By Stephanie Vaccaro, Staff Writer
MONTGOMERY Tusk, a new restaurant that is “a little bit of everything,” has opened at 1736 Route 206 in Montgomery.
The restaurant is owned by the Cheng family, which previously owned Ashes in Red Bank.
”We’ve been looking at this place for a long time,” said Chris Cheng, general manager.
Aside from Tiger’s Tale and One 53 in Rocky Hill, the locals have to go to Princeton or travel north for restaurants, said Mr. Cheng.
”Montgomery just seemed like it was lacking good places to eat,” he said.
”People get a false impression (about Tusk),” said Mr. Cheng. “They think it is an Asian place. We’re actually an American bistro with world fusion. We like to have just a little bit of everything.”
Mr. Cheng says the response by the public has been mixed in the opening weeks.
Mark Taruna, the chef who is running the kitchen, said a new restaurant “is always like that. It’s not an excuse. The point is I’m trying to make is that day by day, week by week, we have to fix it.”
”I have to follow what the majority of clients like,” said Mr. Taruna, a native of Indonesia. “That’s the principle for how I cook. It’s a new place. I need more information from the clients coming in.”
Mr. Taruna wants to make some adjustments to the dinner menu. He described his food as having no borders, with the flavors coming from all sources. For him, a beautiful song is a beautiful song, no matter its origin. With cooking, it is the same, he said.
They’ve been busier than expected.
At 1 p.m. they put out a sign on the first day and ended up selling 150 dinners.
Appetizers range from $7 to $10. There is a raw bar. Pastas range from $13 to $18. Steaks and chops range from $15 to $26. And entrees range from $16 to $22.
Tusk is opening for lunch, Monday to Friday, starting July 5.
”For lunch, I think we’re going to put in a healthy conscious fusion lunch menu,” said Mr. Taruna.
They will also be opening for Sunday brunch beginning July 17.
The restaurant seats 220 to 240 inside, 75 outside and the lounge seats 100, said Mr. Cheng. They have a private VIP room and a banquet room that can accommodate 175.
”We grow with our clients help,” said Mr. Cheng. “Hopefully every time they come back it just gets better and better.”
For more information, see www.tuskrestaurant.com.
