Asian Food: Bistro ready for grand opening Asian food is distinguished by small amounts of meat, served with large servings of steamed or stir-fried vegetables, seasoned with spices, such as ginger, cinnamon, curry, cilantro and other exotic flavorings, along with soy sauce, honey and lime juice, which lead to many tasty combinations. However, Sao confesses that he serves larger portions of meat, simply because Americans are meat lovers. Lunches are served until 4 p.m. with choices such as Mongolian Beef, Honey Crispy Pork, and Thai Spicy Chicken. Appetizers feature Pot Stickers, a pan-fried dumpling filled with pork and vegetables served with a tangy sauce, as well as a variety of won tons and other delicacies. Soups and salads include Japanese Seaweed Salad, Cucumber and Pineapple Sambal with Malaysian sauce, Egg Drop Soup, Chicken Won Ton and Baby Bok Choy with chicken broth. Seafoods figure prominently in Asian cuisine with food choices such as "From the Sea," "From the Sky," and "From the Earth." There are also sushi rolls to be enjoyed with rice wine, either served hot or chilled. And for the vegetarian, there's a generous choice of string beans, red curry, tofu, eggplant and more. The rice and noodle combinations go on and on with traditional seasonings that accompany poultry, pork, beef and seafood. Although there aren't many desserts to choose from at many Asian restaurants, Sao offers Golden Sesame Balls, French-Style Cheese Cake, vanilla or chocolate ice cream and even an American classic, root-beer float. Suggestions for wine accompaniments are offered throughout the menu, such as a glass of Ecco-Domani Pinot Grigio with the Golden Grilled Salmon, a presentation topped with ginger, onion and a dash of oil. Sao does all the cooking at the restaurant, using many of his own recipes, which he said, are not secrets at all. He also has a collection of cookbooks that he sometimes uses for referencing the creations from Thailand, China, Laos, Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan and other locales. BY: DIXIE TERRY FOR THE SOUTHERN