Italiasia

I am concerned that many people forget this is a fusion restaurant. A fusion of Italian & Asian spices, cooking techniques & overall blend of deliciousness.
I had the most incredible strip steak. It had a hard well seasoned hard sear on it, it was a perfect medium rare, my preferance, was juicy, moist, tender & the flavor was full on great steak. This absolutely was one of the best steaks I have had in Tampa, including Bern’s.
My dining partner got the pasta. It was made with homemade egg type, wide noodles. The topping had like a shredded beef rib, maybe some veal, peas, no tomato products, nothing to remind you of a total Italian pasta dish, but you could see & taste the fusion of the 2 countries.
The pasta was quite a unique dish & 1 I sincerely doubt you will see in every Italian restaurant. I am very pleased I had the unique pleasure to try this dish.
Service was very courteous & accommodating. Dishes were a bit slow coming out of the kitchen, but we’ll worth the wait.
We thoroughly enjoyed all of both meals.
What’s a girl to do? Try new places & experience new fusions.

We went to Italiasia because we had a certificate. Saving $ 10 – 15 is always nice but we are fortunate enough that that doesn’t predicate our choices. The fun of certificates is discovering new restaurants. Sometimes to great results. NOT THIS TIME.
The concept sounds great. Southeast Asia and Italy. It is not necessarily complex and it is certainly not innovative but there is, in the hands of a good chef, potential in this particular fusion. A few area chefs are still rocking this concept. It was not ridiculous to think that a small chain might provide a savory meal with a well-​figured out structure to menu and staff. This experience makes me rethink that entire previous statement.
It IS a hotel restaurant and I did see that in my online research. I wasn’t put off because this area supports much business travel (located within 2 miles of an International airport) and 2 other small chains in the area are at the height of providing delightfully composed plates based on local agricultural choices as well as sushi grade seafood and housemade sauces and seasonings. Sadly, not here.
First we ordered the «Deconstructed Seafood Rangoon.» I’ve had this old favorite, nicely reimagined before and enjoyed it. Here the menu description promised shrimp, scallops and lobster. The dish arrived on a plate but appeared to be a soup. Perhaps the cream cheese based sauce was supposed to be a thin one. However, if that was the idea, there was no spoon provided. After a few minutes of trying to take bites of the bland, dripping, small freezer shrimp (maybe one piece of lobster, no scallop), we just gave up and left the rest of the sopping mess on the plate. It was very difficult to eat and there was nothing that tasted good enough to entice us.
For entrees we ordered the Italian Angus Burger and the Yellowfin Tuna Salad sandwich.
I was not only excited about fresh Tuna Salad (ecstasy when truly fresh) but the described combination of capers, egg, etc. on tomato focaccia with Asian Slaw seemed like the light but comforting meal for which I was hoping. In theory, it is why I still enjoy fusion restaurants. Sometimes an individual chef’s takes on such dishes works. Sometimes, it doesn’t. This time, I didn’t even have the luxury of what a chef’s idea might have been. They were out of this dish. Out? A dish that is relatively inexpensive to make, can be almost fully prepped hours in advance and, anything leftover at the end of the night can become something else the next day as an inexpensive app special… out? OUT?
Fine, I quickly peruse the menu and choose an entrée that I cannot even recall. All I can remember is that the server told me they were also out of that. Again, I cannot recall what it was but it was a top tier, highly featured entrée. I was, at that point, shocked.
I ended up ordering the «Garden Sandwich.» We are talking about a basic portabella mushroom sandwich, very easily made fresh and, while boring, a hearty and delicious vegetarian option. Alas, no. It was soggy, salty and sadly unseasoned, not under-​seasoned, unseasoned. I think one would have to try to so thoroughly destroy this king of mushrooms. I then think that perhaps the «Asian Slaw» and «Sweet & Spicy Pickles» that the menu claims come with every meal might dress it up a bit. I realize there is not any slaw on my plate. There is a pickle. It is limp and in no way «Sweet» or «Spicy.» It has been living in a jar somewhere for the last few years before it made it’s way to my pathetic plate as a water-​logged piece of old cucumber. I asked about the slaw and the server, looking embarrassed, came back with a small bowl of shredded red cabbage. No seasoning, no oil or mayo/​aioli or vinegar or garnish. Nothing. Seriously. In the meantime, my fries were very overcooked. There was nothing on my plate to eat and I was still hungry.
As for my partner’s burger. The middle was cold. Cold. From the freezer. Gray and cold. He stopped eating about the time I did and asked if there were any leftovers at home. The promised Prosciutto that was part of this burger was, as he described it to me, a piece of salami wrangled from the cellophane of some bottom shelf brand.
When we asked for the check, the server, still looking quite sheepish, pointed out that we hadn’t made the certificate minimum. He suggested dessert then immediately added that they didn’t have any of the desserts on menu but had cakes. Cakes? (No Crème Brule? No Cannoli?) We told him to bring us whatever looked best. He brought a slice of something with red in it and I recognized it as one of the pound cakes that had been listed as ‘on sale’ in a local grocery store circular that week. I didn’t want it then and I didn’t want it now. We tipped the pathetic but well-​meaning server as nicely as possible but the fact is we had just spent an hour and half (yes, there is that too: we waited for everything) in a restaurant that seems within weeks of closing. Please close, Italiasia. You have nothing to offer.