food

SIGNATURE NEW-FOUND SUCCESS

M

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.

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.

HAIKU ASIAN BISTRO

56 Ponfield Road, Bronxville 914-337-5601; Cross

River Shopping Center Rts. 121 and 35,Cross River

914-763-9120