DineOut Action Fusion Rickshaw serves Asian cross-pollinated with European cuisine–in a lively young atmosphere by E.J. Arnell

The funky dark-wood interior of Rickshaw is the perfect escape from the overwhelming summer heat. Gorgeous large black-and-white photos of Asian street scenes adorn a far wall, while red strips of neon light add a nightclub element to the dim room. As does the music, and I suppose then again so does the staff–they are very young. Every time I visit, I seem to get the "new server," those who try hard but make mistakes and have very little knowledge of the menu. Persevere, because the food is great.

The layout of the restaurant provides for privacy along the back wall in one of the many cozy booths, or hop onto a stool at the sushi bar to be more a part of the action–allowing you to make special orders, talk with the chefs, and get personal attention. Sitting at the sushi bar provides you with entertainment far beyond the art of sushi making: The open kitchen is brimming with activity, and you can sightsee the arrays of Asian cookware, like the huge Chinese steamer used for cooking dumplings, bread, and vegetables with a glistening hot waterfall behind it.

The food concept at Rickshaw is Asian fused with European. The chefs have taken popular dishes from Japanese, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, French, and Italian cuisines and merged and modified them into unusual –and for the most part delicious–variations. Rickshaw is in the process of reworking their current menu. They have come to realize that some of the quirky combinations do not quite work, and these will be left off the new menu that is due out in September. If you are going for the first time, read over the extensive menu and decide what you think sounds good and then ask your server’s opinion (unless he/she has already announced that they are new).

Right off the bat, a complimentary appetizer arrives–Rickshaw’s noodle bread, freshly made, steamed, fried, and served with Asian pesto dipping sauce. Crispy hot and soft in the middle, it’s very good, but don’t fill up on it. The appetizers are of the kind that "you could make a meal out of." The thick and richly flavored crab cake is tasty. It sits on a coleslaw base and is topped with crispy noodles. One bizarre addition that worked for some at our table, but not for me, was the yellow mustard as a condiment on the plate.

The egg rolls are a special treat. Four finger-sized ones are stuffed with veggies and one larger one is cut in two, stuffed with chunks of meat, and served with a sweet-and-sour dipping sauce. Or for a more healthy heart choice, try the spring rolls and get a new flavor with each interesting bite: Shrimp, crab, mango, cilantro, and buckwheat noodles are rolled together and then accompanied by a mild peanut dipping sauce.

The salmon carpaccio is my absolute favorite appetizer. Rings of lemon slices surround the thinly sliced fresh raw salmon, which is topped with olive oil, chopped basil and mint leaves, freshly squeezed lemon, capers, and grated parmesan cheese. The amalgamation is fantastic. It’s sashimi with a European twist. Amazing bursts of herb flavor dance on the smooth fish, while the cheese and capers add great texture and zing. A dip into soy sauce adds an extra element that is unnecessary but exciting.

The temaki (hand rolls) have familiar names with odd extras that take them out of the norm into the realm of exciting eating–like the crispy calamari rolled up with spicy caviar cream, plum puree, and avocado. These hand rolls are crunchy and soft, spicy and sweet. Any of the sushi offerings make great appetizers, or keep ordering them for a whole meal.

You have the choice of two types of dumplings. The regular more-recognizable version is filled with a variety of ingredients including beef, chicken, pork, vegetables, and shrimp. In addition, there are the Sui mai, "Chef’s Wong’s famous open-faced dumplings," which are very different. The green skin is made by infusing the dough with spinach, then filled with the meaty ingredients, shrimp, mushrooms, and chicken, with the top left exposed like a volcano.

Unlike a family-style Asian restaurant that organizes its menu by food categories–like meat and seafood–allowing customers to choose items to build a complete meal to share, the dishes at Rickshaw within these categories are whole meals in themselves. The meat and seafood dishes come with sides and the noodle dishes stand alone.

Kung pow chicken comes with perfectly sautéed greens and creamy wasabi mashed potatoes. The tender chunks of chicken are nicely browned, and whole peanuts and peppers add to the show. The tender narrow stalks of the Chinese broccoli with ever so slightly bitter leaves are delicious and the potatoes are to die for. Similarly presented with greens and potatoes is the Oyster Gyu. Tender strips of beef are quickly seared and sautéed with asparagus, red pepper, onions, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and other foreign unnamable little goodies, and then topped with oyster sauce.

The chicken pepe is a popular pasta dish, created with house-made thick udon wheat noodles, mixed well with spinach and a generous amount of garlic. The miso bass is an excellent way to have Chilean sea bass. First, it is marinated in miso, then broiled, which caramelizes the surface, and then it is finished in a slow oven. The result is a crisp flavorful exterior and delicate breakaway flesh.

Ingenuity flows like feng shui through the kitchen to the dessert tray presented at the table. Absolute dreamiest is the passion fruit truffle. It’s an exquisite white unassuming ball. Delicately flavored ice cream is frozen around passion fruit sorbet and then dipped into white chocolate. Or try Chef Mike Potowski’s specialty: He layers green tea mousse with lichee fruit ladyfingers to make an Asian tiramisu. Sugared walnuts sit on the side for a little crunch. And if you fill up and cannot possibly fit dessert in, try the green tea with jasmine; it’s the perfect digestive.

Rickshaw is worth a visit if you like Asian food and are an adventurous eater. The atmosphere is decidedly party-like, so have fun.