A few weeks ago, I noticed that a new restaurant was opening in our ‘hood. This is cause for celebration since mostly what’s been going up lately is bank branches and Duane Reades.

With our neighbors, Marlene and Dave, we decided to check the place out. Named Ozen, it bills itself as Asian fusion, which I thought meant the chef would be combining Asian cuisine, with, say French, but which actually means, an enormous pan-Asian menu. Want Japanese? It’s there. Want Chinese? It’s there too.

I’m happy to report that Ozen fits the bill for a neighborhood eatery. It’s cheap and good. Tempura was fried perfectly, light and crisp and not greasy. The sushi was fresh. The best deal is a dinner special that comes with soup and salad. I had a bento box with sushi, tempura and some mini pork dumplings that were amazingly light and tender.

Also…if you’re searching for grub, check out http://www.frederickjames.com, a new local search site that lets you know, block by block, which merchants including restaurants, are on which New York streets.

Ozen
760 Amsterdam
97th and Amsterdam
NY, NY
212 679 0300
NY, NY