We talked with Peggy, the manager of the new Anjin restaurant at the old Friendly’s spot on Lehigh Street. A step inside reveals a smart, dark decor that looks far more upscale than the price range of the restaurant. The restaurant will be a fusion of Thai, Chinese, and Japanese cuisine. Peggy had another restaurant in Iowa with a similar theme and notes, “People don’t just want to eat one style of food right now, they want a mix.” Asian fusion is growing in popularity in Philly and NYC and this will be one of the valley’s first such restaurants. Entrees will be around $7 and they will be serving beer, wine, and cocktails, but not immediately due to the liquor license transfer wait time. They expect an April opening. Below is a photo of the new exterior, replacing a chipped, rundown white paint-job the old Friendly’s used to tout.
We had the name of the new Emeril’s spot back in February and they finally announced the full details of Emeril’s Italian Table. The third installment of Emeril’s will be coming in May. The menu will consist of antipasto, a wood-burning pizza oven, cured meats, cheese, and a smathering of Italian wine. It will have a large, open kitchen for easy viewing of the preparation. The entrance will be along the walkway between the hotel and the casino, which will be located between St James Gate and the gourmet marketplace. We heard it will be a traditional Italian setup, with a long, narrow dining space. With Eataly open and thriving in NYC and gourmet valley spots like Mama Nina and Olio constantly packed, Emeril’s Italian Table is sure to be a spot to hit in the months to come for foodies.
3 comments
If you think Lehigh Vally doesn’t have Asian Fusion resturants you must not go to many asian places. Check out Asia on Susquehanna Ave in Allentown or Sogo near Center Square Easton. Both are excellent quality resturants I would recomend to anyone looking for a good spot for lunch or dinner.
http://www.asiaorientalcuisine.com/
http://www.sogofusion.com/
There’s also a place called Bay Leaf in Allentown which I’ve never been to, but recently participated in Allentown’s first resturant week. Or Pacific Fusion in Nazareth which I had take out once and was okay.
Valid points…I always classified Sogo as Japanese and Asia as Chinese, but a look at their menus does reveal other regional influences in their dishes. Both places I’ve yet to hit for reviews. Thanks for pointing that out!
[…] Anjin Asian Diner and Grill, which opened at the former Friendly’s location in April of 2011, has shut down. It is replaced by the now-open Bangkok Thai Cuisine. Lehigh Valley Epicurus was able to snag a menu (they opened a day after we stopped by) so you can head over there to check out the whole thing. It’s quite extensive. Tagged as: allentown, anjin, bangkok thai cuisine […]