There are more than 250 options on Eddie Hills' Thai and Japanese menu, but it isn't just variety that keeps the neighbors coming back. For casual Asian dining, this Hallandale gem is as good as it gets.

A remarkably generous appetizer portion of spicy jumping shrimp is tossed with lemon grass, onions, hot pepper and lime juice and served over lettuce. The spicy beef salad has a similar description but its own Mediterranean flair. Strips of peppery grilled steak are offset by a light chile-lime dressing and mixed with chunks of cucumber, tomato, onion and cilantro.

Traditional skewers of chicken satay have the familiar Thai sweetness of coconut and just enough curry to give the dish life.

On the Japanese side, Eddie Hills' sushi is some of the best in South Florida. Large slabs of impeccably fresh fish top the nigiri, and the maki (those familiar nori-wrapped rolls) are well-stuffed. The secret to a sushi success is often a closely guarded recipe for marinating the rice, and here it's kissed with a hint of sweetness.

A basic tempura vegetable plate of zucchini, sweet potato and onion includes a remarkable innovation: tempura pasta. A bunch of spaghetti, bound at one end, blossoms during frying into a crispy tan flower with a nutty flavor perfectly matching the sweet dipping sauce.

Entrees are gargantuan and never skimp on meat. Most include a choice of chicken, beef, pork, tofu or, for an extra $2, shrimp.

Traditional pad Thai is topped with a field of finely ground peanuts, and Massaman curry is brimming with potato, avocado and cashews in a velvety stock of curry paste and coconut milk. A vegetarian friend pronounced the curry's fried tofu perfectly finished.