Edition: U.S. / Global

GOOD EATING;Where Far Corners of the World Intersect

Published: June 16, 1996

FRONTIERE* (212) 387-0898; 199 Prince Street (Macdougal Street); $(c) all major credit cards

This stylish split-level dining room feels warm and clubby. The food is pleasing and includes starters like the Frontiere salad, a crunchy and vibrant mix of greens, shrimp and French string beans with bacon and smoked mozzarella; salad of grilled baby octopus, and grilled wild mushrooms with a warm potato and goat cheese salad. For main courses there are seared sea scallops complemented by a little ragout of rock shrimp and spring vegetables; succulent grilled lamb chops served with black-pepper-flavored mashed potatoes, and grilled baby chicken with rosemary. (Review: 10/27/95)

HONMURA AN*** (212) 334-5253; 170 Mercer Street (Houston Street); $(c) all major credit cards

Soba, the fine handmade buckwheat noodle, is the lure here. When aficionados find soba as good as this, they eat it cold, simply dipped into dashi sauce mixed with grated daikon, scallions and wasabi. Soba dishes are also served warm in broths with toppings like seaweed, mushrooms, chicken or duck. Honmura An also makes extraordinary udon, thick wheat noodles that are always served in broth. A small menu of fine palate teasers includes edamame, salted soybeans in the pod, and a limited but excellent selection of sashimi. (Review: 9/10/93)

LE LUCKY STRIKE@ (212) 941-0772; 59 Grand Street (West Broadway); $(c) American Express, Mastercard, Visa

This moderately priced bistro looks as if it has been there forever. The Gallic fare is satisfying and portions are generous. Dinner might start with fennel salad topped with sheets of finely shaved Parmesan; steamed mussels in tomato, garlic and white wine, or warm lentils served on a bed of arugula. For main courses, steak au poivre is a winner, paired with excellent shoe-string potatoes; lamb chops, while sometimes lacking in flavor and not always tender, come with a pleasing accompaniment of roasted potatoes and garlicky spinach; a leek and vegetable tart is served with a salad of mixed greens on the side, and roast chicken is complemented by both roasted peppers and potatoes. (Diner's Journal: 12/8/89; revisited: 6/4/96)

PENANG** (212) 274-8883; 109 Spring Street (Mercer Street); (c) American Express, Mastercard, Visa

There is more to Penang than a trendy location, a chic setting and pretty people. The titillating aromas of ginger, lemon grass and curry fill the air with a promise the kitchen delivers on: authentic Malaysian cuisine. Recommended starters include the delicate pancake called roti canai, a large thin crinkle of crepe that is served with a mild coconut curry filled with chunks of chicken and potato. As roti telur, the crepe is filled with egg and onions and then grilled. Crisply fried squid, clams in black bean sauce and sarang burung, a basket made of fried taro and filled with scallops, shrimp, squid, chicken, nuts, mushrooms and vegetables all make fine appetizers. Other dishes to consider are the vegetable preparations; beef rendang in a fragrant curry sauce made with chilies, lemon grass, onions and coconut milk, and sauteed chicken with mango and sweet peppers in black bean sauce. (Review: 12/30/94)

PROVENCE** (212) 475-7500; 38 Macdougal Street (Prince Street); $(c) American Express

A warm country setting and seductive menu evoke the sunny flavors of southern France. Familiar starters do not loose their appeal here, whether pissaladiere, the sweet onion and anchovy tart; mussels gratineed with garlic and almonds, or Provencal fish soup with rouille. Engaging entrees include roast leg of lamb with ratatouille; braised rabbit with olives and fava beans; a vegetarian plate composed of grilled and roasted vegetables and served with aioli or an herb emulsion, and grilled red snapper with warm blood-orange vinaigrette. (Review: 5/17/91; revisited: 4/16/95)

RAOUL'S* (212) 966-3518; 180 Prince Street (Sullivan Street); $$(c) all major credit cards

This perpetually trendy spot, with a genuine neighborhood feel and hospitable staff, offers pleasing bistro fare. For starters, there are frisee aux lardons; smoked portobellos over arugula; seared foie gras in a Port reduction; artichoke vinaigrette, and oysters on the half shell. Among the main courses are a veal chop in a wild-mushroom sauce; tenderloin of beef in Beaujolais sauce; grilled salmon with mustard sauce; a grilled vegetable plate, and roast rack of lamb. (Review: 4/5/91; revisited: 12/12/95)

ZOE** (212) 966-6722; 90 Prince Street (Broadway); $$(c) all major credit cards

Virtually every contemporary cooking technique can be found at this rakish post-modern restaurant. Among the current appetizers are a chowder of crayfish, corn and crab, augmented by a chipotle puree; crab cakes flanked by a sweet corn salad and mesclun greens and served with chipotle mayonnaise, and crispy duck roll paired with a spicy peanut-lime sauce. For entrees, there is herb-roasted salmon with tomato-and-saffron-flavored aioli, fennel and roast fingerling potatoes; goat cheese gnocchi tossed with asparagus and wild mushrooms in pesto sauce; roasted breast of duck paired with a duck and corn tamale, and a risotto of sweet peas with crawfish and morels. (Review: 4/10/92; revisited: 6/2/94)

Classic Japanese

KATANA** (212) 677-1943; 179 Prince Street (Sullivan Street); $(c) American Express, Mastercard, Visa

A trim modern decor showcases Katana's kaiseki food, traditional Japanese cooking that features many courses in small portions. Diners might begin with sizzling scallops with shiitaki mushrooms, seaweed salad or grilled fish marinated in miso, and then move on to sashimi, with toro (the belly of the tuna) ringed by tilefish and strips of sayori, a seasonal fish. Other selections include dobin mushi, a broth with shrimp and matsutakes; shark's fin; jellyfish with persimmon and sesame paste, and grilled black cod. (Review: 11/10/95)



