Dressed-up cheap eats

It's not easy finding budget bar snacks that are (1) painstakingly made, and a little off-center; and (2) still reasonably priced after happy hour. That's why we were tickled with Ann Coll's latest offerings at Meritage - a sampling of Asian street foods that includes toothsome skewers of yakitori-style chicken hearts (pictured above, B); a generous funnel of vegan, Burmese cornmeal-like lentil fritters with a delicious mint chutney (A); doughy pork buns stuffed with mildly tangy shredded pork; and a good-sized bowl of Korean-style stir-fried rice cakes (C) with a light chile sauce and sesame oil (a bit like having Asian gnocchi). On the sweet side, there's a Thai banana fritter made with a starchy plantain-like baby banana, and a genteel coconut dipping sauce. They all have Coll's signature - well-balanced flavors and textures. And best of all, they range in price from $3 to $5.

- Rick Nichols
Asian street-food small plates, $3-$5, Meritage Restaurant and Wine Bar, 20th and Lombard Streets, 215-985-1922, www.meritagephiladelphia.