When you consider the dearth of outstanding Asian restaurants in Fort Worth, Asia Bowl & Grill is a real find.

And when you consider that we're talking about a tiny storefront operation -- well, it's hard to believe that a strip stop could produce the quality and variety that come out of Asia Bowl's little kitchen.

Between an Albertsons and a Best Buy in a shopping center off the Green Oaks exit of Interstate 30, Carl Lok and Brandon Chuah are dishing out big, handsome bowls of fresh, vivid stir-fries, noodle dishes and teriyakis that range from Korean to Malaysian to Vietnamese to all the regional cuisines of China.

Be it kimchee or kung pao, the ingredients are top-notch, the sauces distinctive and the presentation appealing. We knew we were in the right place from the first bite of our pan-fried dumplings ($4.25 for six). These can be leaden, gummy and industrial-tasting in the typical Chinese food place, but Asia Bowl's little beauties boast tender dough and delicate filling.

For most entrees, the menu lists the preparation and gives you a choice of main ingredient -- chicken, beef, pork, shrimp or tofu, for example. We chose eggplant for the Jalapeno Stir-Fried in Tamarind Sauce ($7.25) and were rewarded with a colorful tumble of precisely cooked vegetables in a slightly sweet sauce sparked with jalapeno rounds and curls of cilantro.

The flavors were complex and true in our Malaysian coconut curry ($8.25), whose rich yellow-orange-hued sauce held a bounty of fat, firm shrimp, with tails thoughtfully removed.

The pad thai ($7.25) was the only dish we found to be a little rote, but even there we were rewarded with big, juicy, tender pieces of chicken breast, not the knotty morsels so often found in lesser Asian joints.

In a spot this small, it's surprising to find anything for dessert beyond fortune cookies, much less such intriguing choices as apple puffs or banana fritters with honey. The reason we can't report on these is that we felt duty-bound -- for the sake of science -- to order the panko-breaded Twinkies ($2.50 for two). We'd heard of deep-fried Twinkies, but panko -- the premium bread crumbs used in Japanese frying to produce an ethereal crust -- was a new twist. The panko added exactly what Twinkies lack -- texture -- producing a delicately crunchy golden shell filled with sweet fluff.

Clearly, Asia Bowl is far more than a place for neighborhood folks to grab a desperation dinner or a quick fuel stop before shopping at nearby Ridgmar mall. And the best news is that Lok and Chuah are looking to open another restaurant or two in Fort Worth -- maybe one downtown. If they do, I can see the future of my lunches becoming much brighter.

IN THE KNOW

Asia Bowl & Grill

2400 Lands End, Suite 115

Fort Worth

(817) 738-1688

$

Pan-Asian

Details: 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Major credit cards accepted. No liquor; no corkage fee (but you probably should pack your own corkscrew and wineglasses if you bring wine). Delivery within a five-mile radius. Smoke-free. Wheelchair-accessible.