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food

JUDITH HAUSMAN

For The Journal News

haiku (hi'koo')n. [[Jpn]] 1 A Japanese verse form, rendered in English as three unrymed

lines of 5,7, and 5 syllables respectively (total 17 syllables), often on some subject in
nature

-Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fourth Edition

A SECOND BISTRO -

POPULAR SUSHI

SIGNATURE NEW-FOUND SUCCESS

M

ichael Lee and his partner Peter
Diana have the Pan-Aisan con-
cept down pat at their Bronxville
 

and Cross River restaurants, which open-ed last September and last month,respec-
tively.
  "Not too traditional but bot too upscale, " says Lee. "Some classic Chinese, but
mainly upgraded Pan-Asian." The crispy,
white-meat sesame chicken is a good example. Most every Chinese restaurant
has this dish, but at Haiku, the chicken is fried only when the dish is ordered,so the
meat stays juicy and the coating is light
and crisp. Julienned asparagus finishes the dish.

The Malaysian Red Curry, made with co-conut cream and prawns, chicken or bean
curd, is Lee's mother's recipe"adapted for local taste." Haiku's Vietnamese salad will
keep you cool. Jicama,crushed peanut and
summer-sweet mango are mixed with cel-
lophane noodles and a sweet-spicy dres-sing. Vagetarian Thai spring rolls make a
crunchy-perfect appetizer.
  There are Japanese tempura dishes and a
long list of special rolls, hand rolls and de-
luxe sushi-sashimi combos. Lee's purchas-ing and supervising chef, Simon Chung,
takes special care with the sushi, checking
where it comes from and that the distributors' trucks are spotless and well-
refrigerated. They are especially proud of
the tuna lover's Passion Roll, a mix of
spicy tuna, salmon and yellowtail inside,
topped with more tuna outside. This is
sushi so poetically balanced, you could call it an edible haiku.

HAIKU ASIAN BISTRO

56 Ponfield Road, Bronxville 914-337-5601; Cross
River Shopping Center Rts. 121 and 35,Cross River
914-763-9120