better gauge your increasing fullness. Sautéed Chinese Sausage with Thai Chili Sauce was the stand-out dish. The savory sausage dipped in the lime and cilantro based chili sauce was an unexpectedly pleasing pairing. Wasabi Pork Shumai were little balls of surprise. The first one I tried deliver a powerful wasabi kick and tears welled up in my eyes as my sinuses cleared, while my companion declared them “mild.” I proceeded with caution as I tried another shumai, only to find the rest much lighter on the wasabi. Pan-fried Kuma Crab Cakes were firm not mushy while still yielding perfectly to chopsticks, served with saffron aioli. Mix Stix Ku (skewered pork, chicken, and beef) was competently prepared, but bland in comparison to the rest of the dishes we tried.
Kuma Inn is cash only and since seating is limited avoid the wait by making reservations in advance, especially for parties of more than two.
Kuma Inn
113 Ludlow St, 2nd Fl. (between Delancey and Rivington)
New York 10002
212-353-8866
Reviews: Citysearch, NYMetro
