An Asian dish that offers sophistication and fantastic value

Venerable Thai and Malaysian restaurant Top Spice serves a wonderful dish, called Mystic Claypot, that lives up to its attention-grabbing name.

The dish includes shrimp, squid and scallops — all for about $20. And, Top Spice doesn’t skimp on the seafood. The scallops are large, as big around as a silver dollar, and you’ll find several hiding in the velvety curry sauce. The shrimp are large- to jumbo-sized, and are cooked in their shells. There’s plenty of squid, too, expertly cooked to be tender and toothsome, not chewy.

This seafood cornucopia is bathed in a creamy curry, with added texture and flavor from rough-chopped vegetables, including sweet red bell peppers, tender eggplant and plump okra.