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The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

Asian Restaurant Opens in Former Alphaville Toy Store

By Andrea Swalec | August 17, 2011 3:51pm
Arbor Bistro sushi chef Ken Lin stands at the sushi counter on Aug. 16, 2011, the restaurant's opening day.
Arbor Bistro sushi chef Ken Lin stands at the sushi counter on Aug. 16, 2011, the restaurant's opening day.
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DNAinfo/Andrea Swalec

WEST VILLAGE — Sushi rolls and plates of Pad Thai are being served up on West Houston Street where Jetsons board games and vintage dolls once sold. 

The pan-Asian restaurant Arbor Bistro opened Tuesday at 226 W. Houston St., in the spot the antique toy store Alphaville called home for 16 years.

Arbor Bistro serves sushi, noodle dishes and signature entrees like Korean grilled baby back ribs. Manager Nicole Chen said the restaurant spotlights Asia's best cuisine. 

"We want to bring in the most interesting dishes from every Asian country. We have food from Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, Korea and China," she said. 

The 40-seat restaurant's lunch specials are priced between $8 and $13, and daily special dishes are in the works. Arbor Bistro currently offers takeout and delivery, and is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday and 12 noon to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 

Steve Karchin sat behind the counter of his former Houston Street toy store Alphaville in January 2010. Arbor Bistro's sushi counter is there now.
Steve Karchin sat behind the counter of his former Houston Street toy store Alphaville in January 2010. Arbor Bistro's sushi counter is there now.
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Nicole Breskin/DNAinfo

Chen said she wants the restaurant's customers to feel at home. 

"Our goal is to provide a cozy environment for people when they get off of work to have a little sake or something," she said. 

Alphaville left Houston Street in January 2010 when its lease expired and its heating and air conditioning unit broke, DNAinfo reported

Brokers told Crain's New York Business that though West Houston Street between Varick Street and Sixth Avenue has been a slow block for businesses in recent years, it's on the upswing. 

“Within a number of months, this important stretch will once again be lively,” Steve Rappaport of Sinvin Real Estate told Crain's.