Interesting decor.

Given an open choice for a dinner selection for a birthday celebration with my dear wife Karen, terrific daughter Elisabeth and fantastic fiancée George Three, I went with an Asian fusion spot on Erie Boulevard that’s been on my mind since it took over a crab joint earlier this year.

Or maybe it was last year. Time sure does fly when you get up there like me.

We drove out to Mr Noodle and Ms Dumpling with various orders on our minds.

George had visited once, for lunch, but we other three, no.

A good, long read of the extensive menu led us to appetizers and main fair.

Could have served more.

My Shanghai Wonton Soup came in a large bowl with a ladle that might have been used to share with my dining partners.

Exacting protocol.

Those three, though, were busy with the soup dumpling.

They offered me one, but I was busy enough with my gallon, no, quart, no, pint, perhaps, of chicken-hinted broth filled with delicate dumplings. Thumbs up!

I enjoyed their description of dumplings tasty with the soup broth inside! Who knew.

Karen’s delight.

My mound.

Elisabeth’s choice.

George’s feast.

Totally without pre-planning, we all ordered main meals with different proteins as the star.

Karen went with seafood pineapple fried rice; Elisabeth chose orange chicken; George picked Mongolian beef; and I decided upon pork lo mein,

All were a cut above the food we bring home from any number of local takeout joints. Lo-and-behold, our plates were so full, Karen and both brought home containers we ate happily for lunch the next day.

Birthday, oh, boy.

First, though, we all shared a forkful of the special pastry delivered by our pleasant server after I thanked her for sharing my birthday dinner with us.