Marlina

 Always eager to try out a new south-east asian restaurant, we decided
 to hike down to Marlina (500 Liberty, Downtown, where Liberty and
 Penn intersect).

 We tried the shrimp corn fritters, soldeh bandung (vegetable curry
 in green sauce) and seafood with basil.  The corn fritters were
 good, but on the greasy side.  The vegetable curry and seafood were
 okay, but nothing to rave about.  However, the portions were decent
 and the prices under control ($8-10 for entrees) so we'll probably
 go back.

 The place seemed deserted at 8pm but I was told it has been mobbed
 for lunch.

                                           -Sanjiv

 I had lunch with a friend today at Marlina, the new Asian restaurant
 on Liberty Avenue across from 5th avenue place.  (It's upstairs where
 Scoglio was once upton a time, I should have paid attention to the
 adress).  Here are my impressions

 1) Very pleasant space although if it was crowded it might seem very
 crowded.  I was there at 1:30 to start and by 2:15 my friend and I
 were the only ones left.

 2) They had a "Cinnamon-Plum" tea and some kind of Cinnamon Coffee as
 specials but we didn't try them.  I ordered from their beverage menu
 an Oolong tea which turned out to be a Oolong teabag of passable
 quality in a large mug of hot water.  $1.50 is a lot to charge for
 a teabag in estimation.

 The entrees have a Thai/Indonesian bent with curried items, some
 noodle dishes etc.  I had a chicken dish with vegetables and
 basil leaves.  My friend had a beef penang which was a curry
 dish as well.  Both where served with white rice and with our choice
 of shrimp chips, salad with peanut sauce, or soup of the day.  We
 had the soup which was a vegetable/lemon grass with coconut milk.

 The soup was good, a little spice, definite  coconut taste, not a strong
 lemongrass taste.  We agreed we like the lemon grass soup at Pnohm Penh
 better but that this was good. The broccoli had clearly been in there for
 some time that didn't distraact too much.

 Our entrees came in small bowls on larger plates containing a nice mound
 of well steamed rice.  My first impression was that they looked very
 similar.  They had different vegetables and meats but there was a sameness
 to them that I quickly traced to the sauce, which resembled the soup
 without the lemongrass and vegetables.  Both our dishes were marked
 spicy on the menu, but mine was spicier than hers by quite a bit.
 I didn't really detect much basil flavor in mine.

 The food was good but did not grab me with it's taste the way food at
 Pnohm Penh often does ( in a good way).

 Lunch specials run 4.95 to 7.95 I think.

 Jeff

 Our dishe