5-Spice Asian Street Market gives a good name to both cafeteria-style dining and strip mall restaurants, two things that don’t normally make my tastebuds go all yee-haw skippy.

But it’s true — as you move along the line and peruse the mind-blowing variety of starters (like delicious Vietnamese summer rolls and vegetarian samosas), flame-roasted meats and the unlimited possibilities of the “Create Your Own Noodle Adventure” option, it’s almost overwhelming.

But in that good “I could eat this! Read the full story

Taking control of the amount of sodium and oil can make this takeout staple a healthy meal. (AP)

Chinese takeout is always a treat, but it can be hard to sort out whether it’s a healthy one.

Of course, with egg rolls, spareribs and fried rice, there’s not much guessing. But when it comes to the vegetable stir-fries and noodle dishes, the answer isn’t as obvious as we’d like.

In principle, most Chinese stir-fries and noodle or rice dishes should be nutritionally sound. Lots of vegetables and carbohydrates and smaller amounts of saturated fat from meat. But those ingredients usually are accompanied by plenty of oil and sodium in the wok.

If you really want to enjoy the healthy balance of ingredients in Chinese dishes, you can take matters into your own hands. This chicken and shiitake mushroom lo mein has all the flavor of the restaurant version, but just 4 teaspoons of oil and a lot less sodium.

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Question: Where can I find the spice asafoetida, sometimes called for in Indian dishes. How can it smell so bad but taste so good? — R.B., Jupiter

Answer: You can find asafoetida in any Indian grocery store, of which there are several in the West Palm Beach area. Ask for “heeng,” which is the Indian name for it.

It is generally sold in a powder form that also contains rice flour and gum Arabic powder. Internet sources may have the pure resin chunks, which are much more powerful and hard to grind and use. The powder, costing around $3 an ounce, keeps for a year or more, but store it in a well-sealed container or its powerful odor may contaminate other spices.

As the name suggests, asafeotida is extremely smelly. The name itself is a Persian-Latin compound — “asa” for Farsi aza, meaning resin or gum, and the self-explanatory Latin “foetida,” the root for fetid. The common name for it in English, “devil’s dung,” speaks volumes on its virtues.

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A mural adorns the wall at Gardens' Asian Fin. (Richard Graulich / The Post)

Directions, more about the restaurant

There’s a been-there, done-that feel to much of what passes for Japanese cuisine in these parts. Those neighborhood sushi joints serving the same array of tricked-out rolls. (Even the lobster bomb, that sushi-bar sensation of a few years ago, is starting to seem like an old kid on the block.) Or hibachi places that offer a retread version of the already lame Benihana shtick. (How many onion “volcanos” can one diner witness in a lifetime?)

All of which bodes well for Asian Fin, a year-old Palm Beach Gardens restaurant, run by the former proprietors of Tokyo Garden in North Palm Beach, that forges a different path. This is Japanese-meets-modern-American-cuisine, a place where you can have your spicy tuna as sushi — or as a burger (more on that burger later). The concept is a solid, clever one, but the execution sometimes suggests the restaurant is not quite there yet.

The look and feel of the eatery, however, is one of its strong points. Granted, this is more a slip of a restaurant than a big statement one. But the clean lines and cool colors go a long way toward setting a contemporary mood that doesn’t cross the line into insufferable hipness. It’s the Japanese restaurant as urban bistro.
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Kaffir limes are highly desired for spicing and even more. (Photo by David Monniaux)

Question: I do a lot of Indian and Asian cooking but can never find the kaffir lime leaves sometimes called for. I recently bought a kaffir lime tree which is bearing fruit. How do I use the fruit? How do I use the leaves in my recipes? — Randy B., Jupiter

Answer: I congratulate you for progressing beyond the common American fare; many Americans like you are discovering the delights of the spicier Asian-Indian and Latin cuisines. Kaffir lime is a cousin of the more familiar supermarket lime and is a native of South Asia. The fruit of the thorny tree is the size of a large lemon but is darker green and has a thick knobbly skin.

The fruit itself has little juice; what are prized in the cuisines of South Asian countries, particularly Thailand, are its pared skin and even more so the pretty twin leaves of the plant. Take good care of your one, which will grow well in the patio. Google “how care for kaffir lime” and you will have good instructions.
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Thanks to the small size of the pork pieces, this pork satay with apple chutney cooks quickly on the grill. (AP)

Looking to get dinner on the table fast? Put it on a stick.

Cutting meats and vegetables into smaller bits, then threading them onto skewers can dramatically reduce cooking time because there is no thick center for the heat to reach. A pound of chicken breasts left whole will take far longer to cook than the same amount of meat cubed and skewered.

The texture of the meat also benefits. Because cooking time is less, the meat (especially pork and chicken) have less time to dry out.

In this recipe for pork satay, boneless country-style ribs are cut into chunks and given a quick marinade before landing on the grill. They also could be cooked on a grill pan or under the broiler.

An easy apple chutney can be made to accompany the pork. Or to save even more time, skip that part of the recipe and use purchased mango chutney.

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WHOLE FOODS MARKET, 11701 Lake Victoria Gardens Ave., Palm Beach Gardens. Preregister at customer service. (561) 691-8550
–American Artisan Cheese Tasting, 1-4 p.m. Saturday. Sample cheeses. Free.
–Friday Night Beer Garden: A benefit for the Lunch Box, 6-9 p.m. Friday. An evening of food, beer and music with DJ Bert for a great organization. $10 donation.

PUBLIX APRON’S COOKING SCHOOL, Polo Club Shoppes, 5030 Champion Blvd., Suite D2, Boca Raton. (561) 994-4461 or (561) 994-4883.
–Sushi 101, 6 p.m. today. Learn the ancient art of sushi from beginning to end, including proper rice cooking and ingredient selection. $50.
–Couples Cooking, 6 p.m. Thursday. Couples learn how to grill. $80 per couple.
–The Basics of Culinary, 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday. A six-part series. Prepare full menus with techniques used by pros. $300
–Hispanic Techniques, 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Tuesday. $150

IN THE KITCHEN, Everything for the Cook! Gallery Square North, 389 Tequesta Drive, Tequesta. Reservations. Phone: (561) 747-7117. www.inthekitchennow.com
–Techniques: Sauces, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday. A four-course dinner with Chef Joseph focusing on mastering classic sauces. $60.

CAKES ETC., 2800 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach. (561) 615-4431.
–Course III, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Sept. 2 Tuition is $40 plus supplies.
–Course I, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Sept. 8. Tuition is $40 plus supplies.
–Candy I, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Sept. 10. Tuition is $20, supplies included.
–Candy II, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Sept. 17. Tuition is $25, supplies included.
–Fondant/Gumpaste, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Sept. 30. Tuition is $40 plus supplies.

Saffron

MENU

Saffron of West Palm Beach recently opened a location in Jupiter with the same menu. The choices include meat and seafood from the tandoori oven, spicy curries and fluffy Indian breads.

ATMOSPHERE

It took us a while to find this new restaurant, which has an unusual location inside a pyramid-shaped office building just west of the Maltz Jupiter Theatre. Inside, Saffron is cozy and opulent, with dark ceilings, wood paneling and silk pillows. Read the full story

See full venue: Thaikyo

MENU

Thai and Japanese food share the menu. Masaman curry, pad Thai, teriyaki and tempura come from the kitchen, sushi and sashimi from the sushi bar. The menu offers the usual staples, including rainbow rolls.

ATMOSPHERE

Friendly and cheerful. Thaikyo is in a large space in the Plaza Del Mar, and there are plenty of windows and outdoor seating. Read the full story

Beef noodel soup. Hanoi Noodle soup: beef, flank, tendon, beef meat balls and tripe. A rich broth with star aniseed herbs and spices. Served over flat rice noodles, thin sliced onions, chopped cilantro and chopped green onions. Accompanied by basil, bean sprouts, chili pepper and lime. Vietnamese Express Cafe located at 531 US Highway 1, Suite B, North Palm Beach. Gary Coronado/The Post

The restaurant: Vietnamese Express Cafe

The back story: Vietnamese native Lisa Mastorides grew up in the Palm Beach Gardens area but cut her teeth in the restaurant biz in Orlando, where she worked on the corporate side for the Darden company (Olive Garden, Capital Grille, Seasons 52, etc.). When she returned home, she noticed there was almost no place to go for Vietnamese food. So, given her knowledge of the restaurant industry and her wealth of family recipes, she decided to open the Vietnamese Express Café two years ago. Oh, and don’t let her last name throw you off — she married a Greek guy! Read the full story