As a boy, there's nothing more enjoyable than cherry-picking a candy store, stuffing the best goodies into your sack and leaving the non-red stuff for the dumb bastards coming after you. Cherry-picking Asia, and making you the sack: Sekai.

In the former Senor Frog's space, Sekai wields pan-Asian fare with a drawl: the chef grew up in New Orleans, traveled/apprenticed in Asia and the Pacific Rim, then came back ready to employ only his favorite acquired techniques (like mixed martial arts for your pie hole). Lighter fare runs from sushi staples to eclecticism like spinach w/ roast duck, mandarin oranges, almonds, mangos, asian pear, strawberries, and blue cheese; satay of Chilean sea bass with blond miso, sweet black rice, and sweet soy butter; ahi pizza; and scallions over crispy Mongolian 'shrooms ("whoa, did you see that slight elevation?"). Meanwhile, entrees are very East-meets-West, e.g.: filet mignon w/ wasabi butter, roasted portobella, and veal demi glace; miso black cod w/ sticky rice risotto, Meyer lemon beurre blanc, sweet melon, & Chinese sausage; and shaved Kobe & Korean fried rice seared table-side in a big stone bowl heated to 1,100 degrees F, aka Kobe Bibimbop (also a maddeningly catchy hit from a Seoul-based Hanson knockoff).

Desserts include chocolate souffle w/ buttered popcorn ice cream, warm donut holes w/ cream yuzu dipping sauce; and sesame, strawberry, and green tea mochi -- choices so tempting, it'll be impossible to cherry-pick, leaving you to eat 'til your sack bursts.

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