Mia is an Asian Fusion shop on Aurora Street in Ithaca. This area is noted for some compelling dining venues so a chef needs to bring his A Game to compete in this neighborhood. In the case of Mia, Executive Chef Yuttanun Nakaranuruck has crafted a superb mix of flavors and spices to fuse together the tastes of Japan, China, Thailand, and India into a unique and captivating menu. Mia has a sophisticated interior decor that holds fewer than ten tables. They don't take reservations (I would suggest they ought to do so) so one might have to nurse a beverage at the bar while waiting for a table. They do have outdoor seating behind the store but, in 90 degree heat, this was not a very appealing option. In the event, we were fortunate to claim a freshly vacated table and so our evening began without a hitch. This is a Pan-Asian tapas store that does offer larger plate options but the small plates variety and flair makes tapas the obvious choice. We were greeted by Andrew, and Englishman who made his way to the Finger Lakes and chose not to return to Bedfordshire. His service was attentive, punctual, and he offered insight into an interesting if unusal assortment of Asian fusion offerings. Our evening began with Hendricks extra dry Gibsons up before transitioning to the Argiano Winery Super Tuscan which is a delectable blend of French Cab and Merlot with Tuscan Sangiovese. It conveys dark cherry, raspberry, and plum with an earthy underbrush before yielding to a velvety finish. Argiano has made this a staple of their cellar and it never ceases to satisfy. Moreover, when confronted with a bold menu such as Mia's, this full bodied wine has more than enough muscle to stand up to Thai, Chinese, and Indian tapas. At Andrew's suggestion, we selected the Prawns in Kerala curry with Japanese eggplant, Thai sun-dried beef with sticky rice, braised pork belly in a star anise and ginger soyu, and sautéed Asian greens with a mushroom garlic soyu & truffle oil. This blend of tapas complemented each other perfectly and more than sated our hunger. Having said which, their limited yet thought-provoking sleection of desserts was compelling and we finished with an Asian twist on Creme Brulee with double espressos with a twist. Mia is an interesting venue with an engaging selection of intriguing dishes. We believe it merits your attention. read more

See all

Had a reservation and was seated immediately which I like. The restaurant has a great vibe and felt clean. The server was so friendly and gave great suggestions. The food was brought out very timely and the servers were great at clearing all of the plates we were done with. The food was absolutely delicious and so were the drinks. The braised pork belly, paneer in Thai yellow curry, and Thai sun-dried beef with sticky rice were the favorites, but everything was so good. Definitely recommend coming here if you have time! read more

See all

I've heard amazing things about Mia from my friend, but unfortunately it didn't hit the mark for me. For a place with a unique menu, I found the food pretty standard and underwhelming. Ambiance is nice, service was just okay. Recs/what we tried: - sweet potato fries ($8): 4/5; pretty good, but tasted pretty standard - good for sharing, very filling. - braised pork belly ($13): 2/5; this dish was too oily for my liking, between the pork drenched in a sauce and the toasted bun - portion size was also way too small, and barely came with any meat. - panang curry ($20): 5/5. my friend's favorite that he orders every time; great option for vegetarians. - most of the desserts we've tried here weren't impressive; would skip them. Overall, I'm not sure I'd recommend - I personally didn't find too many things I liked the menu. read more

Mia Restaurant - Pork belly, sweet potato fritters, vegetarian option - Asian Fusion Near Me - Ithaca, New York

I do not recommend this restaurant at all. As soon as we sat down, we were told that if we didn't order within 5 minutes, we wouldn't be able to eat--yet no one even came to take our order. To make matters worse, another party that arrived 10 minutes after us was seated without issue. Since it was our first time here, we were looking at popular menu photos on Yelp and Google to place our order. When we did, the server shook their head repeatedly with an openly condescending attitude. Even though we are Asian and English is not our first language, we strongly felt discriminated against. When we finished our meal about 40 minutes later, the restaurant was still taking in new customers. They told us we couldn't eat unless we ordered within 5 minutes because they were closing soon... Was that 5-minute order rule meant only for us? read more

A solid restaurant in downtown Ithaca! Food was fine, nothing really blew me away. We ordered the Chicken Tikka Makhani, Mia BBQ Pork buns & Sautéed Asian Greens. Pork was very fatty-- buns overall were okay. I would eat them if they were in front of me, but I definitely wouldn't go out of my way for them or really any of the dishes we tried. I think the asian greens were actually my favorite. We also tried their drink special of the night (chocolate bitters w raspberry-- very very strong, could hardly taste anything other than the alcohol) and the Margarita (much tastier than our other drink). Overall, I will maybe return to try other dishes. Service was good, but nothing was exceptional. read more

Mia Restaurant - Mia BBQ Pork buns & Sauteed Asian Greens - Asian Fusion Near Me - Ithaca, New York

See all

The food is good but the service is not. Our waitress served the entree while we were still busy eating hors d'oevres. The table was tiny for four people. it was extremely awkward. Then when were finishing those entrees, she appeared and asked if we would like anything else. We took it as a hint to leave and release that tiny table. And we did just this. We will not return. read more

The crispy duck panang curry was the best i've ever had. The duck was perfectly crispy and the sauce was rich and flavorful. The thai steamed banana cake for dessert was also delicious! read more

Lovely place, welcoming and warm vibes from all the staff! The food is so incredibly good and wine/cocktail list offers a delightful number of choices! If the dining room is full, there's a full outdoor covered garden space with heating lamps and additional seating! Be sure and check out Mia's anytime you're passing through Ithaca! read more

Just wow. Tapas with multiple cuisines!! Great ambience inside but we opted to be seated outside. We ordered quite a number of small plates and were not disappointed with any of them. Highly recommend both the Tamarind and Baby Thai wings, the Kerala prawns, Dahl (definitely order a side of Naan), and the Thai sun-dried beef with sticky rice. For the large plates we ordered the Chicken Makhani, and finished our meal with the Thai coffee crème brûlée. read more

Smaller, but better! Ploy, the new owner, is doing a fantastic job serving delicious food and providing excellent service. You're always greeted with a smile. If you're lucky and come on the night they serve their special Beef Curry (and if it's not already sold out) you'll find yourself asking for more naan to mop up every last bit of sauce! An in the summer and fall, you can sit outside in the lovely heated back patio! read more

Looks and seems lovely but they must have problem with the heat so there goes the lovely atmosphere and I'm saying cold af It is exceptionally cold outside which is why they need to fix the heat Drink great for 15 bucks TomYum soup very good as well read more

Food was delicious! Service was excellent! We sat outside and it was cold so they put heat lamps on for us and we were comfortable! Highly recommend! read more

What a pleasant surprise in Ithaca! There was a great variety of small and large plates here of varying spice levels with Thai and Indian flavors. I had the large plate of roasted duck which was delicious in a savory sauce and bok choy. We also got a Penang curry with beef which was very spicy in a very good way. Memorable small plates included the mushroom satay and lotus fritters. I would skip the Dahl app and sea bass entree next time. We really enjoyed this meal! read more

See all

Mia was so wonderful ! Really tasty food, great service and a nice ambiance made for a five star experience all around. The menu has lots of small plates and some decadent sounding entrees. You can make a meal out of the small plates alone if you order enough! It was hard to pass on some of the mouthwatering entrees though. We started off with a few small plates -- bbq pork bao and grilled portobellos in peanut sauce. Pork bao are my favorite and these were no exception - the pork was super juicy and flavorful. Mushrooms weren't much to write home about but ordering a veggie at least made me feel a little better about myself. The highlight of my meal was for sure the beef stir fry which came in the sweetest sauce with so many fresh veggies and well cooked meat. This came with a side of fluffy white rice. My husband loved his crispy duck. We both cleared our plates! Mia has a full bar and you can wash everything down with a cocktail or choose from a selection of local wines and beers. It's all about the local wine in Ithaca, so of course we had to order some. Our server was super attentive and even though the restaurant felt crowded he continually came over to check in. If I return to Ithaca Mia will surely be on my list. read more

See all

This has always been a reliable option for a nice dinner. There are a variety of small and large plates (all appropriately portioned) as it is a tapas restaurant. There are also a variety of dishes ranging from curries to noodles to wings. The service is good. I have enjoyed the food each time I have come. They also have specials every night for tapas, entrees, and drinks. Note there are also a variety of dishes from different cuisines and cultures. read more

Mia Restaurant - Seaweed Salad, Kerala Curry, Chana Daal - Asian Fusion Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Went to Ithaca to see a show and decided to try Mia for Dinner. They do not take reservations, but luckily it was 20 degrees outside and the students were gone so there were plenty of tables available. We were quickly seated in between two other tables but there was enough space so it didn't feel like they were eating with us. The cocktails were solid, they had a couple new ones on the menu that hit the spot. If you like bourbon and they still have it, try the Adirondack. For food we split the samosa duck puffs with home made mango chutneys. The puff itself was ok, not quite as flavorful as I would have liked but the chutneys made up for it. My wife ordered the seabass in a spicy red curry and I ordered the NY strip. The seabass was fantastic! Beautifully cooked and the red curry complimented the delicate fish perfectly. Highly recommend it. My strip however was not quite what I was hoping it would be. Seasoning was ok, but advertised as indian spiced so I was expecting more. They slightly over cooked it to a medium and there was quite a bit of gristle. It came with arugula salad which was ok and white rice which was white rice. 8 out of 10 on the desserts. Thai coffee creme brûlée was excellent. The flavor and texture of the mango cheesecake was on point but little to no mango flavor. Bill came to $145, that's including 4 cocktails between the two of us. Overall, the food was solid and drinks were on point. I would probably try it again, but I wouldn't order the strip. read more

Great food and excellent cocktails. One of my favorites is the beef curry noodles. Lots of vegan and gluten free options.

Very pricey - spent more than $110 per person for what comes across as a garbled version of South Asian fusion - neither here nor there. Rice totally was undercooked, cheap, bland local American product and definitely not Basmati. Ambience there is cheap bistro - space was totally overcrowded and tables and chairs less than comfortable - had a lawn chair furniture feel. We had reservations made for a party of 12 persons weeks in advance. They managed to cram our whole party into two tables designed to service np more than 4 people each comfortably. The combination of cheap furnishings cramped space and placement near the kitchen door made it feel like like we were eating dinner on a Spirit Airlines flight in seating nearest the restrooms. So much for ever returning. A big hell no! You want good South Asian food for a reasonable price, I would suggest you pick and go visit the Bay Area or Houston to get your money's worth... read more

Came here on graduation weekend (reserved ahead of time of course). Each person gets to choose an appetizer, entree, and a dessert for $60 per person. Since we came in a group of 5, we shared the appetizers family style. For apps: seared tuna, crab wonton, beef skewers, shrimp with curry. The seared tuna has a strong pepper taste (so stay away if you don't like that). The beef skewers were deliciously marinated but a little on the dry side. The shrimp with curry was delicious (on the menu it says it's prawn, it's really just regular shrimp). The highlight was the crab wonton - this was delicious including the soup that came with it! For entree: I got duck in sweet and sour sauce, with rice on the side - this duck was absolutely delicious. Crispy skin, tender meat - the sauce was also really good albeit a tad too sweet. For dessert: did a little family style as well - mango cheesecake, lemon sorbet, and lava cake. The lemon sorbet was underwhelming. The mango cheesecake and lava cake were absolutely delicious. The lava cake had a raspberry swirl on top of the ice cream. The chocolate inside did melt like a lava (always the test of a good a lava cake), and the cake itself is pretty good, tasted like regular chocolate cake. Overall, a wonderful place to grab dinner at for a special occasion - the name of this restaurant lives up! read more

See all

Their food is spicy, delicious, and really hits the spot. Prices for entrees are reasonable. I tried the sea bass. read more

See all

DELICIOUS! great cozy ambiance, nice little outside dinning area, quick service, yummy wine, wide selection of unique and well done tapas, decent price, I tried lots of new things and they were all very impressive. Haven't been there in months and I still think about the muscles on a weekly basis. read more

Mia has always been a delightful place to enjoy a dinner, if perhaps a somewhat small location that can leave you feeling a bit cramped. That aside, it's a classier (but relaxed) restaurant that serves delicious, Asian-inspired tapas. I've always experienced really solid service here, with knowledgeable staff as well. I've also been having a Mia craving during all this covid craziness, so I opted to order for delivery the other day (a variety of items, just to have some leftovers). The order (with prices for reference) included: Order From Mia Tapas Bar: $7.50 Sauteed Brussel Sprouts $11.00 Lamb and Beef Kebab with Naan Bread $16.00 Prawns Pad Thai $21.00 Duck Panang I consider all the prices fairly reasonable especially given the deliciousness of the dishes. My cravings have been appeased (nom nom nom), and I'm already planning my next splurge on Mia to order some new items from the menu that I haven't tried before. TL;DR Mia is always a favorite - especially for a nice date night, but delivery for dinner at home works just as well. :) read more

See all

Great food! I got the half duck which came with a really well-made sauce that worked perfectly in combination with the veggies, rice, and duck itself. I'd definitely come back and the vibes are quite immaculate. read more

Mia Restaurant has moved from the middle of the Ithaca Commons to the old space that the Just a Taste restaurant occupied for years, 116 N. Aurora St. They've given the space a tasteful makeover and reinvented themselves as Mia Tapas Bar. Many restaurants are closed during January on Monday & Tuesday, so my friend and I were happy to discover they were open last night, as it was a bitterly cold 0°. We were instantly greeted by a friendly woman and then our waitperson Will came to offer us food & drink menus. My friend and I love to share plates, so the idea of tapas intrigued us. The first thing we got was the Mushroom Leek Soup - Sweet potato wakame noodles, Enoki mushrooms, carrots & soft tofu in a mushroom & ginger broth. I could eat this soup EVERY DAY in the winter, it was so savory and satisfying, and i highly recommend trying it! Next up, we shared the Northern style Indian chana dahl with spinach, (I would've liked a bit more spice) the Grilled Portobello mushroom satay with peanut sauce, (lovely but a rather small portion) and finally, the homemade vegetable spring rolls (tasty but a bit crunchier than I would've liked). My friend enjoyed the evening's special whiskey cocktail, and I tried a Mocking Dragon mocktail, which was Passionfruit Purée, Lime Juice, Ithaca Beer Company Ginger Beer, & Cucumber. Super yummy! We ended our feast with some complimentary mango mousse (our fabulous waitperson Will overheard that it was my friend's birthday) and it was delicious. All in all, a lovely experience and I wish the new owners all the best in their new location. The restaurant business is a tough one, so I hope the Ithaca foodie crowd comes out to experience Aurora St.'s latest offering. read more

Got a reservation here for graduation with my family and had to pay a set price per person for a 3 course meal. I got the duck for my main meal and it wasn't quite dry. Not my favorite from here!! The desserts were also very sweet. I've also been here before and got the pork belly multiple times, which is one of my favorite dishes from here - very tender and juicy. Would definitely recommend that dish from here. I liked how the restaurant was asian fusion tapas, very unique in Ithaca read more

Mia Restaurant - Graduation menu! - Asian Fusion Near Me - Ithaca, New York

See all

So good that we finished everything within 10 minutes. The pork belly and the sea bass with yellow curry are the best! read more

Mia Restaurant - two people sitting at a table with plates of food - Asian Fusion Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Pretty pricey for the food provided, but the pork ribs are pretty good. Service was okay, bartender was fun and attentive. Ambiance is nice but can get loud if it is super busy. read more

Asian tapas is a really interesting concept. We ordered a few tapas dishes like the chicken kolhopuri,tandoori lobster,chicken and corn fritters in green curry sauce,pork belly etc. Everything was tasty and fresh.Tandoori lobster was the best among tapas dishes. We also ordered some noodles which were okay. Definitely try the tapas if you are here. read more

See all

Had a wonderful meal. I am not vegan but happened to order three courses that were vegan Exceptional. But be aware everything is very spicy The only negative we ordered a bottle of wine it was $65 which I thought was expensive Possibly my husband wasn't aware of the cost of the bottlr read more

The duck was wonderful and succulent indeed! ... The service could best be described as Triple-B : Brisk, Brittle & Brusque ... Harried servers going through the motions as rapidly as possible, presumably so as to cope with a packed-out restaurant ... As a point of analogy, as an Ithacan it always astounds me when I walk around in Collegetown -- only once in a blue moon these days it seems -- to discover that the young students seem hell-bent on walking and acting as swiftly as aggressively -- just on those few blocks mind you! -- as people do in the gigantic, crowded cities from which many of them hail ... Point being, I think people from that kind of urban milieu may actually view that sort of brusqueness as a reassuring sign that it deserves its popularity! ... Whereas to a relaxed townie it may seem downright bizarre to feel treated that way ... But, hey, the duck was superb, the cocktail charming, and the dessert very very nice (as Borat might put it) & plenty of it to share 2 or 3 ways ... Most of all the birthday girl had her socks knocked off, so ... what's to kvetch I s'pose ... read more

Food is excellent and so are the cocktails. The place is consistent! Never had a bad meal there.

Food was good! We got the Penang curry and chicken tikka/makhani dish all my with brussel sprouts. Everything was good. The chicken in the tikka/makhani was cooked so well. But just be aware that this isn't the traditional chicken tikka from Indian restaurants in orange sauce...it's different for sure but so good The brussel sprouts were a little disappointing but everything else was good. read more

The burger was good. The seating is too close to others. We wanted to sit where we'd have a little more space. The hostess was very petty about our seating would not accommodate a simple request but our server was very accommodating and made up for it. Wasn't busy and we didn't have to wait too long. read more

Mia Restaurant - Asian Fusion Near Me - Ithaca, New York

See all

Had dinner here before the "Kathleen Madigan" show. The one positive- they had a table for us at 6:15 on a Friday night. Every other place had a 20 min- hr wait. The food, in general was mediocre. The duck puff pastry, I'm not sure even had duck in it. The chicken satay had been pre- boiled before cooking. Same with the 'roasted Brussel sprouts' , boiled then maybe touched a roaster or grill for 1 min. This made it very tasteless. On a positive on the food- their ramen noodles are quite good. If I were them, I would think about doing this as a menu item, in a bigger bowl with more noodles. read more

After 4 years in Ithaca, this has become one of my favorite restaurants in Commons. The food is always exceptional, and I have tried various things every time I've come in. Our favorites are the sweet potato fries, Panag curry, and chocolate lava cake. Servers are always attentive! We came here for a birthday, and although they don't take reservations they were able to seat our large party since we called ahead! read more

Mia Restaurant - Daily Special (salmon and shrimp in spicy Panag curry) - Asian Fusion Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Excellent tapas, everything we had was delicious! Service was great too! Would definitely come back. Only minor complaint I have is that the cocktail was a bit sub par, but it wasn't that bad, and the food more than made up for it. read more

The food and service were great! The best dish we had was the wonton soup. The broth was delicious. Our least favorite dish was the puff pastry. There was hardly any filling. I have ranked the dishes we had below: 1. Shrimp wonton soup 2. Fritters 3. Pork buns 4. Slow cooker pork with fried bun 5 Ramen noodles 6. Puff pastry Would recommend this place. Overall the food was great. read more

See all

I had the best chicken wings there. The food was delicious. The service was pleasant and atmosphere was delightful. I love the place. Everyone should go there and try there wonderful food. read more

Very busy restaurant even on a weekday. Nice decor and friendly service. Menu had a fusion type tapas and then main dishes. We were a family of 6, we got a combination of both tapas and main courses. The items that stood out were the BBQ pork buns, pad Thai with prawns and the beef tenderloin stir fried. Samosa we're ok as were the lotus root fritters. Overall very enjoyable meal and our waiter was really trying to keep up with everything even though they seemed very short staffed. read more

See all

Always a great meal and nice service. It is good that my gluten free and dairy free friends find delicious options.