Queens Tribune

Ai Passion
20-02 Utopia Pkwy., Whitestone
(718) 352-8822
Cuisine: Asian / Sushi
Hours: Mon to Thurs. 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Fri 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.; Sat. 12:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.; Sun. 1:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Parking: Street
Credit Cards: Yes
Delivery: Yes

This is not a revelation, but a realization. I don’t have a learned pallet. It couldn’t decipher between authentic French cuisine and something drowning in hollandaise sauce. But one thing it knows is good food, no matter the culture.

The day was boldly reminiscent of an early spring day instead of one cloaked in winter, so the soft jazz and a warm glow with which Ai Passion welcomed me was an added bonus to my good mood.

As I was eating solo, Kelly Chan, one of the proprietors of the establishment, sat with me and supplied jovial conversation.

The place is small. It seats about 50 people, but it is comfortable and cozy. The sushi bar is stocked to the hilt. A sushi chef waits quietly behind the counter for his customers.

As I’m more of a meat eater I didn’t venture over to the bar. I’m an eater of habit. Whether it was the good-natured weather or curiosity, I decided to buck my tradition and try something different.

When Chan suggested I try the Thai iced tea I thought “why not?” She brought me a glass with a reddish brown liquid that resembled the color of clay. I had already made up my mind, “I wasn’t going to like it,” but with one sip, that notion fled. There is a simple hint of sweetness in the tea, just enough to allow you to believe that this isn’t tea at all.

I asked Chan for the favorite among her customers and she pointed out the pineapple fried rice and basil chicken. Like I said before, I broke tradition. So pineapple fried rice and basil chicken it was – loved it.
It’s more than just the pineapples that give the rice a different flavor from all the other generic fried rice you find at the average Chinese restaurant. It’s everything – from the subtle sweetness of the pineapples, the small pieces of beef to its non greasy texture.

According to Chan, the goal is to make traditional healthy foods without sacrificing taste. She said the restaurant does not use MSG in its food.

The only words that describe the basil chicken are tender and tasty. The chicken is surrounded by onions, basil leaves, baby corn and red and green peppers.
Kelly then introduced me to a platter of shrimp tempura, kaki fry (breaded oysters) and beef satay. Each specialty had its own dipping sauce. Kaki fry is dipped in a Japanese barbeque sauce which is mmm-mm good. But my absolute favorite was the beef satay dipped in a rich creamy peanut sauce. I used the peanut sauce on some of the fried rice – yup, it was that good.

I thought I had soared to the heights of Ai Passion, but I was delightfully mistaken. Dessert had not yet arrived. Fried green tea ice cream and fried cheesecake made my insides quiver.

The crusty outside of the ice cream has a slight taste of funnel cake. The plate is drizzled in chocolate sauce with a dollop of whipped cream and a cherry atop the ice cream.
The fried cheesecake is served on a plate drizzled in chocolate sauce, whipped cream and strawberries; desert alone is worth the price of admission.

- Sasha Austrie