Welcome Tana–Where Chopsticks are the Only Passport You’ll Need
The long wait for Tana Asian Café is finally over. A big red ribbon on the door welcomed customers a few weeks ago for the grand opening on 454 E. College Ave.
The layout and appearance is similar to what used to be Cozy Thai Bistro, which is owned by the same people and moved to its new location at 232 S. Allen. Wooden tables and chairs are surrounded by elephant statues and illuminated by round orange and white lights. Soft music plays in the background keeping the atmosphere peaceful but popping.
Once seated, the authenticity kicks in with tables adorned with chopsticks and a set of crushed peanuts, chili sauce, sesame oil and soy sauce. Pronouncing menu items is a challenge, but you have nothing to worry about; servers have it covered and know the choices inside and out. Even though there are only about four appetizer choices, seven noodle dishes and ten entrées, Tana takes you through Asia leaving you with a taste of Japanese, Korean, Thai, Chinese and Malay delicacies.
With the average entrée costing around $9, be prepared to spend approximately $20 per person (credit cards are welcome) for an appetizer, drink, entrée and dessert. The healthy and satisfying portions make the price well worth it. (Although the menu lists a separate section for vegetarian items, the choices are limited.)
If you want an authentic Asian dining experience, which all too often means fried food, add Tana to the top of your list for favorite local restaurants. There’s metered street parking during the day, free street parking after 6 and handicapped access. And if you can’t wait for a night out, get your Chicken Drunken Spaghetti to go.
Priya Jhaveri is a junior at Penn State majoring in print journalism with a minor in business. Born in Mumbai, India and brought up in Hong Kong, Priya loves traveling and writing about her experiences. This summer Priya is learning about all things local as our Homegrown Happy Valley intern.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010 at 8:55 pm and is filed under Food. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
July 17th, 2010 at 10:21 am
They had 2 vegetarian dishes on the menu and both were wonderful! Really a wonderful place to go to. I am sure that they will increase their vegetarian items as the year goes on.