FENG ASIAN BISTRO 93 Asylum Street

The good: The food. The decor. The presentation of the food. I love places that make the food look too pretty to eat, and Feng is one of those places, particularly at dinner. Even what seems like a simple dish will be served in an unusual way--for instance, one entrée comes with the salmon wrapped around itself in a roll. Pretty and delicious. Feng does take-out and also has a late-night menu.

The food: I usually start my meal with the edamame. Feng makes it with black sea salt, which for some reason tastes a lot better than the usual stuff. If you have a group of three or four people, try the classic dim sum platter. Also, keep your ears open when your server describes the specials. A few months ago they had a special "salad" that was one of the best things I've ever tasted. Thinly sliced avocado pieces arranged in a circle around what I think was described as a sashimi relish (diced up pieces of several types of fish), with some sort of delicious balsamic-based sauce on the side. It was so good I went back for the same thing the next day. I was told it will may be a regular fixture on the menu this summer--I really hope so! As for their usual menu items, the best special roll, hands down, is the Autumn of Connecticut (pictured above). Feng's lunch maki special and Japanese lunch boxes are very good deals for lunch. Two rolls and soup or salad for $9 for the lunch maki, and a lunch box including your choice of various teriyaki or tempura options, rice, salad, California roll, and shumai, plus soup, for $9-12.

The bad: The special rolls are pricey. If you're budget conscious, stick to the regular rolls, which are much more reasonable. The drink menu, while full of delicious-sounding concoctions, is also not cheap. (That presentation stuff I love so much does not come without its costs.) The service can sometimes be less-than-attentive. I've personally only had one bad experience with service, but I have a few friends who have had repeated bad experiences. I'm not sure if maybe those experiences were back when Feng first opened or if they were limited to a particular server or what, but I honestly haven't had those kinds of problems there. Feng, like many downtown restaurants, can get pretty crowded at lunch, so plan ahead.