A Merging Of Menus

PACIFIC RIM: WE'VE ALL heard of it. Most of us have expressed it in one form or another. We LIVE on it. But what do we mean by it?

To a geologist it's a volcanic ring of fire. For an international trader it's ever-expanding commerce across an ever-shrinking (in terms of time and access) Pacific community of manufacturers and merchants.

Culturally and in culinary circles, it has come to mean something else: the interaction and occasional merging of foods, cooking techniques, tastes and styles. And in this sense, Pacific Rim has come to mean something relatively new, although not entirely so.

It is the growing recognition that in very fundamental ways (how we cook and how we eat), peoples living around the perimeter of the Pacific are beginning to share in each others' ways of life - and discovering newfound appreciations for them.

It means that herbs and spices once thought remote or impossibly exotic - like lemon grass or Szechwan peppercorns - are migrating from small ethnic markets to major food chains. And that you can now buy an American gas range from many appliance stores with a wok ring as an option.

A generation ago, ginger was a dried spice that came in a little metal box that was hauled out twice a year to make cookies or a pie. Today, most of us think of ginger as a fresh rhizome or root and use it as those in Asia, South and Southeast Asia do.

Restaurants have followed a similar course of cross-cultural

pollination. Some Asian and coastal cuisines have simply become better known to the American mainstream and expanded their various appeals. Others have changed their approaches to courses and menus to reflect an amalgamation with newly appreciated foods.

The menus in some Seattle restaurants lately are clear reflections of merged-ethnic ideas, like the so-called "fusion cuisines" of Ponti Seafood Grill, with Thai and Japanese influences on an otherwise Northwest regional cum Italianate menu; or the mixed Asian-Mexican-American foods exemplified by the colorful creations of chef Tom Douglas at the Dahlia Lounge and Etta's Seafood Grill.

An appetizer at Chris Keff's new Flying Fish restaurant in Belltown recently featured a deep-fried American red snapper with sprays of fresh basil, mint, shaved ginger and Vietnamese rice-noodle wrappers along with an Asian dipping sauce: pretty, enticing and - 10 years ago - unheard of in a mainstream American seafood house.

This is an overview, then, of an emerging, exciting phenomenon: Seattle restaurants that mirror a growing appreciation of pan-Pacific food styles, as well as different ethic examples of those food styles in their enduring originals.

We'll range from Alaskan salmon to Chilean sea bass, from California cuisine to Korean kim chi and Shanghai noodles, from Japanese sushi to Washington "Grilled Halibut with Roasted Onion-Ginger Relish" at Waters Lakeside Bistro in Kirkland. With Pacific coastal Mexican seafood tacos thrown in for good measure.

Fusion s

The first examples in Seattle of fusion cooking were crafted by a young chef at what was then the Cafe Sport in the Pike Place Market. Tom Douglas (along with other "western" chefs) had formed an enduring friendship with a veteran Japanese sushi chef, Shiro Kashiba, owner of the original Nikko restaurant on South King Street near the Rainier Valley. Douglas, Kashiba and others met regularly in the back room of the Mutual Fish Company, 2335 Rainier Ave. S., which was owned by the Yoshimura family.

Discussions centered on quality seafood procurement and handling: what was new, what was arriving, and how it might best be prepared. Those morning talks over coffee and pastries are still ongoing. An appreciation for Asian methods grew in Douglas and began to show up on the menus at Cafe Sport.

Later Douglas would broaden his concepts and make them even more eclectic when he left Cafe Sport and opened his own first restaurant in November, 1989:

Dahlia Lounge, 1904 Fourth Ave. (682-4142). It was (and remains) an odd-shaped, narrow, two-story dining room that Tom Douglas took over and remodeled from the old 1904 restaurant. But it quickly became a Mecca for Seattle foodies - and for present and future chefs - abuzz with enthusiasm for his multi-ethnic touches. Like Asian noodles paired with rare tuna or barbecued seafood with Hoisin sauce, or the shrimp dumplings appetizer and the raw sashimi salad ($8.95 for most of the above).

Douglas' ethnic wanderings are not limited to Asia. You can usually get a continentally civilized Viennese Trout or his Dungeness Crab Cakes with Wild West Salsa.

A favorite appetizer for many months lately has been the Lobster, Shrimp and Shiitake Potstickers. At dinner, the Sugar Cane Baby Back Ribs or the East Indian Duck draw heavy praise. Pay attention to specials; you really can't go wrong. This is an imaginative but fail-safe kitchen with a chef's soul more dedicated to international comfort food than to arcane sophistication.

Lunch ($7.50 to $13) from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; dinner ($15 to $22) from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; until 11 p.m. Friday, Saturday; from 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday.

Wild Ginger, 1400 Western Ave. (623-4450). Rick and Ann Yoder opened the Wild Ginger in 1989 after a 22-month, food sampling tour of Indonesia, Southeast Asia, New Zealand and Australia. The Yoders' embrace of a combination of those cuisines went into the development of their menu, the installation of a smart yet cozy satay bar, and a kitchen staffed by Asian cooks (originally Cambodian-Chinese).

Vietnamese Chinese chefs now run the kitchen, turning out masterful presentations of 48-hour marinated Wild Ginger Crispy Duck (selling more ducks than any restaurant outside of the International District). After two days in szechwan peppercorns, Kosher salt and five-spice powder, it's steamed for two hours, air-dried overnight and then deep-fried to a dark golden crisp. It's irresistible and, at $14.25 affordable. Another standout lately has been a "seven-flavored" beef stir fry ($7.95 at lunch; $11.95 at dinner) with distinct Vietnamese accents: lemongrass, garlic, ginger, basil, peanuts, hoisin, etc.

To get the full flavor of the Wild Ginger experience - socially as well as in terms of elegant nutrition - try the satay bar at least once. This is a lot of people's favorite dining hangout.

Lunch ($5.95 to $9.95) 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Dinner ($6 to $18, market-priced seafood specials may be more) 5 to 11 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 5 p.m. to midnight Friday, 4:30 p.m. to midnight Saturday; 4:30 to 11 p.m. Sunday.

Flying Fish, 2234 First Ave. (728-8595). The latest arrival in intentional east-west fusion is this Belltown endeavor by Chef Christine Keff and veteran front-of-the-house manager Paul Mackay (Metropolitan Grill and the old El Gaucho, among others). The place is (as a colleague noted) ringing with Belltown bravura and relentlessly hip - but good. Keff is a genius with seafood and pastas, although initially some of her presentations seemed uncommonly meager (four crab raviolis to a $12.75 pasta entree; ONE Thai crabcake with Lemongrass Mayonnaise as a $7.95 appetizer tasted wonderful but would lead to food fights in the third world).

The menu categories are unusual: Small Plates (starters), Large Plates (entree-sized) and Platters, which are meant to be shared. Whole Fried Snapper ($7.50 a pound) fits into the last group. Messy but fun, a two-pound fish feeds a couple, snacks three or more; with rice paper wrappers, sprouts, purple basil, mint and cilantro along with a sweet-tart mango-chutney dipping sauce. It looks grand, on an oversized oval platter, cruising to table.

Seared Rare Yellowfin Tuna ($9.70 as a starter) with wasabi and a vegetable sushi is a constant favorite. Grilled Escolar ($14.50) with yellow tomato sauce and a smoked pepper oil is often on the fresh sheet. Not commonly found here, it's a full-flavored warm-water fish - and wonderful. Other hits: Sea Scallops with Thai Curry and Green Papaya Salad ($16.50) and Chilled Rice Noodles with Rock Shrimp and Lime Vinaigrette ($8.70).

Service is generally superb, occasionally artificial and stiff.

Dinner only: 5 p.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday. Closed Sunday. Full bar. Major credit cards. Smoking in lounge only. Reservations strongly urged.

Ponti Seafood Grill, 3014 Third Ave. N. (284-3000). Now just over five years into a highly successful run (which included a TV special on CNN for its innovative fusion techniques), Ponti is the result of a vigorous three-way collaboration. Owners Jim Malevitsis (Adriatica) and Rich Malia (Mrs. Malia's) and chef Alvin Binuya (Cafe Sport) have assembled a restaurant concept that is decidedly multi-cultural.

Binuya is an admirer (and protege) of Tom Douglas, whom he credits for his culinary philosophies. It was Binuya (of Filipino heritage) who once told me that Douglas is "an Asian man in a white man's body."

But it was Binuya's own soul-searching that led to his definitive cuisine (he made an existential retreat to the Philippines: "And just thought about what I wanted to do.").

Which turned out to be items like Seared Rare Ahi Tuna with Coconut Rice Cakes (rather small) ($19.95) and Mahi Mahi with Soy Mustard Buerre Blanc with Soba Noodles ($16.95). We've found vegetables getting short shrift lately (and there aren't many listed on the menu as added options).

Victoria Binuya (Alvin's mother) is Ponti's pastry chef and still makes a legendary peach pie. Have it warm with Jack Daniel's bourbon ice cream, which fuses with almost anything.

Lunch ($7.95 to $12.50) 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Dinner ($12.95 to $25) 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; until 11 p.m. Friday, Saturday. Full bar, major credit cards. Smoking allowed in lounge and on patio. Nonsmoking area in dining room.

Waters Lakeside Bistro, Woodmark Hotel, 1200 Carillon Point, Kirkland (803-5595). The reworking of the dining room at this elegant little Eastside hotel last summer created an attempt at culinary diversification "with a fun new twist." Chef Randy Peasly's menu was wrought (at times overwrought) by consulting chefs Kathy Casey (Buddy's Homesick Cafe, et al.) and Diana Isaiou (formerly Cafe Sport) with an eye to colorful presentations and imposing portions.

The restaurant's name derives not from the lake at its back door, but from the considerable selection of bottled waters from more countries than seem necessary. They also offer a broad range of wines by the glass for those who are intimidated by water.

We found lots of bright spots (and a few scorched ones on the gargantuan individual meatloaf) and generally pleasant view dining, especially from the patio. Examples of fusion attempts: Star Anise Seared Tuna with Mizuna Slaw, Pear Wasabi (delightful) and Fusion Rice Crisps (a bit precious; $8.50 for three slices of the sashimi-grade tuna), or Grilled Halibut with Roasted Onion-Ginger Relish over bok choy and Chinese greens ($13.95), the latter with heart-shaped rice cake bound with nori - cute but undeniably edible.

Peasly is a young chef, but well-trained, well-traveled and growing.

Lunch ($9.75 to $13.95) 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Dinner ($9.75 to $18.95) 5 to 10:30 p.m. nightly. Full bar. Major credit cards. Smoking outdoors only. Pleasant library bar adjoins.

The Painted Table, Alexis Hotel, 92 Madison St. (624-3646). Chef J. Tim Kelley doesn't call what he does fusion cuisine or even Pacific Rim. "If anything, I tend to think of it as a New American Cuisine, an organic outgrowth of the people and cultures and ingredients that make up the American experience."

The irony is that Kelley, who was adopted and raised from infancy "by a loving American family," is Thai by birth and professionally was classically French-trained in the Bay area and New York. He runs one of the city's most adventurous kitchens.

He's suspicious of chefs who employ ingredients they don't fully understand. "The results can be disastrous," he said, "unless you happen to be Tom Douglas and these things seem to just grow out of him."

Yet, Kelley employs lemon grass and shaved galangal (similar to ginger) in his lovely, exotic preparation of Gravlax ($8.50 as an appetizer). The cured salmon is sliced, pounded thin to cover the plate, topped with a salad of sprouts and pickled lotus root, then dressed with cilantro-infused oil.

Due back onto the Table's fall and winter menu is his Tamarind Glazed Long Island Duckling Pot au Feu with Open Market Vegetables ($18.95), which is "French, Vietnamese and Thai. It's elegant and the duck stock certainly looks French." But ingredients include Thai chilis, turnips, daikon, baby bok choy, orange and lemon juices and - of course - the tamarind-glazed duck, which is roasted on the bone. "In the French manner."

At 33, he's a food artist who's still defining his craft, and perhaps himself. He said, whimsically. "I'm Asian. My name is Kelley."

Breakfast ($5.50 to $9) 6:30 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday. Lunch ($8.50 to $15.50) 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Dinner ($12 to $20) 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. nightly. Full bar. Major credit cards. No smoking. Reservations advised.

Etta's Seafood, 2020 Western Ave. (443-6000). To give an idea of how interbred this whole movement is locally, Tom Douglas of the Dahlia not only owns and runs Etta's - where he started with Cafe Sport - but the restaurant is named for his daughter. Head chef under Douglas is his associate, Gavin McMillian.

Douglas traces his initial cross-cultural food pairings to a 14-course dinner he once had ("I think it was my 21st birthday") at the Mikado in the I.D. "That's when I said, `So this is what Japanese food is supposed to be.' "

Etta's is not a redo of the Dahlia Lounge. The menu shouts seafood. Try the Grilled Sea Scallops with Udon Noodle Ginger Brother, overlaid with spiced, grilled vegetables (mostly asparagus on my last visit, and a bit sooty; $13) or the Pan-seared California Sea Bass with cantaloupe salsa and dry Jack quesadillas and black beans ($17), which skips on and off the menu. "Thrilling and filling," rhymed a friend.

"There's nothing new under the sun," Douglas confided, "but there's the constant reworking of the old." Like a Chilled Gazpacho with Smoked Salmon Rosette ($5.95) and Ceviche with Rockfish, Scallops and, um, Watermelon ($8).

Lunch ($7.95 to $14.95) 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Dinner ($7.95 to $26 - for a split, broiled lobster) 11 p.m. nightly. Reduced bar menu until midnight. Full bar. Major credit cards, personal checks. No smoking. Reservations strongly advised.

Janny's Curry House 141 N. 45th St. (633-0801) - Owner Janny Mathias' father is Burmese; her mother Taiwanese. The family has another curry house - in Taipei. The Seattle version is described as a Southeast Asian restaurant, with influences from several countries, including Vietnam and Laos.

Appetizers (around $3) are unusual - and outstanding. The Pagoda features Burmese-style fritters with crushed yellow lentils, cilantro and green onions with a Thai sweet-and-sour sauce. The simmered Wontons are stuffed with pork and shrimp with a spicy soy-sesame sauce.

Curries include lamb ($10.95), vegetarian (47.25) and seafood ($11.95). They are all quite different in treatment (as well as the core ingredients) and all worth going back for. The lamb, for example, is done with onions, garlic and white wine; the seafood with prawns, scallops, fish and crab in the house curry sauce

Dinner only: 5 to 10 p.m. nightly. Beer, wine. Major credit cards. No smoking, Reservation accepted.

The Americas.

One of the curious factors of a Pacific Rim consideration is that we tend to focus on what's on the other side of the rim. We think of foreign influences, of distant cultures. Well, we're on that rim, too. What we do creates its own sets of culinary-influencing ripples.

Our apples, cherries and seafood are shipped daily throughout the Far East. We aren't merely beneficiaries of cross-cultural influences; we are contributors as well, often in ways we don't fully appreciate.

Union Bay Cafe, 3505 N.E. 45th St. (527-8364).

Chef Mark Manley has been overseeing his small, intimate Laurelhurst dinner house for almost 10 years for a discriminating clientele of regulars who sometimes make the twin-dining-room cafe seems like a cozy neighborhood club.

It's understated and warmly informal: white linen tablecloths, candle-lit ambience and Eddie Bauer customers in comfortable liaison.

You might start with Chanterelle Mushrooms ($5.75 in season), sauteed with spinach, garlic, leeks and Madeira - a heady aromatic dish that gets your attention while still on its way from the kitchen.

Calamari Saltati ($5.25), squid breaded and coated with ground almonds, is sauteed in olive oil and served with a roasted garlic aioli. Or consider an authentic Panzanella ($4.25), Italian bread salad tossed with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, fresh mozzarella, capers, basil and extra virgin olive oil.

King Salmon ($15.25) might arrive with yellow wax beans and perfect mashed potatoes. A recent sample was baked, then sauced with lemon grass, basil and ginger, like a velvet coat over a beaded gown.

Golden Eye Rockfish ($13.75) is another usual option, baked with olives, capers, fresh tarragon, saffron and tomato, a flavor profile more common to the south of France than the Pacific Northwest - but effective. A very personal restaurant.

Dinner only ($12 to $16) 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; 4:30 to 9 p.m. Sunday. Beer, wine. Major credit cards. No smoking. Reservations advised.

Paragon Bar & Grill, 2125 Queen Anne Ave. N. (283-4548).

Young, hip and - as the night wears on and the live music builds - boisterous, Paragon marks the return to a lively dining scene by Chef Nancy Flume, who was the kitchen mainstay at Adriatica for a decade.

The crowd scene competes with the kitchen for attention (you have never seen so many perfect sets of teeth or seamless tans, regardless of the time of year), but Flume is as good a technician as she is a host. Her food is as artistic as her guests are fashionable.

The Risotti (around $11) change daily and are definitive; you might run into one with sauteed chanterelles and carmelized onions, smoky and delectable.

House salads are especially fine. Try the Warm Cabbage Salad ($7.95) with slices of rare smoked duck, Montrachet cheese and walnuts; or the Carpaccio Verde, ultra-thin slices of beef filet dressed with an arugula pesto, lemon, olive oil and capers.

Crisp-fried prawns ($7.95), large and plump, are coated with a shredded phyllo and served with a potent Thai chile sauce. Braised Lamb Shanks ($11.75) are fork-tender, sumptuous and served with an Asian accent: Thai red curry paste.

The Paragon is a clone of its San Francisco original and seems to have survived the transfer in full bloom, as have many of its transplanted managers.

Dinner ($9 to $13) 5:30 to 11 p.m. nightly. Jazz Sunday brunch ($5 to $8) 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. No lunch. Full bar (very). Major credit cards. Smoking in lounge. No reservations, except for Sunday-brunch waiting list.

Taco del Mar (multiple locations and rapidly expanding).

What does a string of Seattle taco and burrito stands have to do with any of this? The seafood taco is a signature product of brothers James and John Schmidt, originally of Friday Harbor. They discovered it in the Mission District of San Francisco, where it had migrated from San Diego, where it had wandered north from the Mexican Baja coast, where it was loved by fishing-village Mexicans - and American surfers.

The Schmidt brothers weren't the first in Seattle to market a fish taco (executive chef Sally McArthur developed an artistic, elegant version for the Anthony's HomePort restaurants), but the Taco del Mar stands popularized it here.

A breaded Alaska true-cod fillet is deep-fried and teamed up with rice, beans, shredded cabbage, salsa, sour cream, guacamole and cheese inside a freshly made soft tortilla. The Jumbo Burrito ($2.95) is a full meal. The Super Burrito ($3.85) is an overindulgence. Both are impossibly messy eating - and inexpensive, authentic examples of a major snack on a Mexican beach.

Lunch and dinner (99 cents to $3.95) 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily at eight locations: Fremont, Queen Anne, First Hill, South Lake Union, Capitol Hill, Pioneer Square University District and Redmond locations. No alcohol. No credit cards. Limited seating.

Anthony's Homeport. Five locations: Shilshole Bay (783-0780), Edmonds Marina (771-4400), Kirkland Marina (822-0225), Des Moines (824-1947) and Everett (252-3333), plus Anthony's Beach Cafe in Edmonds (771-4400), Confetti's (258-4000) at the Everett Marina and Chinook's at Fishermen's Terminal (283-4665).

For as long as there have been successful restaurants, there have been attempts to expand, clone or franchise them. Most suffer some loss of quality. Anthony's didn't. Starting out as a view seafood house overlooking the Kirkland waterfront in 1976, the company has grown in numbers, in the imagination of its menus and in overall quality.

Along with Ray's Boathouse, they remain a fine example of Northwest seafood dinner houses.

The Northwest Cioppino ($15.95), simmered in a basil-tomato broth, is a superb melding of local mussels, Discovery Bay clams, king salmon and Dungeness crab. Crabcakes ($15.95) are served with an Asian flair: a ginger plum sauce and beurre blanc.

The fish tacos (a mainstay at the Beach Cafe, $6.95 for two) come wrapped in a paper cone to minimize drips, with a filling of lime-marinated, grilled mahi mahi, finely shredded red cabbage, cilantro, salsa and a mild white garlic sauce.

Salmon, halibut and other regional seafood are prepared simply (some of it alder-planked) and always flawlessly fresh. Anthony's owns and runs its own processing company, handling 940,000 pounds annually.

A nightly favorite: Classic Wild Chinook Salmon ($18.95) is done with a lemon-dill glaze, grilled and double-basted. Dinners include a choice of clam chowder (outstanding), Caesar salad (routine) or spinach salad, as well as warm sourdough bread.

Hours vary slightly at the various outlets.

Lunch ($5 to $9.95) 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., is not available at Confetti's, or the Kirkland and Edmonds restaurants (except at the adjoining Edmonds Beach Cafe). Dinner ($12.95 to $19.95) 4 to 10 p.m. nightly. Full bar. Major credit cards. No smoking. Reservations advised.

Coastal Kitchen, 429 15th Ave. E. (322-1145).

Not all of the "coasts" represented at the Coastal Kitchen rim the Pacific, but some certainly do. This is a neighborhood joint that manages to make diners from a multitude of ZIP codes happy, many of them daily - even twice daily - regulars. Co-owners Jeremy Hardy and Peter Levy (who also own the Beeliner Diner and the 5 Spot) strive for seasonal and witty menus that can range from the Texas Gulf Coast ("Texas Two Step Timbales") to Vietnam:

Ga Xao Gung Mat Ong ($6.50), for example: "Honey-kissed chicken saute with Chinese 5-Spice, onion and cabbage over steamed rice" loses nothing in translation. Spices are all there, subtly balanced, hot but not overpowering.

The Coastal K makes some of the best pancakes in town at "blunch." Like the "lemon-scented 'cakes with papaya butter" that form the base for the Saigon Slam ($6.75) with a pale, somewhat bland Vietnamese sausage, with scrambled eggs, spinach and a hint of ginger; done perfectly, neither goopy nor parched.

"Blunch" and dinner ($4.50 to $14.95) from 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Full bar. Major credit cards. No smoking. Reservations for parties of six or more.

Palisade, 2601 W. Marina Place, Smith Cove. (285-1000). Palisade was intended from its start, three years ago, to be the flagship operation of Rich Komen's Restaurants Unlimited chain. It is vast, with 260 seats and a sweeping waterfront view of the Seattle skyline.

It was an ambitious project, with some early glitches. But chef John Howie has kept stoking the alder and applewood grills as a growing client base was built. Palisade is busy at lunch and busy at dinner - an out-of-the-way, fairly expensive destination restaurant. Bargain hunters can dine at a discount before 6 p.m. ($16.95 for fixed price, three-course dinners).

Seafood is handled with particular skill. Hawaiian Ono ($20.95) is marinated in soy, curry and sake, topped with a papaya chutney and toasted macadamia nuts. It was perfectly seared and flaky. The Dungeness Crab Cake appetizer ($8.95) comes with a sweet-and-sour butter sauce.

Wood-roasted fresh halibut ($24.95) is stuffed with crab, minced vegetables, macadamia nuts and - unusually - Parmesan cheese.

Palisade (it takes its name from the bluff above it) is clearly a special-occasion restaurant, with bright, rich colors and an almost tropical motif. As one friend noted: "The place is charming, serene and at times almost surreal."

Lunch ($7 to $13) 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Dinner ($13.95 to $27) 5 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; until 10 p.m. Friday, Saturday. Sunday brunch ($13 to $18) 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Full bar. Major credit cards. Smoking in lounge only. Reservations accepted.

McCormick's Fish House and Bar, 722 Fourth Ave. (682-3900).

A classic West Coast fish house, McCormick's was started in Seattle by Portland restaurateur Bill McCormick in 1977. With oak booths, British Racing Green carpeting and a daily "fresh sheet," McCormick's was carefully modeled after - or at least inspired by - the Tadich Grill in San Francisco.

Oysters are a specialty, with usually at least a half-dozen varieties fresh daily; some local, like excellent Dabob Bays ($7.95 a half dozen), some imported, like Coromandels ($9.80) from New Zealand. The Smoked Combo Plate appetizer ($8.75) offers Nova and local salmon, trout and mussels.

But fresh fish are the emphasis. Try the tender, moist Hawaiian Swordfish (the large McCormick's Cut for $19.95), served simply grilled and without sauce (daring for a fish that can become instantly dry if mishandled).

Alaska White King Salmon with Three Berry Sauce ($18.80) is presented fashionably rare (although nicely cooked through) and perhaps a little overwhelmed by the sauce. Rice and mixed vegetables accompany most entrees. The fresh sheet will announce at least a dozen more options.

McCormick's and Schmick's, 1103 First Ave., is a similar, spinoff operation. Another expansion is planned for South Lake Union (the former Kayak Grill).

Lunch and dinner: 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., Monday through Thursday; until midnight Friday; from 4:30 p.m. to midnight Saturday; from 4:30 to 10 p.m. Sunday. Full bar. Major credit cards. Nonsmoking area. Reservations accepted.

Pleasant Beach Grill, 4738 Lynnwood Center Road N.E., Bainbridge Island (10 minutes from ferry dock; 842-4347).

Owner-chef Hussein Ramadan took over an 1898 Tudor mansion and built it into a local favorite that manages to attract a considerable clientele of Seattle regulars. Pine-paneled library, marble fireplaces and impressive views of Rich Passage are part of the attraction.

Service is amiable, if young and sometimes inexperienced.

You might start with Oysters Pleasant Beach ($6.95), four baked oysters treated with brandy, Parmesan cheese and garlic butter, or Calamari Rings ($5.95), deep-fried with basil-chile-garlic aioli. Some have found the aioli more mellow than assertive.

The Famous Seafood Chowder ($3 a cup) is rich and intensely flavored, with prawns, scallops, clams and cod. Salads (around $3.50) are mixed field greens with assorted dressings, perhaps an Oregon blue cheese or the house Balsamic-herbed vinaigrette.

Seafood entrees are ultra-fresh, sometimes blandly sauced. Try the Red Snapper with cucumber-radish-ginger salsa ($10.95) or Fresh Salmon Cakes ($15.95) with a roasted-red-bell-pepper-and-basil sauce. Fresh vegetables get careful treatment, as do the wild-rice accompaniments.

Dinner only: 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, Saturday. Full bar (until 2 a.m.). Major credit cards. No smoking. Reservations recommended.

Ivar's Mukilteo Landing, 710 Front St., Mukilteo (742-6180 and 1-206-347-3648).

Seafood has been prepared and sold under Ivar Haglund's name on various Seattle-area waterfronts since 1938, always with enthusiasm, sometimes with skill. Ivar died 11 years ago, but his restaurants, fish stands, "Dances with Clams" and Fourth of July fireworks live on.

Three years ago, the company took over the old Taylor's Landing site at the Mukilteo ferry dock and moved in its rather uncomplicated seafood (and some beef) format. Recently, consulting chef Barbara Figueroa was recruited to add some quality touches and menu upscaling, like Fresh Alaska Halibut with African Spice Rub ($16.95) and a Mussels and Clams Pasta in a saffron-tomato sauce ($15.95), or Depot Bay Wild King Salmon in a fresh peach barbecue sauce ($17.95).

But the past lingers. The place still smells of frying oil and bubbling, emerging French fries (from a block to leeward). The White Clam Chowder ($2.25 a cup) is still impressive - but no longer the best on the Sound (both Duke's and Anthony's are richer and more complex).

You can still get a decent fillet of salmon (around $11 at lunch or $18 at dinner) that, despite a pleasant bourbon mustard glaze, is persistently overcooked.

Great views, charming veteran waitresses. Still an institution. Seagulls love it.

Lunch ($2.95 to $10) 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday; from noon to 3:30 p.m. Sunday. Dinner ($11 to $20) 3:30 to 10 p.m. nightly. View lounge, full bar. Major credit cards. Smoking in lounge only. Reservations.

Si Senor, 2115 Bel-Red Road, Redmond (865-8938).

One of the more diverse and authentic Mexican restaurants in the area, Si Senor offers a range of entrees from Central America, Quintana Roo (Yucatan) and Peru. As owner Abel Alor's menu states:

"The unique combinations of food, spices, preparation techniques, presentation and service are found nowhere else in the Seattle area." A considerable claim, which it largely delivers on.

The place is colorful, spirited and usually packed. Portions are massive, even at lunch ($4.75 to $5.95).

Try the Mojarra a la Diabla ($14.95 a la carte, that is, without rice or beans), an imported Mexican fish marinated in a potent sauce with mushrooms. You may specify the degree of chile heat.

The hearty Ceviche Mixto ($11.95) is served Peruvian-style, with a blend of spices, lime juice, celery, onions and cilantro. Their Parihuela (a Peruvian Cioppino; $14.95) simmers red snapper, shrimp, scallops, mussels, clams, octopus and oysters in a tomato-based sauce with onions and cilantro.

Incidentally, Alor, a Peruvian, uses vegetable oils exclusively. No cholesterol. No lard.

Lunch: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily (lunch specials Monday through Friday only; regular menu Saturday, Sunday. Dinner ($5.95 to $15) 4 to 10:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; until 11 p.m. Friday, Saturday. Full bar. Major credit cards. Nonsmoking area. Reservations accepted.

The Lobster Shop at Dash Point, 6912 Soundview Drive N.E., Tacoma (874-5540 from Seattle, 927-1513 from Tacoma).

It's as out-of-the-way as local seafood dining gets. You won't pass through it on the way to someplace else. Dash Point is way south and way west, but worth the trip. The place, with its weathered wood and nautical interior, has always reminded me of a remote Cape Cod getaway, settled in forever in front of the weather.

Start with a lovely, mild lobster bisque ($3.95 a cup; $5.95 a bowl) creamy and luscious with a few bits of floating lobster. The lobster (market price; $35 recently for an imported 8-ounce tail) is surprisingly good, considering this is not on the Maine coast, and the dipping sauce is made more piquant by the addition of paprika to the clarified butter. It's served with mixed vegetables and - why not? - mashed potatoes.

The Seafood Platter ($24.95), with vegetables and rice, includes a crab cake, fried calamari rings, oysters in season, four large prawns and perfectly cooked grilled salmon - the highlight of the plate.

Denny Driscoll's Lobster Shop is an old-fashioned restaurant, emphasizing good, basic seafood without a hint of France or fusion. It's especially satisfying if you get someone else to offer to drive.

Dinner ($15 to $35) 4:30 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; until 10 p.m. Friday, Saturday. Full bar. Major credit cards. No smoking. Reservations accepted. A second Lobster Shop is at 4013 Ruston Way, Tacoma (1-206-759-2165).

Friday Harbor House, 130 West St., Friday Harbor, San Juan Island (360-378-8455).

Chef Greg Atkinson, a rising regional talent, took over the kitchen of this three-story, shingled view hotel just about a year ago after notable successes at two other island restaurants, Cafe Bisset and the venerable Mariella Inn.

His Northwest regional menu changes seasonally, with the soups and Special Salad changing daily. Atkinson's culinary style has been shaped, he says, by his Mediterranean heritage and by his admiration for Alice Waters of Chez Panisse in the Bay Area.

But his creations are his own. You might begin with Westcott Bay Oysters ($8.50), smoked with basil and Parmesan, or a Roasted Red Pepper Soup ($5), garnished with fresh basil and a basil-olive puree.

The Island Farmer's Special Salad may feature warm corn fritters over a bed of kale one day, or stuffed squash blossoms with sun-dried tomatoes and cream cheese over wild greens.

Entrees (around $20) will often include Wild King Salmon Fillet baked with raspberry butter, or Dungeness Crabcakes with My Grandfather's Remoulade ($21), or a Filet Mignon of Washington-grown beef, flame-broiled with forest mushrooms.

Dinner: 5:30 to 10 p.m. nightly (but winter schedule may shorten; call first). Full bar. Major credit cards. No smoking except outdoors. Reservations.

Asian

Some wise sociologist once noted that America is not really a melting pot of various ethnicities as much as it is a tossed salad. We are all in it together, but we have not lost our cultural or genetic identities.

The Seattle area's Asian restaurants exemplify this profoundly. They are not only our most distinctively different restaurants, they are also among our most vital. Thai restaurants were an isolated phenomenon two decades ago. Today every neighborhood has at least one - and probably more.

The same is true of Vietnamese restaurants, including a vibrant community centered at 12th Avenue and Jackson Street (which includes some of the most fascinating food shopping in the city).

We have had Chinese and Japanese restaurants here for generations, and they show no sign of either diminishing or becoming culturally absorbed. If anything, the majority of them have become more authentic reflections of their original cuisines than they were even 10 years ago.

Korean places were once limited to a handful near the International District; now they flourish throughout the city and its suburbs. The same may be said for Indonesian, Filipino, Laotian and Malay eateries. Proud of what they are and confident of their ultimate acceptance, they are putting their money where they expect our mouths to be.

Here, in no particular order or categorization, is a sampling:

Shiro's, 2401 Second Ave. (443-9844). Japanese.

Shiro Kashiba, who started the original (and fabled) Nikko on the fringes of the International District in 1971, later moved the operation uptown (very uptown) to the Westin in 1992. He retired a year later, leaving the Westin restaurant in the very capable hands of Hiroyuki Kitami.

But Shiro was a legend - the city's foremost sushi master - and he was missed. When he decided late this summer to open a new place, there was general jubilation and some packed opening parties that included many local chefs.

He shops daily (at three or four markets, including Mutual Fish, Uwajimaya and Pacific) and what he buys he presents that day. You don't have to eat raw fish to enjoy Shiro's; there's plenty of tempura ($18.50), sukiyaki ($19.50) and teriyaki dinners (around $18) to feed the timid. But at least once, take a seat at the white-pine sushi bar, say hello to Shiro, and learn what sushi is all about.

Two of us did that once at a leisurely lunch, and to our chagrin discovered that we'd consumed $48 worth of sushi. All the more embarrassing since it was priced at $1.25 per piece.

For first-timers, stick to the firm, milder items: Hamachi (yellow-fin tuna), Maguro (tuna), Sake (salmon), Tekka Maki (tuna roll), Kaki (oyster) and, if available, fresh sea smelt (it's incredible).

One of Seattle's genuine living institutions.

Lunch ($7 to $15) 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Dinner ($16 to $20) 5:30 to 10:15 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Closed Sunday. Beer, wine. Major credit cards. Smoking in back room only. No reservations.

Hong's Garden, 64 Rainier Ave. S., Renton (228-6332). Chinese.

Faye and Janie Hong opened their Renton restaurant a couple of years after selling their earlier International District landmark, the House of Hong. The family had come into local prominence two decades ago with the acclaimed Atlas Cafe, also in the I.D.

Hong's Garden is every bit as fine as the earlier ventures, and in some respects - the dim-sum lunches, for example - possibly better. Their Shrimp and Pork Sui Mai (four for $2) are wonderfully chunky and fresh-tasting - the best in the Northwest, maybe in the world.

Singapore Style Chow Fon ($5.50) is flat-out fabulous.

Authentic Chinese vegetables are almost always available: Chinese broccoli and long beans, sugar peas and pea vines, bitter melon, etc. There is no MSG in anything.

The Won Ton soups ($4.50 to $5) are superb, or consider the Mustard Greens Soup with Pork ($5.50). Or you might start by sharing a Duck Salad ($6.95), shredded roasted duck flavored with sweetened cucumber, lettuce, scallions and oyster sauce. It's served over crispy rice noodles.

Most of the main courses are traditional Cantonese, but there are several nods to Northern and Western Chinese specials. Steamed Black Cod ($8.50) served simply with oil and ginger, or the Scallops with Twin Mushrooms ($8.95) are the essence of Asian seafood at its best.

Lunch and dinner ($5 to $14) 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily (dim sum until 3 p.m. daily). Full bar. Major credit cards. Smoking in lounge. Reservations accepted.

Singapura, 18320 Aurora Ave. N. (546-8144). Singapore-Chinese.

Lin Chan's amiable little North End place is decked out with festive dolls and bright ornamentation, but the kitchen turns out serious good work for a clientele that often seems to be foreign students.

It's more ethnic roadhouse than white-linen dining (and the wooden booths can be both restrictive and uncomfortable) but the experience is innovative, filling and fun. The menu and seasonings suggest Mandarin Chinese with Thai, Malay and Southeast Asian influences.

Go with the Thai satays, Malay curries or the house favorite, Hainen Chicken Rice Soup ($6.95). Ask for extra seasonings; the kitchen tends to be cautious with new guests.

Somewhat livelier: Curry Squid ($7.95) and Assam Prawns ($8.95), with bright, crunchy vegetables for flavor contrasts.

Singapura is inexpensive, inviting and entirely informal.

Lunch and dinner ($4.95 to $9) 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; until 11 p.m. Friday, Saturday; noon to 10 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday. Beer, wine. Major credit cards. No smoking. Reservations accepted.

Miyabi, 16820 Southcenter Parkway (575-6815). Japanese.

Peaceful, relaxed and (usually) uncrowded, Miyabi is a serene spot to get away from the roar of the shopping crowd at nearby Southcenter. It seems an anomaly in a strip mall that also houses a Toys R Us.

But the sushi and sashimi are affordable, first quality and impeccably fresh. Portions are generous - in fact the Miyabi Bento Box ($15.50) is massive and easily feeds two at lunch. The California Bento Box ($11.25) comes sans sashimi and satisfies a more normal appetite. The specials menu changes daily.

Lighter fare costs less. An excellent California roll, for example, is $3.50.

Lunch 11:15 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Dinner (to $15.50) 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday; until 10 p.m. Friday, Saturday. Beer, wine. Major credit cards. Nonsmoking section. Reservations accepted.

Thai on Alki, 1325 Harbor Ave. S.W., West Seattle (938-2992).

Chef Pismorn Siriwongs came to Seattle and the University of Washington from Bangkok and eight years ago opened the Bangkok Hut at Third Avenue and Blanchard Street. Last year she opened Thai on Alki (and a companion takeout stand, the Bangkok Shack next door). They share the same staff - and levels of quality.

Appetizers include an inviting Tao Hoo Tod ($4.95; a deep-fried bean cake in a spicy sauce), or Mee Grob (also $4.95; crispy rice noodles tossed in a caramelized sweet and pungent sauce). It's topped with shrimp, hot peppers and chopped green onions. The deep-fried fish cakes are as good as any in the city, and only mildly addictive.

The Nom Keo Tod salad ($5.95), curried rice balls with Thai sausage, is a northern Thai standard, given a Bangkok twist by chef Siriwongs.

Give some thought to Bah Mei ($4.95), sliced pork and egg noodles, instead of the Phad Thai you always order.

Lunch and dinner ($4 to $10) 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; until 11 p.m. Friday, Saturday. Beer, wine. Major credit cards No smoking. No reservations.

Kamon on Lake Union, 1177 Fairview Ave. N. (622-4665). Japanese.

Now in its eighth year, Kamon is Japanese-owned (by the hospitality-industry giant, Chalon International of Osaka) but has a global outlook. The varied menu seems to have an eye for the traveling Asian businessman of whatever nationality - and his/her clients.

Which doesn't prevent Kamon from having a very cozy (and expertly run) sushi bar, a traditional and popular Teppanyaki bar and an eclectic (almost continental) view dining room.

Chef Hugo Fugimora maintains a level of strict excellence throughout.

Seafood takes center stage. The large sushi and sashimi platters ($25) are meant to be shared. The stainless Teppanyaki hot-plate grill, flashing knives and nonstop chatter provide theater - and sometimes a running commentary - and the Bento Boxes are quite simply works of art.

Cod in Black Bean Sauce ($15.95) is fine; and you won't go wrong with the tempura, teriyaki or grilled salmon.

A little pricey, perhaps, but sophisticated and a lot cheaper than Tokyo.

Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Dinner: 5 to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday; until 10 p.m. Friday, Saturday; 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday. Full bar. Major credit cards. Smoking in lounge only. Reservations recommended.

Shanghai Garden, 524 Sixth Ave. S. (625-1688). Chinese.

A relative newcomer to the International District, the Shanghai Garden has been packed since it opened in 1993. The principal attraction is chef/owner Hua Te Su, who migrated to Seattle from Taipei. He's a master of the provincial cuisines of Sichuan and Hunan and the only local chef who makes and serves hand-shaved noodles.

They come with a variety of toppings: vegetables, seafood, chicken, beef or pork. The House Special ($7.95) features a vivid green swirl of ung choi (a Chinese cabbage), in a subtle brown sauce with hints of ginger, garlic and sesame oil.

Start with the steaming, fragrant Shanghai-style soft dumplings ($3.95), filled with minced beef and ginger and served on pale-green cabbage leaves with a Shaoxing rice-wine dipping sauce. Or the black-mushroom and bamboo-fungus soup ($5.95).

The bean-curd casserole ($10.95) is slow-cooked in a thick clay bowl, melding the flavors of soft white tofu and thin, brown sheet tofu, delicate bean-thread noodles, bok choy, scallions, mussels and beef meatballs.

Dessert? Try the Deep-Fried Bananas in a gooey caramelized sugar sauce ($3.50).

As one Asian-American colleague noted: "Even the white rice smells good here."

Lunch and dinner: 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; until 11:30 p.m. Friday. From 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Saturday. From 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Sunday. Beer, wine. Major credit cards. Nonsmoking area. Reservations accepted.

Saigon Gourmet, 502 S. King St. 624-2611. Vietnamese.

Only eight tables at the simple International District cafe, and they are usually full. Main reasons: everything on the menu is fresh - and none of it costs more than $5.

Regulars return for airy Vietnamese Spring Rolls, glassy Cambodian noodles, hearty pho (Vietnamese beef broth with noodles, herbs, bean sprouts and fiery condiments) and what many claim is the best wonton soup in the city.

Start with Broiled Pork Skewers ($3.75), marinated in garlic and lemon grass, and sprinkled with sesame seeds and slivers of scallion. Or try the Shaved Green Papaya Threads, crunchy and translucent, with torn shreds of savory beef jerky.

Lemongrass Chicken ($4.25) comes with a scoop of rice, carrot strips and pan scrapings oozing with essences of lemongrass and peanut oil. The Pud Thai is outstanding, as is the Broiled Beef in Grape Leaves and Vietnamese Crepes: huge, sunflower-yellow turmeric pancakes filled with shrimp, sprouts, pickled turnip, fresh basil and mint.

So Luu, the self-taught cook and owner, took over the Saigon Gourmet three years ago, following a Boeing layoff. She's added a smattering of Cambodian, Thai and Chinese dishes for variety.

Lunch and dinner: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Beer. Major credit cards. No smoking. No reservations.

Koryo Restaurant, 12020 Aurora Ave. N. (362-5009-. Korean.

A graceful conversion from a former chain-pizza operation, Koryo is an authentic Korean lunch and dinner house that in places looks like a cultural heritage museum - or gift shop.

The service is amiable, but sometimes absent-minded (remind them to give you your credit card back), and English is rendered haltingly, but the food is fine, the flavors intense and the portions more than generous.

The $5.95 lunch specials (from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) are real bargains: a huge mound of excellent medium-grain rice comes surrounded by three different kinds of kim chi (from quite tart to seriously hot) and three kinds of salad or relish, marinated sprouts, spinach, etc., plus the main ingredient:

Gal Bi (marinated, barbecued short ribs), Bul Koki (Korean-style barbecued beef slices), Bi Bim Bap (mixed vegetables and beef over rice) and both chicken and beef teriyaki.

Dinners ($8 to $23) are even more elaborate, with a wide range of roasts, grills, stews and soups. Special dinners for two, with a festive variety of Korean dishes, are priced at $27.55 and $28.55.

The background music will be a delight for visiting Koreans. But to untutored ears it may sound like a cat trying to tune a guitar slowly - and failing.

Lunch: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Dinner: 3 to 10:30 p.m. nightly. Beer, wine. Major credit cards. Nonsmoking area. Reservations accepted.

Chau's Chinese Seafood Restaurant, 310 Fourth Ave. S. (621-0006). Chinese.

As the name suggests, seafood is king here. Owner-chef Yick Chau spent 14 years as a master chef in Hong Kong before opening his edge-of-Chinatown eatery a decade ago. It enjoys an enthusiastic following and has had some hard use.

Peruse an extensive eight-page menu, or simply ask a waiter what's fresh and good. It might be the live shrimp from the tank (about $15 a pound), either poached in a soy-ginger sauce or flash-fried in a delicate salt-and-pepper batter so light it's translucent.

Seared Geoduck ($12.75), also in a mild ginger sauce, is sliced paper-thin and sprinkled with scallion slivers. The Whole Poached Rock Cod (market price) arrives splashed with soy sauce and a little white wine. A waft of ginger steam rises as you flake it with a chopstick; silky, moist and free of overbearing sauce.

Check to see which vegetables are fresh. Recently we enjoyed tender pea vines sauteed in a smooth garlic and sesame sauce.

Excellent fresh tofu, steamed and stuffed with shrimp, or Seafood chowfoon, bursting with shrimp, clams, squid, bamboo shoots and broccoli, costs a modest $6.75. Some of the meat dishes are forgettable.

Lunch and dinner: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Friday; 4 to 11:30 p.m. Saturday. Beer, wine. Major credit cards. Smoking. Reservations accepted.

Sawatdy Thai Cuisine, 8770 Fletcher Bay Road, Bainbridge Island (780-2429).

One islander unabashedly pronounced that this out-of-the-way restaurant in a Bainbridge strip mall is "the single greatest improvement to the infrastructure of the island." That may be an overstatement, but perhaps not by much.

Lan Nguyen's Sawatdy caters mostly to a flock of happy locals. But it's worth a trip - and a boat ride for the rest of us.

Start with the Kiew Grob ($4.75), fried wontons stuffed with cream cheese, crab and cilantro, and served with a chili plum sauce. Or the Tod Mun Pla ($5.50), curried fish cakes studded with sections of green beans and lime leaves, with a sweet-and-sour-chili dipping sauce.

Phad Thai, sauced rice noodles with assorted garnishes, is now ubiquitous, but is exceptionally well-executed here, with eggs, peanuts, green onions and bean sprouts.

Try the Gang Kiew Warn Gai ($6.50), green-curry chicken, with eggplant, carrot, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, bell-pepper sections and fresh basil leaves in a bracing green-curry sauce mellowed with coconut milk. And if that isn't coconut enough, order a big bowl of the Seafood Galangal Soup (Tom Kah Talay: $8.50), with squid, mussels, clams, crab, mushrooms, lemongrass and flower of galangal. It's practically a cultural infrastructure.

Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Dinner: 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; until 10 p.m. Friday, Saturday. Closed first Monday of the month. Beer, wine. Major credit cards. No smoking. Reservations accepted.

Thai Thai, 11205 16th Ave. S.W. (246-2246).

Not much has changed since we first reviewed the Thai Thai in 1989. The menu is still vast (112 items), the interior is still bright purple and the food is still authentic and delicious.

Owner Sam Sudthaya is proud of the family recipes from his wife/chef Orawan and sister-in-law/chef Mutjaree. Their peanut sauce is still prepared chunky and dark; and their three-stars "heat" rating still means what it says. It packs a zing.

Sudthaya was one of the first from Southeast Asia to establish a Thai restaurant in Seattle. The Thai Thai remains one of the best; drawing regular customers from considerable distances.

The Angel Wings ($5.50) are definitive. Boneless chicken wings are stuffed with ground pork, crab, egg, peas, saifun, minced carrot and onions until they puff close to bursting.

The Phad Thai (about $5) is tasty, not too busy with augmentation and not at all ketchupy-sweet. Dried tofu, egg, bean sprouts, ground peanuts, green onion and rice noodles are the basics. I like the dish best in its prawns-added version. It should be ordered with a fair level of chili heat.

Meat and chicken salads are first-rate.

Spring rolls on a recent visit were a tad greasy, but hot and appealing.

Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Dinner: 5 to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Closed Sunday. Beer, wine. Major credit cards. No smoking. Reservations for five or more.

Janny's Curry House, 1411 N. 45th St. (633-0801). Mixed Asian.

Owner Janny Mathias' father is Burmese; her mother Taiwanese. The family has another curry house - in Taipei. The Seattle version is described as a Southeast Asian restaurant, with influences from several countries, including Vietnam and Laos.

Appetizers (around $3) are unusual - and outstanding. The Pagoda features Burmese-style fritters with crushed yellow lentils, cilantro and green onions with a Thai sweet-and-sour sauce. The simmered Wontons are stuffed with pork and shrimp with a spicy soy-sesame sauce.

Curries include lamb ($10.95), vegetarian ($7.25) and seafood ($11.95). They are all quite different in treatment (as well as the core ingredients) and all worth going back for. The lamb, for example, is done with onions, garlic and white wine; the seafood with prawns, scallops, fish and crab in the house curry sauce.

Dinner only: 5 to 10 p.m. nightly. Beer, wine. Major credit cards. No smoking. Reservations accepted.

Fremont Noodle House, 3411 Fremont Ave. N. (547-1550).

Thai street food arrives in Fremont, appropriately, in this funky, candlelit little cafe. Duangjit and Jon Albert, owners of the Jai Thai restaurant around the corner, have elevated Asian snacks to quick, high cuisine in an artful setting. Packages of Asian noodles, dramatically lit in glass cases, decorate the walls.

The star of the menu is Mieng Kahm ($7.95), an exotic appetizer on a platter large enough to tantalize two or three. Heart-shaped bai-cha-plu leaves are intended to be wrapped around toasted coconut, chopped ginger root, ringlets of green chili, triangles of sliced lime, peanuts, red onion and a tamarind sauce.

A bit of each goes into the cup-rolled leaf and the result is a taste explosion. The leaf is thought to be mildly stimulating (it's used by betel-nut chewers).

Five different noodle soups ($4.50 to $6.95) are the nutritional mainstays. Jars of chili sauces and honey are on the tables for additional flavor explorations.

Lunch/dinner: 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; until 10:30 p.m. Friday; noon to 10:30 p.m. Saturday; noon to 9:30 p.m. Sunday. Beer, wine. Major credit cards. No smoking. No reservations.

Tommy's Japanese Restaurant, 2501 Eastlake Ave. E. (726-9893).

It's not imposing from the outside, but drop into Tommy's looking for Asian authenticity, look around, and you'll know you're in the right spot. Lots of Asians in suits and ties eating bowls of noodles - and off to the side rooms, shoeless and savoring sushi.

The California Roll ($3.50; with sushi rice, vegetables, cucumbers, avocado, etc.) and a plum roll ($2.50) are both fresh and tasty.

The Sakado Bento, ($10.25) a composed, boxed dinner, provides morsels from the mountains, gardens and the sea. Octopus and tuna sushi were meltingly grand. The Chicken Teriyaki lunch ($6.50) is tender and mellow; soup and rice are included.

Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Dinner: 5 to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday; until 10 p.m. Friday, Saturday. Closed Sundays. Full bar. Major credit cards. Nonsmoking area. Reservations accepted.

Toyoda Sushi Restaurant, 12543 Lake City Way N.E. (367-7972).

This charming little storefront spot, improbably dropped into the middle of Lake City, continues to produce - under Natsuyoshi Toyoda's loving supervision - some of the best sushi in Seattle. It's often crowded. Regulars walk past the waiting line to add their names to a strip of paper tacked to a post, reserving a place at the sushi bar, and then sip sake until a seat vacates.

The slightly spicy Gyoza (Japanese pot stickers: $5.95) are meaty and wonderful. The sushi skills and quality are uncompromising. Specials include Kaki-su ($5.95), fresh cocktail oysters in a light soy vinaigrette, and Spicy Tuna Maki ($6.95), fresh, raw tuna mixed with a hot red-chili sauce.

Better yet, just put yourself in Natsuyoshi's capable hands and wait to be delighted.

No lunch. Dinners: 5 to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday, Monday. Closed Tuesday. Beer, wine, sake. Major credit cards. No smoking. Reservations for parties of six or more.

Sanmi Sushi, 2601 W. Marina Place, Smith's Cove, Magnolia (283-9978).

Chef/owner Misao Sanmi opened his own view restaurant after serving his dues at I Love Sushi and Kamon on Lake Union. It's new, and right next door to Consolidated Restaurants' imposing and showy Palisade.

Sanmi's presentations are artful and the service engaging, if sometimes overwhelmed by the unexpectedly numerous clientele. Try any of the sushi, and the Kaiseki Bento house special ($22), which includes miso soup, sashimi (octopus, tuna maguro, fish roe, and sea bass), teriyaki shrimp, salmon, chicken, marinated vegetables and marinated smelt.

A meal may take two hours, but the wait is pleasant, the sunsets lovely, and every seat has a sweeping Seattle skyline view.

Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily. Dinner: 5:30 to 10 p.m. nightly. Beer, wine. Major credit cards. No smoking. Reservations accepted.

Nasai Teriyaki, 5025 25th Ave. N.E. (524-3011).

Believed by many teriyaki enthusiasts to be the best teriyaki in town, Nasai is celebrated for its boneless chicken teriyaki ($4.25) broiled without a hint of dryness and liberally laced with a not-too-sweet teriyaki sauce.

Beef ($5.25) and pork ($4.95) versions are also popular.

For variety, try the Gyoza ($3.95), pan-fried beef dumplings (the Japanese version of pot stickers) with a special piquant dipping sauce. Or the Hot and Spicy Chicken ($5.95), an impressively hot dish of stir-fried chicken and mixed vegetables.

All entrees come with a small salad and a heaping portion of rice. No MSG in any of it. The small strip-mall space seats only a dozen or so. Most orders are takeout.

Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; noon to 9 p.m. Sunday. No alcohol. No credit cards (personal checks OK). No reservations.

I Love Sushi, 1001 Fairview Ave. N. 625-9604. Also 11818 N.E. Eighth St., Bellevue. 454-5706.

The name strikes some as hopelessly buoyant, but I Love Sushi is no joke. These are two serious restaurants known for relentlessly fresh fish expertly handled. The steady clientele shows a high percentage of Japanese businessmen.

Start with the Giso Karaage appetizer ($5.50) - deep-fried squid legs, featuring longer slices than the usual trim little rings. Lightly battered. The squid rather than the fried batter comes through.

The Hirame (halibut) sushi ($2.50 for two pieces) is tender, mellow and almost buttery. Anago (saltwater eel, $3.50 to two pieces) is soft and slightly sweet, while the Unagi (freshwater eel, $3.50) is less sweet and more textured.

The Spider Roll ($6) is a real treat: crunchy, fried soft-shell crab rolled with cucumber, avocado and flying-fish eggs. Finish with the Tempura Ice Cream ($3.50), rich vanilla ice cream enveloped in a crisp, yet almost custard-like blanket.

Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Dinner: 5 to 10:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday; until 11 p.m. Friday; 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday. Full bar. Major credit cards. Smoking section. Reservations accepted, except for Friday, Saturday.

Hisago Japanese Restaurant, 543 N.E. Northgate Way (363-1556).

Tucked into one of the shopping strips just east of Northgate Mall, Hisago is worth tracking down. Owner Atsushi Takuwa and chef Saito Nori have kept the place thriving since 1982.

Service is amiable and leisurely, if sometimes downright slow. It's a great respite from the shopping ordeals nearby.

The Super Sushi Sampler ($8.95) is a worthwhile introduction, with four pieces of Nigiri - tuna, unagi, salmon and shrimp. The salmon has a lightly smoked quality. California and Crab Rolls are always fresh and elegant. All lunches come with miso soup and a simple lettuce salad with a ginger dressing.

Unaju ($11.25; barbecued eel on rice) is a genuine - and different - taste treat. And the Curry Udon ($6.95; noodles with beef in a curry broth) is satisfying on a chilly winter's night.

Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Dinner: 5 to 9:30 p.m. nightly. No lunch Sunday. Beer, wine. Major credit cards. No smoking. Reservations accepted before 6 p.m.

Java Restaurant, 8929 Roosevelt Way N.E. (522-5282).

Owners Kim and Siok Tjoa, who are Indonesian Chinese, have run this spotless little place in a converted North End house for decades. Popular with Indonesian graduate students and a long list of regulars, the Java has been dispensing high-quality, modestly priced dinners seven nights a week.

The Nasi Goreng ($8.75) is laced with Javanese spices, with broiled chicken and pork mixed in. Acar and Sambalan (a mildly spicy chutney) accompany.

The Satays (around $10; $12 for prawns of scallops) are fine, and come with either mixed pickled vegetables or fresh fruit.

The Gado Gado Istimewa ($8.25; steamed garden vegetables with peanut sauce) is a delight. The Rijsttafels ($10 to $15) are definitive.

All dinners are served with Erta (a Javanese pea soup), salad and rice smothered with sauce.

Dinner: 5 to 10 p.m. nightly. No lunch. Beer, wine. Major credit cards. No smoking. Reservations accepted.

Nikko, Westin Hotel, 1900 Fifth Ave. (322-4641).

Nikko is undoubtedly Seattle's most elegant Asian restaurant - and consistently one of its best. Chef Hiroyuki Kitami took over from chef Hiroichi Shiroyama a year ago.

But changes at the top have not changed the bottom line: A standard of excellence was established from the start and has been maintained.

The restaurant (designed by Bob Mesher of Mesher Shing Associates) is flat-out gorgeous, with a multitude of polished hardwoods arranged into a standing mosaic, with touches of burnished metal and a 30-foot sushi bar hewn from a single slab of Oregon cedar.

All of the classic Japanese dishes are here (from $15 to $30) with less-expensive options available at the sushi bar; all served with a sense of grace and expertise. You really can't go wrong. I remember Hamachi Nigiri (yellow-tail sushi) that was simply heavenly, and Tuna Sashimi over Japanese Mountain Potatoes that was a taste revelation. Try the Manila Clam Miso.

Popular robata bar; eight tatami rooms.

An added plus: The cocktail lounge opens at 5 p.m. (a half hour before the dining rooms) and offers the best happy-hour complimentary appetizers in Seattle.

Dinner: 5:30 to 10 p.m. nightly. Full bar. Major credit cards. "Very limited" smoking section. Reservations advised.

The Thai Restaurant, 101 John St. (285-9000).

For almost 10 years, Phairat Furangromya has been drawing a steady crowd of regulars to this bustling place near the west side of the Seattle Center. On Friday and Saturday nights (and on evenings when the Coliseum or Opera House is holding an event) the place is packed.

One journalist colleague has been steadily working his way through the menu - on a five-star plane - with the help of a quart of water per visit. You might start with the Spring Rolls ($4.50) or the Chicken Satay ($4.95), both done well here.

The Sauteed Squid in Chili Sauce ($8.25) or the Pla Lad Prig, deep-fried whole fish in a chili-garlic sauce ($8.95), are for more serious adventurers. Four-star treatment on either of these dishes will make a saint cry.

Yum Woon Sein ($5.95) a bean-thread salad with calamari and onions, cilantro and lime juice, will cool things down.

Water glasses are replenished constantly.

Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Dinner: 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; until 10 p.m. Friday, Saturday. Full bar. Major credit cards. Smoking allowed. Reservations suggested.

Thai Kitchen, 14115 N.E. 20th St., Bellevue (641-9166).

Close enough to Microsoft to serve as an off-campus hangout, Thai Heaven serves some of the best Thai food on the Eastside. Owner Lisa Ruhl has operated this little-known spot, hidden away behind a strip mall, for 13 years.

Signature dishes include Angel Wings ($5.25), fried chicken wings stuffed with pork and vermicelli noodles served with a plum sauce. The Yum Squid ($5.95) provides a refreshing cold salad, marinated in lime juice with onions, cilantro and fresh mint.

Pan Ang Curry ($5.25) can be ordered with chicken, beef or pork. It's hot, a deep-red curry mellowed (but not entirely tamed) by rich coconut milk. A dish of noodles (like Crab Noodles; $5.95) provides contrast and a centerpiece.

Lunch and dinner: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Beer and wine. Major credit cards. Reservations accepted.

Restaurant Shilla, 2300 Eighth Ave. (623-9996).

Sammy and Regina Koh just celebrated their 10th anniversary at their spacious, sophisticated place across the street from Denny Park. The menu is Korean and Japanese, and the clientele always appears to be returning Asian businessmen.

Although most of the entrees are Japanese, the restaurant itself has more of a Korean feel, with gas-burner insets in most of the table for the Korean grilled specialty "Bul Gho Gi" ("fire beef"), priced from $11.95 for the chicken version to $15.95 for Kal Bi Beef Ribs. It's all served with an assortment of vegetables and kim chis, along with red-leaf-lettuce wrappers.

Bi Bim Bap ($8.95) may sound more percussive than nutritious, but it's a hearty bowl of rice, fresh and marinated vegetables and a bracing chili sauce - all served over (and stirred into) a sunny-side-up fried egg.

Nang Myun (hand-pressed buckwheat noodles often served cold; $9.95 to $10.95) are traditional Korean meal-enders. Some are served warm, some spicy-hot. A few have some odd touches - like pickled fish.

Lunch and dinner: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Full bar. Major credit cards. Nonsmoking area. Reservations accepted.

John Hinterberger's restaurant and food columns appear in The Seattle Times in Sunday's Pacific Magazine and Thursday's Tempo. Barry Wong is a Times photographer.