Ponzu (286 Moody St.) is no longer a newcomer to the Waltham ethnic restaurant scene. Since opening in May 2006, this restaurant has specialized in cuisine from "Far East & the Rest." Situated mere yards from both Asian Grill and Tom Can Cook, Ponzu complements its more established pan-Asian brethren nicely.Before I get to the food, here's a bit about the actual restaurant. The interior has that formally informal feel to it, accentuated by the movie-theme Muzak (Beauty and the Beast, lounge-ified). There's a sizable sushi bar, but also a number of tables for a more private meal.

The restaurant specializes in creative dishes-a mere glance at the menu will quickly reveal a less-than-traditional item. Ponzu serves what it has dubbed "Asian tapas," cooked and raw, ranging from a standard vegetable spring roll ($6.95) to an intriguing tuna lollipop ($10.95) to a questionable sushi pizza ($9.95). Among its entres Ponzu includes such disparate selections as a sashimi margarita plate ($24.95) and Malaysian Indian-style noodle stir-fry ($11.25).

But it is the cut rolls, or maki, with which Ponzu truly shines. The cut rolls are broken up into four sub-menus: house specials, rice paper (for the carb-conscious), American and international. The third includes the familiar California and Philadelphia rolls, but also an Essex fried clam roll ($9.95)-fried clams aren't exactly the first thing to pop into my head at the mention of Asian food. What stood out most to me was the Mexican salsa shrimp tempura roll with sour cream ($9.95)-and I would have ordered that, if I ate shrimp.

But enough about the restaurant's novelties-here's what I ordered.

Ponzu-marinated tuna with edamame puree on wonton crisp ($8.95): If Ponzu has one fault, it's that most of their offerings don't have catchy names. While the item names are cumbersome, at least you know what you're getting. The tuna was nice and fatty, and the ponzu -a citrus-based Japanese sauce-really complemented the fish, edemame and crisp flavors.

Ponzu spicy rolls ($5.95): The options are tuna, salmon and yellowtail, and I opted for the last. The six rolls that came were good, nothing particularly spectacular, but certainly not by any means the worst I've ever eaten. It's disappointing eating sushi alone because half the fun is ordered different types and sharing. I should mention that the spicy sauce is put into the roll next to the fish-the good way-and not poured on top or mashed up with it. And, as is always the case when one dines on spicy food, my water wasn't replenished as often as I would have liked.

Ponzu salmon teriyaki lunch plate ($7.75): The lunch specials come with a small bowl of miso soup, one of three rices (I opted for jasmine-white) and a salad. The soup wasn't terribly salty for miso, which I found surprising. The bowl was one of those oddly shaped ones that made it difficult to get the last bit of soup out-trapezoids are tricky for spoons. The rice wasn't special, it was just rice-but fortunately, there was a bottle of soy sauce on the table. The salad included cucumber and two other vegetables I couldn't identify; my waitress wasn't able to answer a couple of my questions about the food earlier, so I didn't bother trying again. But it was good, and better with dressing. Finally, the salmon itself was delicious. It had that slight smoky, grilled flavor that I really like with salmon, and the teriyaki sauce was particularly sweet.

All in all, Ponzu is one fantastic restaurant, but I recommend not dining there alone. The quantity and price make food-sharing worthwhile. It's also a great date restaurant: expensive enough to impress, but not enough to make a sizable dent in your wallet. You can also just wait for your parents to visit and have them pay; a good "let the parents pay" place to eat, Ponzu is.