Friday, May 05, 2006

The Sampler Plate

Doc's Motorworks. An inviting spot to enjoy the day or the food, whichever brings you to South Congress, Doc's plies diners on its large patio with burgers and platters, many with a Mexican theme. The fried fish tacos are tasty, as are the fried jalapeños and queso. Forks up. Cheap. 1123 S. Congress Ave. 448-9181.

CHINESE

Pao's Mandarin House. Just the fragrant impression of a delectable dish is worth the ride to Lakeway when it comes to Pao's and its three-cup chicken, with chunks of dark meat nestled with sliced mushrooms in a spicy brown sauce flavored with basil. The spicy shredded Mandarin beef deserves a trip, too. Forks up. Cheap/moderate. 2300 Lohmans Spur, No. 134. 263-8869.

Shanghai River. Several dishes on the vegetarian side of the lunch buffet — stir-fried spinach in ginger sauce, sautéed mushrooms with snow peas, eggplant with zucchini in a slightly sweet brown sauce and tofu in black bean sauce — were delicious. Skip the General Tso's, sesame chicken and other dishes that don't hold up on the steam table. Forks sideways. Cheap. 2700 W. Anderson Lane, Suite 419. 458-9598.

SUSHI

Kenichi. A beautiful place — from the setting to the sushi. At this offspring of the Aspen restaurant, the strong points were the sushi (the Kenichi special roll of tuna, snow crab, cucumber, avocado and masago) and appetizers (the shiitake negimaki was tender beef rolled around mushrooms and green onions, and the miso soup was the best in town). Expensive. 419 Colorado St. 320-8883.



THAI

Madam Mam's. A good spot for lunch, with food arriving quickly. Enjoyable dishes included the chicken pad Thai (noodles stir-fried with chicken and spices) and the guay teaw nuer sod (a flavorful beef soup). Forks up. Cheap. 2514 Guadalupe St. 472-8306.

Satay. Worth singling out for its fresh and lively approach to Thai cuisine. Satay was one of Austin's pioneers in the expanding Asian field when it opened in 1987. Highlights include the chicken satay, Pad Siam (a shrimp and bean thread dish) and Tiger Cry, grilled flank steak in a highly zesty vinaigrette. Moderate. 3202 W. Anderson Lane. 467-6731.

By Dale Rice

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