A couple of skewers here, some crispy wontons there. It’s what you might expect from an Asian kitchen that’s hopped aboard today’s tapas trend. But eating the “small bites” at Chef Lau’s Asian Tapas Café comes with a few surprises in terms of food choices and the astonishing noodle-making shows patrons get to witness twice a week.

The Lau family is no stranger to the restaurant business. Master Chef Mike Lau along with his wife and three sons arrived on the local dining scene after running a small string of restaurants on the East Coast. Their ability to work as a close-knit team becomes evident the moment you wiggle inside their quaint Hillcrest eatery and start tinkering with the chopsticks.

From the outside, the restaurant blends inconspicuously with other businesses on the block. Modest signage and a narrow storefront make it easy to miss if you’re passing by car. The interior design, however, is new-century chic with designer wall colors, cozily arranged tables and eye-catching acrylics painted by each of the sons (Tom, Dan and Steve).

At a glance, the “cool” and “hot” tapas menus reflect the family’s Chinese heritage, such as Golden Egg Rolls, Mandarin Scallion Pancakes and ready-to-assemble Lettuce Wraps. But within the mix are dishes that jump borders into neighboring countries: paper-wrapped Vietnamese Summer Rolls, Korean Cabbage Salad with chili dressing and a well-constructed, deep-fried Calamari Roll filled with imitation crabmeat and veggies.

Another section is all about noodle soups. But to fully appreciate them, you must first behold Chef Mike’s magical noodle-making technique, which he performs at 7:00 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. “It’s a 5,000-year-old way of making noodles that my father learned at the age of 10,” said Tom Lau as diners suddenly turned their attention to a low counter dusted in flour.

The chef began with a long rope of dough, which he started banging almost violently on the counter while gripping both ends. Within minutes the dough started separating into additional ropes. Some quick braiding occurred. And more whacking ensued. Then in a blink of an eye, the twisted ropes turned into hundreds of long stringy noodles that the chef flaunted over his arm as applause broke out.

“How did that just happen?” I asked my dining companion, who couldn’t offer a theory despite his engineering background. The thin strands were perfectly even in length and width, yet no pasta machines or hand cutters came into play. “Those noodles are of the paranormal,” I concluded.

Tender and light, they tasted sensational when plopped into the delicate broth that was served in a large, deep bowl. The menu offers a choice of soup bases (chicken, shrimp or tofu) that are each speckled with spinach. The noodle options are whole wheat, classic white or spinach. In any combination, the soup is a meal in itself.

The kitchen doesn’t skimp on the tapas either. The zesty Cantonese Wontons, all 10 of them, cost only $4. We also tried the Crispy Tofu Sticks, which are dusted in cornstarch and flash-fried to a golden finish. The accompanying hot mustard and plum sauce kept them lively, although they become less interesting once they cool down.

Tangy wok-seared chicken and water chestnuts form the filling for Lettuce Wraps, which are served with a fresh, quartered head of iceberg. We also loved the Curry Beef Pies – two crescent-shaped turnovers stuffed with mildly spicy beef and onions.

The spunky Korean cabbage salad and the Sweet and Sour Salad made with Chinese radish were refreshingly pungent, although if you’re looking for a healthy dose of protein and calcium, the Soy Bean and Greens in sesame dressing doesn’t disappoint.

Other culinary highlights include handmade dumplings with a variety of fillings such as pork and chives, mixed vegetables or seafood. Aside from the noodle soups, there’s also Japanese Miso, Cantonese Won Ton and a feisty Hot and Sour soup that I found addicting.

Main entrees become something of a footnote if you get carried away with the tapas and soups like we did. Yet the list offers a couple of dishes that piqued our interest for future visits. The word on the street is that the Kung Pao Shrimp is terrific. And the Jasmine Tea Smoked Chicken served with rice is among the restaurant’s signature dishes that also earn high praise.

Variety doesn’t compromise quality at Chef Lau’s. Everything’s made fresh to order and served efficiently. Between the sizzling flavors leaping from the woks and those occasional antics in noodle making, there’s never a dull moment here.