Good Taste: Asian fusion, not confusion

I'm ever-skeptical of the Asiaplex, those strip-mall restaurants that promise equal tastes of Chinese, Thai, and sushi. Hungry on the way back to Philly from a southern jaunt, though, we took a chance on Le Shio Asian Fusion Cuisine on Wilmington's northern edge - and were delighted.

Not only were the open-ended Taiwanese potstickers unusual and excellent, the tempura was light and crispy, and the sushi was notable, too, both for quality of fish and originality.

My favorite was the Fusion Tenno roll, its core of spicy tuna and crunchy crab wrapped in a band of white tuna drizzled with spicy-sweet miso sauce. Since the maki itself is pure fish, each round is posed atop a stamp-sized sandwich of seaweed and rice. Now I can't wait for our next southern jaunt to try the grilled prawns in Thai coconut curry.

- Craig LaBan
Fusion Tenno maki roll, $16, Le Shio Asian Fusion Cuisine, 2303 Concord Pike, Wilmington, 302-888-0145; leshio.com