Kochujang appears again as a marinade for the fried red snapper.

Some dishes - including a mug of chocolate oatmeal ($12 with a drink during brunch) and humdrum fried snapper ($18) - seemed pricey.

Guatemalan chicken is a gorgeous combination of ingredients that arrives looking like the Statue of Liberty, while fried whole red snapper is absolutely delicious.

Among the entrees are sliced pork chops in a lemongrass marinade; whole fried red snapper with chili, garlic and tamarind, and several curry dishes.

Or a perfectly fried red snapper ($15), the flesh still moist and flavorful within the crisp, crackling skin.

But a crisp fried snapper with rice and an avocado salad ($16.95) seemed one-dimensional.

A fried whole snapper is slightly dry yet flavorful, served boneless with lime juice and chili paste ($13.95).

Among large plates, the one that took curtain calls at our table was a whole fried red snapper stuffed with black sticky rice and a sauce of three flavors, notably garlic.

Plainer still is fried snapper with sliced peppers, onions and a tomato-concentrated sauce.

But you'd miss those curries, and the spectacular whole fried snapper, whose mild but firm flesh stands up well to an accompanying pile of mango, red onion, cashews and garlic.