Description
Fancy pan-Asian cuisine with gourmet ingredients--like shiitake mushrooms and daily-fresh noodles--for less than $10? No wonder these mall spots inspire two-hour waits on the weekends. Sure it's a chain, but the truth is they just do what they do really well: first-class components, thrown together at the last possible second, fresh as can be. The sesame noodles are hand-made, resilient and graced with a nutty, earthy sauce. Not only can you taste the chicken in the tamarind grilled chicken, but you can taste the fresh tamarind, all gingery and puckery. The focus on the ingredients is no surprise when you consider that the place was founded by food writer Bruce Cost--author of the reference book of record, Asian Ingredients.
