Cheap Eats 2011: Batik

A pan-Asian small-plates spot in a shopping mall with a dining room that conjures a tiki bar? It might sound like a case study in ill-conceived ideas. Yet Batik is a pleasant surprise. You can come on a date, swing by for a post-work beer and snack, or catch up with friends over a table of small, artfully presented plates.

The best of these come from the "dumpling bar." Batik doesn't roll its own dumpling skins, but the fillings are fresh and imaginative--dive into them and it's hard to resist over-ordering. The staff also pushes the noodle bowls, but except for a stellar rendition of drunken noodles, your calories are better spent elsewhere--for example, on more dumplings.

Also good: Firecracker Shrimp; Thai Way, Madras Magic, Soul-Full, and Main Street dumpling preparations.

Open Monday through Saturday for lunch and dinner.