Variety Is Spice of Life at Aysia

There’s hardly an egg in sight at Aysia 101’s brunch buffet. That’s just one clue that this is not your typical all-you-can eat affair. Call me jaded, but I’ve had too many shriveled sausages and rubbery buffet eggs.

If the midday meal has a tarnished reputation, Aysia 101 is doing its best to add polish. Billed as an all-you-can-eat brunch and sake (and champagne) buffet for $24.95, the staggering variety of foods offered and the amount of champagne poured make this Newport Beach feast a bargain.

The setting for Aysia 101, housed in the former John Dominis space on Coast Highway, is a large room with a stunning view of Newport Harbor. Tropical plants and blond furniture provide a soothing, nouveau Polynesian feel to the dining room--think Don Ho meets Frank Lloyd Wright.

Fake boulders and leopard skin stools add a “Gilligan’s Island” touch, and friendly waiters in Hawaiian shirts look as if they’ve strayed from a luau. All of it gives the place a party atmosphere; or maybe it’s the free-flowing alcohol. After a sake or two, you won’t want to leave.

Fare from China, Japan and Southeast Asia--including sushi, salad, soups, cold seafood and desserts--are spread over a half-dozen serving stations decked with orchids and bougainvillea. Many of the selections change, but a core group of noodles, curry, shrimp, crab, dim sum and fresh fish are constants.

On our recent visit, a carver worked on prime rib. But two finicky teenagers and their parents passed up the beef, opting for sushi, clams in black bean sauce, Szechwan green beans, coconut Malaysian rice and crab claws.

Chefs in toques stand guard, offering waffles with the works (fruit, syrup, whipped cream) and omelets to the rare diner who requests one. Choices at the sushi table include spicy tuna, halibut, albacore and shrimp. Dim sum include barbecued bao (steamed pork buns), boiled and fried dumplings, shu mai and egg rolls.

On the day we visited, the fresh fish--a moist and delicious salmon--was served in teriyaki sauce. A variety of salads and soups was available, along with hot dishes such as beef curry, basmati lentil rice, Korean ribs, clams and mussels in black-bean sauce, salt-and-pepper shrimp, stir-fried vegetables with chilies and green onions.

Most of the sauces are pungent and flavorful. The best is the black-bean sauce. While the curry was tasty, the beef was tough. The fried foods--egg rolls and dumplings--tend to be greasy. The fried calamari, though a bit oily, was of good quality and tasted wonderful.

Dessert tables yield a whole new set of surprises.

On the American side, double fudge chocolate cake, pecan bars, lemon squares, chocolate-dipped strawberries and other sweets are too tempting to pass by in favor of the more unusual Asian confections at the next table: Japanese coconut gelatin, nutty tapioca pudding, red bean moon cakes, rice pudding and an assortment of creamy souffle cups topped with carved garnishes and flower petals. Dessert requires at least two trips.

Aysia 101, which has been open a year, is owned by John and Patricia Sharpe of Irvine, owners of Bistro 210 in Newport Beach, Topaz at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana and Diva in the South Coast Metro area of Costa Mesa. Brunch is served from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. If this meal is any indication, Aysia night life (which includes dinner, jazz, dancing and cigars on the terrace) is worth a visit.

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Aysia 101, 2901 W. Coast Highway, Newport Beach. Brunch served from 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Sundays. $24.95. (949) 722-4128. Reservations are recommended.