The Change Mariner

Trends: Nibbling On Tonier Fare

San Francisco Chronicle:

At the new Bambuddha Lounge in San Francisco, you can eat a three-course meal at a neatly aligned square table set with cloth napkins and gold- toned cutlery. Or, you can hang out in a poolside pavilion chowing down on prawn and papaya rice paper rolls while sipping a "Guavapolitan,'' an icy pink cocktail made with Skyy vodka, Cointreau and guava juice.

The decision is yours.

In a place where there's enough Asian kitsch to stock a revival of "The King and I,'' patrons are enjoying one of the newest dining trends to hit America. "Bar plates'' is what some are calling it, and the trend is cropping up in hip urban watering holes and hotel bars across the country from San Francisco to New York, Philadelphia to Miami, D.C. to Los Angeles.