Moonchine Asian Bistro

• Cuisine(s): Japanese, Pan-Asian, Sushi, Thai
  Hours: Sun 11am-10:30pm, Mon-Thu 11am-11pm, Fri 11am-0am, Sat 11am-2am
  Price: $$
  Payment Types: All Major Credit Cards
• Attire: Casual
  Features: Smoking, Patio/Sidewalk Dining, Takeout, Delivery, Private Party, Wheelchair Accessible, Kid Friendly, Vegetarian Friendly
  Serving: Brunch, Dinner, Late Night, Lunch
  Alcohol: Full bar
• Reservations: Accepted
  Parking: Lot Available, Street

Description

At Moonchine, kitsch is an understatement. Basking in this eatery's red, Amsterdam-esque glow are purple walls, hanging lanterns, sterile silver counters, and bamboo embellishments galore. Waitresses wear harajuku-inspired Japanese schoolgirl uniforms, and if you're lucky, you can catch a random movie, such as St. Elmo's Fire, playing muted on a large projection screen. The pan-Asian and sushi menu is an array of crowd-pleasing (if not always overly generous) dishes at affordable prices. Stalwarts such as tuna and salmon tataki, pad thai, and authentic Thai-style curries are competently prepared and flavorful. Traditional (American) sushi rolls such as the California ($5.95) and the JB ($8.95) are available, but try some of the original creations, including the glutton-friendly deep-fried rainbow roll, the tres amigos ($10.95), and the light and fresh mango roll ($9.95), stuffed with spicy tuna and cilantro. If you have a difficult time deciding what to order, hit up the all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch, which boasts all of the most popular items from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for $15.95. And for dessert, skip all the generic tempura offerings and opt for the sticky rice mango ($6); it's sweet, light, and simply perfect. At night, their charming garden area located in the outside rear of the restaurant turns into Lounge 71 -- a funky bar with hanging lights, white linen drapes, thatch walls and yes, more harajuku-inspired Japanese schoolgirl waitresses except instead of serving sushi, they're pushing shots.