Bites Nearby: Anjin Asian Diner & Grill

Thai food or Chinese food? Maybe you're in the mood for Japanese but your friends want Vietnamese.

At Anjin Asian Diner & Grill, 2952 Lehigh St., in Allentown, (about two blocks outside the Salisbury Township border) you can satisfy nearly everyone's hankering for something Asian.

If you have trouble making decisions beware of the menu at Anjin. There’s pretty big range of options from which to choose. For example, if you like grilled teriyaki you have nine different options—chicken, steak, shrimp, tofu, vegetable, scallop, shrimp and scallop, chicken and shrimp or steak and shrimp. Then you have to decide if you want white or brown rice and miso soup or salad. You get healthy options, such as steamed broccoli or steamed mixed vegetables, with your choice of chicken, tofu and mushrooms or shrimp or scallops.

The restaurant, which was once a Friendly's, now has a very modern feel, especially with the black dining booths and deep red walls decorated with Asian art. The dim lighting and comfortable seats provide a relaxing atmosphere.

Worried about price? Stop by for the lunch specials, which include fried rice, soup of the day, egg roll or spring roll. All of these dishes cost between $6.25-$6.50.

Thai basil style, Sambal sauce and Thai curry sauce are three most popular Thai options. As for Chinese, the typical General Tso’s chicken, hot and spicy chicken and  Moo Shu platter are just some of the many offerings.

For those dining with a partner, a great option is the two for $20 meal where you can choose two soups, two appetizers, two entrees and two desserts.

The soups, which are flavorful and served steaming hot, include egg drop soup, wonton soup, hot and sour soup and miso soup. The mouth-watering appetizers include egg roll, spring roll, crab rangoon or fried bun.

Be prepared to take some food home once you order the "pick two entrées." The food arrives beautifully arranged on a large, white plate.

As if you haven’t had enough to eat, you have a choice of cheesecake, fried vanilla ice cream, green tea ice cream or “chocolate lover” ( chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream topped with fudge) for dessert. For those who don’t want a huge dessert, the green tea ice cream is a refreshing choice. You’ll receive about one scoop and it has a wonderful, exotic taste.

Anjin Asian Diner & Grill

2952 Lehigh St.

Allentown, Pa.  18103

Phone: 610-351-1788

Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; noon-10 p.m. Sunday.