T.O.A. Asian Fusion to open in Merrick
Pork buns at T.O.A. Asian Fusion in Melville. Credit: Joann Vaglica
T.O.A. Asian Fusion is on a roll. Four months after opening its fifth location, in East Islip, the restaurant group has announced its sixth: Evan Chen, who owns the chain with Eric Lin, confirmed the group had bought the old George Martin Grillfire in Merrick and plans to open in March.
"We’re doing a full renovation," he said, "from the facade to an entire interior build-out."
T.O.A. stands for "Taste of Asia," and the menus at all locations (East Islip, Huntington, Farmingdale, Sayville, Melville) blend Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Malaysian and Vietnamese flavors. Chen told Newsday in May that the appeal of the concept is its range. "If a family is going out and one person likes Chinese, another likes Thai, another likes sushi — they can all have what they want."
George Korten, the owner of the now-extinguished Grillfire, had a 31-year run at 33 Sunrise Hwy. Korten (who also operates George Martin The Original and The George in Rockville Centre and George Martin Strip Steak in Great River) first opened a restaurant there in 1994. Route 66 Roadhouse was succeeded in 1996 by Nick Di Angelo and, in 2009, by Grillfire, a brand that Korten had established in Rockville Centre (2006 to 2016) and would extend to Syosset (2014 to 2017). Merrick's was the last of the Grillfires.
