Cinnabar opens in Massapequa
Crystal shrimp dumplings have a purple sheen at Cinnabar in Massapequa. Credit: Newsday / Andi Berlin
Long Island has officially entered an era when Asian fusion can be as highbrow as an underground omakase bar. Consider it the third wave of Asian fusion, after the flashy Pan-Asian restaurants of the '90s and the latest explosion of Chinese, Thai and sushi spots.
This new crop of restaurants, jump-started by the classy Mito Modern Japanese Cuisine and the clubby Cinnabar in Massapequa, are able to produce both Chinese and Japanese dishes worth raving about. The interiors recall a Disneyland-esque fantasy, and despite the name that sounds like an alcoholic cinnamon roll shop, Cinnabar is quite dazzling.
The blockish building, tucked behind a White Castle on the outstretches of the Sunrise Mall, has been transformed to look like a nightclub version of The Forbidden City. Paneled with dark red tones and glowing purple lights, it looks nothing like the Sizzler it once was, before it was redesigned as Ginza sushi bar, and later, a Ben's Crab. Flushing restaurateur Cathy Ren put a considerable amount of energy into the newest iteration of the space, filling it with human-sized bird cages over tables in the anteroom. Around a corner, there's a moody atrium of a dining room, accented by a backlit sushi bar.
Ren has been involved with a host of other Asian concepts, and this wide array of restaurants uniquely positions Cinnabar to excel at dim sum, Sichuan cuisine and sushi alike. The bar even punches above its weight with an unexpected cocktail like the Open Sesame ($15), which works sesame oil into a sweet citrus vodka drink rimmed with sugar, but giving off savory, nutty aromas.
Lychee shrimp lollipops at Cinnabar in Massapequa. Credit: Newsday/Andi Berlin
As you settle into your table, snacking on the complimentary nuts and pickled radishes served on a bed of decorative rocks, you'll notice servers delivering vases of what look to be bulbous lychee fruits with crinkly red skin. They're actually savory shrimp "lollipops" ($13), coated with an airy shield of dough puffs. The lollipops actually taste just as good as they look, the light crust giving way to delicate minced shrimp.
Dumplings are a hallmark of the kitchen but the most interesting one is listed with the entrees. Showcased in a large red tray, the duck breast in crispy taro ($35) is a traditional dim sum pastry, with a glow-up. Fried taro puffs are croquettes that typically have a crackly batter and a rich tuberous taro center, but here they're also filled with thick slices of duck breast … the most decadent dumpling imaginable, but worth it.
The sizable menu also has classic Cantonese American dishes like hot and sour soup, General Tso's chicken and beef and broccoli, but those are sandwiched between Sichuan and nouveau Chinese creations like an heirloom egg custard with freshwater eel, foie gras and truffle oil ($18). Don't overlook the dandan noodles ($15) on the last page of the menu, as the thick knife-tapered noodles come in an assertive sauce with a heavy douse of Chinese vinegar spunk.
Dandan noodles with minced pork at Cinnabar in Massapequa. Credit: Newsday / Andi Berlin
And even though it may seem like gilding the lily, a foray into raw fish is practically guaranteed after one look at the gorgeous plating coming from the sushi bar. Described as an "omakase style" platter of nigiri sushi, the Himitsu ($32) on the entrees section features a playful assortment of colors and textures. Each shimmering piece of squid, salmon, tuna and shrimp is dabbed with its own unique topping of fresh wasabi or salty fish eggs.
An offering of sweet raw shrimp, ama ebi, shines the brightest with its supple flesh, paired with the deep-fried head jutting out of a salad garnish nearby. With so many bold flavors on this table, it's difficult to concentrate on these varying and understated bites of sushi. But Cinnabar is everything but subtle and if you're in the mood for a blowout evening, just let go and embrace it.
Cinnabar, 45 Carmans Rd., Massapequa, 516-308-4648, instagram.com/cinnabar_ny. Open 2-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 2-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Andi Berlin is from Arizona and does not know where she is going. But when she gets there, she’ll find something beautiful and delicious that the world needs to taste.
