Chef Shahaf Shabtay to Replace Alex Urena at Fusion Restaurant Tasca Chino

After nearly a year, Tasca Chino, the Chinese/Latin restaurant on Park Avenue South, will change its chef and concept. Alex Urena will be departing, along with many of his Spanish dishes, and Israeli chef Shahaf Shabtay will take over the range. Shabday, who owns the Asian restaurant SaSaZu in Prague, will increase the kitchen's scope to focus more broadly on Asian cuisine. The offerings will be divided into five sections: Early Morning Market (vegetables); San Sebastian Port (seafood); 5 Kilo Bag (rice dishes); Golden Sun (crispy items); and Glowing Grill. Among the menu items are green papaya salad with mint, cashew, kaffir lime, mango and date sugar vinaigrette; baby beef with miso mustard, arugula, and Madeira wine; and slow roasted duck with pickles, daikon, and tamarind barbecue sauce. "We will keep the paellas because they are a hit, but the rest of the menu will become more overall Asian,'' says David Sasson, a partner, along with Simon Oren and Alon Jibli.