1297 Route 300
Newburgh, New York
845.564.3848
www.yoborestaurant.com
5 Second Summary:
Price Range- Entrees $10-20 (at time of posting)
Ambiance- Kitschy, good place for fun with family and friends
Cuisine- Pan-Asian
Hits- Friendly, knowledgeable service, egg roll, dim sum
Misses- Over-the-top, Orient-exotic decor
After a day of berry picking in Fishkill and with Zagat guide in hand, Rich and I did the old “close-your-eyes-and-point” method of choosing a place to eat lunch. We wound up at Yobo in nearby Newburgh. It was an odd hour closer to dinner time, so there were few people in the restaurant. From the gurgling fountain and the giant stone Buddha in the middle of the floor to the faux cherry blossoms, box lantern lamps, and lit-up sugegasa (or bamboo dou lì) hats, the decor was totally demanded one’s attention.
We were warmly (and loudly) greeted by every employee on our way to our table. Nearly everything seemed cause for celebration: the paper parasols in our soda, streamers festooned from the ceiling, and more colors than Macy’s fireworks display.
All that said, we kind-of liked it. Don’t get me wrong… We weren’t going to have our wedding here, but the kitsch was novel and seemed well-intended. Someone put his/her heart and soul into decorating this place to the nines, and we were happy to oblige in checking out the scenery.
First, we were delivered two icy Diet Cokes. Now, have I mentioned this before? I’m a soda sommelier. There is a precise mixture of carbonation, syrup, and temperature in fountain soda that is unlike any other ecstasy known to man. I’m not a big boozer, I don’t smoke, and I’m not one to intensely overindulge… but soda is my vice: the one bad-for-you thing I refuse to give up. Yobo has some kick-butt soda.
In preparation for our meal, our mild-mannered, friendly, and knowledgeable waiter placed small plates of lemon sauce and duck-sauced edged with wasabi in front of each of us. We enjoyed the latter combination and agreed to recreate it often at home.
Rich started off with Yobo’s specialty egg roll: sliced chicken breast and snow peas wrapped in an egg crepe, then battered, fried, and served over a tea candle garnished with scallion. Ho-ly cow! Rich and I agreed that it was the best egg roll we’d ever tasted… alone worth the trip to Newburgh.
I chose ling yung (sweet lotus buns) from the dim sum menu. They were soft in consistency with delicious, sweet lotus seed paste (like a custard) inside. Served piping hot, the custard, which is not unlike red bean paste but a bit sweeter, actually scalded my tongue.
Rich chose honey-dipped orange beef for his entree. Served seared with orange peel and chili pepper, my chopsticks frequently made their way over to his side of the table. The drip marks on the plate rim lost a few points for presentation, but those points were gained back for flavor. I spooned Rich’s leftover sauce onto nearly everything on my plate.
Considerably lamer because I’m watching my diet, I chose the steamed vegetable basket (diet shmiet after glomming orange sauce onto everything…). Again, served piping hot, the basket came with broccoli, ripple-cut carrots, green and red pepper, snow peas, onion chunks, and some washed-out celery.
The basket was served with a trio of sauces, including Japanese barbeque sauce, peanut sauce, and more of the lemon sauce. Our waiter put down other sauces as well- too many to keep track of, really.We left too full for dessert. With so many choices on the menu: Korean kimchi, sushi, hibachi, as well as Cantonese, Schezuan, and Shanghai specialties, we were surprised at how much we’d enjoyed our meal. It wasn’t gourmet stylings, but it was comforting, good food served by nice people. There are a lot of other places we’d like to point-and-try the next time we’re in the area, but we’d certainly recommend this one.
