Issue date: 10/10/08 Section: ARTS & LIFE

Media Credit: Clinton Lynch Mr. Chopsticks only uses the freshest herbs along with raw vegetables and light seasonings to make every dish as unique as possible.

Media Credit: Clinton Lynch Mr. Chopsticks only uses the freshest herbs along with raw vegetables and light seasonings to make every dish as unique as possible.

Media Credit: Clinton Lynch One of Denton's little treasures, Mr. Chopsticks has captured the taste buds of everyone who visits and always serves to a full house every day of the week.

Mr. Chopsticks fits the profile of a great restaurant in a college town. From the excellent Asian cuisine and slew of vegetarian dishes to the low-key atmosphere and college-rock background music, it's easy to see why the place was packed on a weeknight.

We found one of the few open tables and sat down quickly before someone else nabbed it. Each table was equipped with plenty of chopsticks and soy sauce, but no napkins were to be found. As neither of us can go through a meal without spilling something on ourselves, we found this especially distressing. We were quickly greeted by our waitress, who was very polite and enthusiastic.

The appetizer menu had lots of appealing options. Heather eyed the edamame while Addley attempted to interpret the kanji symbols on the various imported drinks and spices in preparation for her Japanese class.

The meal kicked off with an order of fried pork potstickers - finely chopped meat, onion, cabbage, and ginger encased in crispy wonton wrappers. The meat was still juicy despite being fried, and the vegetables added excellent seasoning; Addley could have made a meal out of the potstickers alone. They were served with a sweet and spicy orange sauce that Heather adored.

Heather ordered the cashew chicken, which comes fried or grilled and stir-fried with scallions, green bell peppers and onions, served with steamed rice and a generous topping of cashews and garlic-ginger soy sauce. Heather loves dishes with lots of vegetables and unique flavors and was very pleased with her choice.

Addley, who once again has had very little experience with the cuisine in question, chose the Hunan shrimp. A stir-fry made primarily of pepper and an unfamiliar stringy vegetable was not what she had been expecting, but the overall taste was satisfying nonetheless.

In addition, both meals were served with a side of fried rice, which complemented the entrées well.

The only mark against Mr. Chopsticks was the service. Although our waitress was very polite and friendly, she brought Addley the wrong entrée. The food takes a while to prepare, so Addley was left without a meal for the majority of our visit. Also, we had been finished for a while and were waiting for a take-out container and our check while our server sat and chatted with patrons at a nearby table.

Overall, the variety and quality of Mr. Chopsticks' dishes are terrific. With moderate temperatures just around the corner, the patio at Mr. Chopsticks looks like a great place to meet a few friends and share some of Denton's best Asian cuisine - as long as you've got some time on your hands.

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