East Village Asian Diner-So Good

Most Tuesday nights you will find me at the Esplanade Bridge Club in Solana Beach, with one of regular partners, Meena or Kay. Last week I played with Kay, and asked her to join me for dinner beforehand at a new restaurant in Encinitas that I'd been dying to try. East Village Asian Diner opened about six weeks ago, and I just haven't had a chance to get there before last week. Now that I've been there, I can't wait to go back.

The restaurant is on Highway 101 right across from the construction of the new Whole Foods in Encinitas. (www.eateastvillage.com). It's definitely got a diner feel to it, but sleek and modern. Nice comfortable booths, some tables and a bar area. The waitstaff is friendly and know the menu well. They will help you order. The food itself is all over the Asian map. China, Japan, Korea and Thailand are all represented on the menu.

The first section of the menu is "Snacks". Handmade pork and shrimp potstickers, beef curry dip with flatbread, edamame, and chicken lettuce cups are just some of the offerings. The potstickers looked amazing, our waitress recommended them, and I will try them next time.

The next section of the menu is "Noodles". We ordered thai peanut noodles, which can be ordered vegetarian or with chicken, pork or shrimp. It was delicious. The flavors were subtle, the vegetables fresh and crisp, and the presentation was gorgeous. The also offer a cold soba noodle salad, beef noodles and pan tossed noodles.

Nex, East Village has a sandwich/wrap and salad section, including a pulled pork sandwich, a happy buddha vegetarian wrap, chinese chicken salad, and chicken bulgar wheat salad. Their produce is so fresh I can only imagine that the salads and wraps are delicious. Maybe next time I'll go for lunch and try some of these items.

Main courses include bowls of rice topped with various meats and vegetables. Teriyaki chicken bowl, kung pao shrimp, and sweet and sour chili shrimp are all on the menu. We ordered the latter, and again, fresh, beautifully presented, abundant, and delicious is all I can say.

How about apple wontons for dessert? Hot apple pie bites covered with cinnamon sugar, caramel, and vanilla ice cream. Next time I may start with dessert.

Prices for starters range from $3.50-$8.75, and the main courses are from $8.50-$12.00. Casual, moderately priced, friendly and delicious. I can't wait to go back.