East Village, Manhattan, NY, Restaurant Review Cooper 35 "Asian Pub"

I admit - I am biased. A friend of mine worked at Cooper 35, otherwise known as "Asian Pub" and still moonlights there from time to time. Still, I have not been able to take advantage of his discounts for at least a couple of years now, but I keep going. I keep going because the food - Asian fusion - is so cheap and SO good. Another one of my friends periodically gets insatiable cravings for their Chicken Dumplings; I usually yearn for the Black Bean Gyoza. Their Calamari is lightly breaded and not at all greasy. The Crabcakes are delicious. The Oriental Ribs are delicious. The Pad Thai is delicious. The Hawaiian Shrimp is...you get the idea. If you are out with people, I suggest sticking with the six dollar appetizers and eating family-style. The appetizers are usually about $6.00 dollars, with most entrees ranging between $9.00 and $11.00 dollars.

The drinks are strong; another (a third) friend has compared them to "gasoline." But at $4.00 dollars per drink, all night, who can complain? But do not go here and drink unless you are prepared for the possibility of sitting on the curb while friends call you a cab because you can no longer walk straight. There is also outdoor seating, a wide, fenced off patio, which is very nice and fills up fairly quickly in good weather.

Possible downsides: there is no live music or space to dance...there is no room for it. It attracts the nearby New York University kids, and is often raucous enough to eliminate the possibility of any ongoing conversation. The bar is TINY. If I am going to go out to drink, I prefer a seat at the bar; to get one here, you have to get there when they open. When the place gets crowded, long lines form for the two single toilet bathrooms. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful, but sometimes there are often simply not enough waiters on shift.

But honestly, these are mostly pretty trivial concerns. The food is good and cheap. The drinks are cheap and strong. And everyone that I know who comes there has a pretty good, if not memorable, time.

Cooper 35 is located at 35 Cooper Square, across the street from the Village Voice building; you can get there. You can get there by taking the 6 train to Astor Place, the R or W to 8^th Street-Broadway or the F or V to 2^nd. Avenue-Houston Street.