Naisa Pan-Asian Café: Where simplistic cooking, color and community collide
At the Naisa Pan-Asian Café, husband and wife owners Chi Christina Hsieh and Qi Guang Cao have created a restaurant that distinguishes itself from others by cooking simply, cleanly and without the use of gadgets. Walk into the kitchen and you will find no mechanical food processors – just one trusted tool: the Chinese Knife.
“Naisa” is simply Asian spelled backwards; a title conjured up by artist, interior designer, student and friend, Richard Anderson. The walls are covered with fine art from students of Indianapolis’ Herron School of Art and are regularly rotated. Many of these talented artists are actually employed at Naisa.
With Master Chef Liu heading up the large kitchen, the Naisa Pan-Asian Café is becoming very popular in the Fountain Square region a few minutes southeast of downtown Indy. The waiting staff, all handpicked for their cheerful personality, serve dishes with color and flavor that can be adjusted to your own palette. There are no frozen vegetables or cakes on the menu, and every sauce is handmade from the finest ingredients.
The small plate section of their reasonably priced menu includes Veggie Spring Rolls, Shrimp Tempura, Chicken Satay and Pork Dumplings. For a spicier option, try the Hot and Sour Soup made with mushrooms, carrots, celery, bamboo shoots, scrambled eggs and tofu – all swimming in a chicken-based broth.
The most alluring entrée is the Tangerine Chicken, a flavorful dish of breaded chicken sautéed with chili peppers in a sweet and spicy sauce using tangerine juice and peel. For a fried rice dish, go for the Spicy Basil Curry, a dish sautéed with fresh Thai Basil, yellow curry, bean sprouts, snow peas, carrots, onions and your choice of meat or tofu.
Only one item is listed on the dessert menu – Cinnamon Sugar Puffs with Honey Ginger Dipping Sauce. The owner explains that when you make one thing so well, nothing else is needed.
With an approach to cuisine as refreshing as its ingredients, it looks like the Naisa Pan-Asian Café is here to stay.
HelloIndianapolis Tip: Large groups should book in advance. The restaurant is busiest on first Friday of the month.
- by Jim Brown , Indianapolis Reporter for HelloMetro
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Jim Brown Jim Brown is a longtime freelance aviation, travel and destination writer and communications professional. A former reporter for Aviation Daily, Air Safety Week and World Airline News, Jim served for more than 15 years as a senior public relations executive for American Airlines, TWA and AirTran Airways.
