VENUE INFO

Click below for address and more

• Stir Crazy

This is Asian chicken noodle soup. (Gary Moore for The Star)

This is the ginger beef entree. (Gary Moore for The Star)

Chicken Satay is on the menu at Stir Crazy. (Gary Moore for The Star)

The Indy area isn't lacking in Asian-style restaurants, but the reaction to the recent arrival of Stir Crazy indicates there's always room for a new approach.

The latest in a series of locations that include spots in Florida and New York as well as the Midwest, Stir Crazy is part bd's Mongolian Barbecue, part noodle house, part upscale Chinese eatery. The restaurant's goal, according to corporate literature, is to feature the flavors of Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese food, and that's evident from a quick survey of the menu.

You'll find the standards here -- crab rangoons, kung pao chicken, Szechwan shrimp, sweet and sour pork -- but surprises pop up as well, including a variety of noodle bowls, creative seafood preparations (wasabi salmon, Asian Cajun tuna) and Five Spice ribs.

Pete and I headed south to Greenwood Park Mall for a midweek dinner and found the (not overly large) dining room on a wait at 7 p.m. Bar tables were unavailable, so we settled in at the black-marble bar, which overlooks the dining room, where large paper lanterns dangle. Stone walls, polished-wood tables and accents and Asian-influenced art create a casually sophisticated atmosphere.

Most of the patrons' attention, however, is focused on the large, open grill area curving along the north wall. Here, chefs cook up stir fries diners concoct at the Market Bar stocked with fresh veggies, three varieties each of rice and noodles, spices and Stir Crazy's eight signature sauces.

If you take the DIY route, you'll be given a sheet of paper on which to check your choice of a main course (pork, chicken, steak, shrimp, calamari, salmon, ahi or tofu) and a rice or noodle option. You'll then visit the Market Bar, where your selections will be combined with the veggies and seasonings of your choice and prepared by the chefs. Occasionally, these grill gurus bang a gong and send up a fiery plume of flames, upping the drama factor.

Pete considered the Market Bar approach, but since you can't combine meats, he chose to order from the menu. First, though, we debated our appetizer selections.

The mix-and-match Crazy Pu Pu Platter tempted, but we decided not to go overboard and ordered the chicken satay ($6), five grilled-chicken skewers teamed with a thick, peanut-buttery dipping sauce. While thoroughly cooked, the lightly marinated skewers arrived warm rather than hot. We found the accompanying tangy Asian slaw to be a nice accompaniment and an interesting variation on traditional versions.

The cold weather called for soup. My cup of Sweet and Sour Soup ($2.50) contained a hearty blend of pork, tofu, bamboo shoots and shiitake mushrooms, but the taste somehow seemed off to me. Then Pete suggested I squeeze in juice from the accompanying lime slice. Ah, there was the sour I was missing.

Pete's Asian Chicken Noodle soup (one size offered; $4) had a deep, almost beefy, taste -- although it is made from chicken broth -- and plenty of noodles for a hearty course.

For my entree, I went straight for the only item on the menu ranked as "very spicy." The Blazing Noodles ($12) combined a generous amount of flat wheat noodles with a spicy chili sauce, snap peas, carrot slivers, diced scallions, Fresno peppers and Thai basil. I added beef, which arrived in slender, tender slices. Unlike some eateries, when they say "very spicy" here, they mean it. (This is a good thing, by the way.) The sauce packed a wallop as promised and soon had my endorphins rushing to the rescue.

Pete took a calmer, gentler approach by requesting the ginger beef ($11). He could definitely taste the ginger influence in his mixture of beef, pea pods, scallions, mushrooms and onions. He chose white rice as an accompaniment; brown is also offered at no charge, with fried rice available for an additional $1.75. He didn't seem quite as enthusiastic about his meal as I did about mine, although he certainly finished it. I sampled the beef and found it fine, although the sauce was definitely more subtle.

I wished we had saved room for dessert, because the Mandarin chocolate fondue with fresh fruit sounded heavenly (or is that sinful?), as did the banana wontons (wontons stuffed with bananas and white chocolate, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and served with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce). Now that would be worth ringing the gong for.

Taste Test

Appetizer: Chicken satay, $6
Soups: Cup of hot and sour soup, $2.50, Asian chicken noodle soup, $4
Entrees: Blazing Noodles with beef, $12, Ginger beef, $11

By Julie Cope Saetre / Indy.com the Magazine correspondent