A group of potential diners peered through the big front window at Peng Lai the other evening, hesitating as they tried to make a decision.

Proprietor Tom Lin spotted them, and he wasn't about to let them wander off without a word of encouragement. He jumped from his chair, went outside to greet them, and the group was soon seated in one of the big, enveloping booths in the handsome new restaurant.

That typifies the energy and enthusiasm of longtime restaurateur Lin, who last month unveiled Peng Lai Pan Asian Cuisine in Papa Joe's Plaza, along with his partners, Bob and Shannon Stefanovski.

It's a low-lighted, L-shaped space done up in sophisticated style with hand-picked furnishings and a color scheme of rich brown, black and copper with a few gleams of gold.

The attention to detail is notable. The white plates, bowls and cups in varying shapes and styles are etched with the blue Peng Lai logo, which also turns up on the comfortable high-back chairs pulled up to the black granite-topped bar.

Fine points like those tell a tale. This is a place that sends a message of quality.

The menu is, as promised, truly pan-Asian. There are dishes from Thailand (curried mussels and clams), Vietnam (pork loin seared with galanga and lemongrass), Korea (bulgogi beef), Japan (teriyaki salmon) and China (Peking duck gyros), with the emphasis on the latter two cuisines.

That might make it sound like one of those overly extensive menus, but the choices are pared down to a reasonable number.

Many people will be satisfied by sticking to the list of appetizers (all the dishes mentioned above are appetizers) and beautifully presented sushi.

Although there is no sushi bar, there are plenty of sushi rolls and nigiri, prepared by Kitty Fong, a female sushi chef who works with executive chef David Wu.

Wu and his staff prepare entrees such as honey-glazed shrimp, flattened scaloppini style, with walnuts and a mayonnaise-style sauce; seared herb-seasoned Chilean sea bass; and what the menu calls "Zip Strip," 14 ounces of marinated and broiled New York strip served with an Asian version of Detroit's famous zip sauce. Plates are artistically garnished with accents of fresh fruit and finely julienned vegetables, and served by a knowledgeable staff clad in black.

Lin and partners do not hesitate to offer familiar Chinese dishes such as almond chicken, egg foo young, and yes, even chop suey. Regardless of its déclassé reputation, "You have to have chop suey," Lin says.

Entrees include rice and a meticulously prepared small house salad of mixed greens, tomato, cucumber and red onion in house dressing. Soups are a la carte, and range from a very good hot and sour (made with chicken rather than pork, but losing nothing in the translation) to wonton and miso.

It's a winning concept, teaming as it does contemporary flair and authentic cooking.

You can reach Molly Abraham at (313) 222-1475 or abraham67@comcast.net.

When a restaurant adds a second entity and moves uptown, it often tries to change its personality to fit the plusher setting.

Toast Birmingham -- spun off from the more modest original in Ferndale -- isn't one of those places. Despite the eye-popping decor, Thom and Regan Bloom's second spot stays true to its roots.

Much about it has expanded, of course. The bistro license, which permits cocktails, wine and beer to be served from the small, central bar, certainly adds an element and allows the restaurant to stay open late.

Still, Toast Birmingham opens at dawn and serves all three meals. The Blooms weren't about to forsake what got them here in the first place -- an appealing breakfast menu that includes a creative array of egg dishes, French toast and waffles served much of the day (until 4:30 p.m., in fact). These dishes represent their strength.

Dinner is a whole new ballgame, despite an attempt a few years ago to add it in Ferndale. That didn't work, because there wasn't (and still isn't) a liquor license.

At first glance, the dinner menu seems unfocused. "What is this place trying to do?" has been a question asked in the early going as people perused the splashy black, white and red menus.

Dishes range from duck empanadas with black bean puree and chili-orange sauce, to fancy sliders with such unslider-like additions as basil aioli and tomato jam. There are burgers topped with fried eggs, as well as macaroni and cheese ramped up with roasted cauliflower, and, at the top end of the price scale, tournedos with a pepper/rosemary rub.

There are three notable salads, each served in a large wooden bowl, one topped with ahi tuna and another including Granny Smith apple slices, candied pecans, chicken and beets with arugula, Maytag blue cheese and mustard vinaigrette.

No, don't look for focus. The menu echoes the decor, a cheerfully tongue-in-cheek mix of styles that veer from the brightly lit main dining room with its red banquettes against stylized black-and-white flower patterned wallpaper, to the Blue Room, where a glittering crystal chandelier, sofas, chairs and coffee tables seem almost Victorian, or would be without the wi-fi availability.

Toast is so good-natured about it all and so unpretentious, its likeability factor makes up for what might seem to be a confusing dinner menu.

Service is by a waitstaff in T-shirts who reflect the friendly spirit of the place.

Birmingham is welcoming Toast with open arms. There's been a wait for tables on a regular basis since the place opened in late October.

So, if it gets a little noisy, the proprietors don't mind a bit.

You can reach Molly Abraham at (313) 222-1475 or abraham67@comcast.net.

Sit on one of the high-backed black stools at the stainless steel counter in the window at Mercury Coffee Bar, and you look out at the urban ruin of the somehow still-majestic Michigan Central Station.

Depending on your attitude, it's either a compelling view or a depressing one.

Todd Wickstrom, who unveiled the Mercury just two weeks ago with a group of partners including Phillip Cooley of neighboring Slows Bar BQ, sees it as akin to looking at the ruins in Rome.

That's the kind of upbeat attitude that permeates the place and is reflected in the enthusiastic young staff in gray T-shirts and black pants.

Perched on the corner of Michigan Avenue and 14th Street, the interior done up in colors so bright they are almost startling -- magenta, bright yellow and brilliant blue accenting glossy white walls and ceiling -- Mercury brings its sense of optimism to a neighborhood that is in full revival mode.

With the kitchen in the center of the main floor, fresh, whole vegetables and fruits piled high above the working area, and a shelf reassuringly filled with well-thumbed cookbooks, there's no doubt this is a place with respect for fresh food.

Step up to the counter and order from a menu that offers sturdy soups, such as one that is a riff on the Irish potato and cabbage dish called colcannon, and a brief but intriguing choice of panini and other sandwiches typified by such combinations as basil pesto, peperonata and mozzarella, or country ham, peach relish and cheddar.

All are available in half and whole sizes as are the impeccable salads, ranging from the combination of roasted beets, goat cheese, toasted pecans and spinach in balsamic vinaigrette to Michigan apple, dried cherries, arugula in lemon vinaigrette.

A few side dishes such as smoked salmon spread, marinated olives and seasonal fruit, round out the menu, which will change frequently.

Everything from the pure white plates and cups to the sea salt and hand-crushed pepper has been chosen as carefully as the room's cheerful color scheme.

Mercury serves only cured or smoked meats such as country ham, mole salami (made with some of the same ingredients as Mexican mole) and the Italian salami called soppresseta, all from artisan producers.

The bakery case in the room displays brownies, cookies, lemon bars and cakes made on the premises by Marta Garza, one of several Mercury workers from the neighborhood.

But what about coffee, you might well ask. It is very much part of the scene. In addition to espresso, cappuccino, latte and other coffee drinks, there is what Mercury calls "slow coffee" with beans ground to order from a choice of three varieties of single origin coffees, El Salvador, Honduras and Kenya. And there is "fast coffee" as well, Cuban-style El Diablo.

Given the high quality of the food and the coffee and tea, prices are remarkably affordable.

Mercury Coffee Bar is in its infancy. There is much more to come, the partners say, including more reliance on products grown by urban farmers, and ambitious plans to create a garden in Roosevelt Park, the triangle of land in front of the old depot.

But even before any of that happens, Mercury Coffee Bar impresses with its appealing food and notable coffee.

You can reach Molly Abraham at (313) 222-1475 or abraham67@comcast.net.