LITTLE CHOPSTICKS,

There's a lot more elbow room in the main area than at the original, tiny Little Chopsticks in the late '80s, when you bowed apprehensively whenever a waiter squeezed behind you with a tray. Booths line the walls; oak-edged green Formica tables have never known tablecloths. In addition to the usual Polynesian specialty drinks there are Margaritas as cheap as the not-bad Sutter Home wine by the glass ($3.50), as well as Tsingtao beer. It would be easy to fill up on the preliminaries here. There are 20-appetizers, plus soup. The little fried spring rolls ($3 for two) had slices of mushroom as well as a puree of vegetables. Steamed wontons ($6 for eight) are packed with a spicier variation than the ground pork filling I've come to expect. Entree highlights include beef and eggplant in garlic sauce ($8.25), the "house special scallop" ($9.25), "Peking style" (spicy) vegetable moo shi ($7.25) and Peking duck ($14.50 for half, $28 whole).

Full review.