The name Hawkers makes sense once you know the concept, and it only sounds odd if pronounced by someone with a Boston accent.

The idea behind this charming little eatery is to present an array of dishes the type of which might be sold -- hawked -- by individuals who stake out space on the sidewalks and streets of various Asian cities but with, you know, stricter health department guidelines.

I’m resisting the urge to describe the dishes as tapas-like, but most of the menu items are “small plate” in nature. And the best way to experience Hawkers Asian Street Fare is the same as you would a tapeo, except instead of doing a tapas crawl, you might virtually wander these Asian streets and sample a number of delectable items. Try the banh mi sliders (I had the duck version; delicious) and the five spice pork choplettes. The curry Laksa is a wonderful and colorful bowl of myriad flavors with chicken, shrimp and big fat egg noodles.

Though overpriced, the food is creative and sumptuous, presented in a professional manner in a relaxing atmosphere reminiscent of Key West. The restaurant, which stands apart from the main hotel, sits on top of the boulders that form the grotto for the resort's pool. The structure has the appearance of a fine Florida home, with wooden floors and ceiling fans. There are more windows than walls and some of them open out onto old-fashioned screened-in porches. The menu is dominated by seafood selections, including whole Florida yellow tail snapper and herb basted diver scallops. The high quality seafood and classy surroundings would make Papa proud.

For some reason, the parent company has decided to rename the restaurant Hillstone. Go figure. Hillstone/Houston's menu might be described as minimalistic. There are no appetizers to speak of, except for a couple of items under a category labeled this and that, which also includes side items. I did try the Chicago style spinach and artichoke dip, your basic dip served with tortilla chips. Although it is not listed on the menu, an appetizer portion of the barbecued ribs entree is also available. This included a half-slab of tender ribs with a slightly sweet barbecue sauce served on top of a mound of fries.

Most entrees include a salad, and the salads were huge. The basic salad featured a large plate of fresh, crisp greens topped with chopped eggs, grated cheese and big bits of crumbled bacon. The mustard honey house dressing was wonderful.

I also sampled a salad of seared tuna and field greens, which could easily serve as an entree. The sushi-grade tuna was seared on the outside and raw inside. The bite-size cubes were placed alongside a pile of exotic greens, which also included fresh avocado, drizzled with a cilantro-ginger vinaigrette.

The b... Read more