A nondescript building at 3309 N. Holland Sylvania Rd. is home to a party for people in the know.

Party on the Palate, or POP Grille in its shortened form, specializes in Asian fusion dishes that do, indeed, pack plenty of POP, perfectly blending sweetness with a touch of heat.

For example, the soup of the day on a recent visit was a gazpacho that paired the fruity flavor of honeydew with the kick of wasabi. The surprisingly delicious chilled creation set the tone for what was to come.

Seafood is not the first finger food that comes to mind for appetizers, but POP has a pair of winners with its Pagoda Smoked Salmon ($9) and its scallops ($7 listed as a side dish). The tower of salmon is smoked in house — to cut the sodium content, the chef said — and topped with pickled vegetables and a flavorful pesto sauce, was flaky and teased the tongue with a slightly salty taste.

MENU: POP Grille

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The salmon was also a hit in the sweet and savory Smoke Salmon Wrap ($14). In this case, the salmon was served with a tasty plum red onion jam, roasted garlic avocado cream cheese, mixed greens, cucumber kimchee, and drizzled with a seafood sauce.

The handmade egg rolls (two for $7) were amazing. Made from scratch, the rolls featured a crispy light breading stuffed with vegetables, beef, and chicken, and accompanied by a side of sweet and spicy sauce for dipping.

Whether deliberate or not, POP’s food is presented as art on stark white, rectangular plates that enhance the dishes’ appeal.

The pork wontons (three for $11) were served in a way that was almost too pretty to eat — almost. The crispy, deep-fried wontons were filled with a tasty sweet and spicy barbecue pork and a crispy slaw.

The Tower of Chicken ($14) also was beautifully presented. Thinly sliced chicken is layered with pickled kale and fresh veggies and doused with a tangy tropical barbecue sauce. The dish is served with a hearty serving of flavorful grilled vegetables — broccoli, red peppers, mushrooms, and onions — and large scoop of brown rice. It also is accompanied by a side salad that in itself is nothing special, but is topped with a sesame dressing that’s good enough that it should be sold by the bottle.

Though we were pleased with much of our experience, there’s always room for improvement. The Lobster Roll ($13), knuckle and claw lobster meat topped with a cucumber wasabi slaw, left a friend, who described it as “too bready” underwhelmed. Two large white rolls seemed to overtake the flavors of the filling. Serving one roll with the meat of two might have provided a better balance. The golden calamari ($8) also missed its mark and was far too chewy for our taste.

Still, we marveled at the empty tables on separate visits. The fresh ingredients and inventive menu puts POP Grille ahead of many frequented Toledo restaurants. Perhaps the off-the-beaten-path location (formerly El Matador) and POP Grille’s dead-of-winter opening is keeping word of its offerings under wrap.

The ownership, however, is doing its part to attract diners. At 6 p.m. Sunday, POP Grille will host an Uncork the Artist event. The $42 cost will include appetizers, and select wines (glasses and bottles) will be half price. Also, Don Coats will play at 8 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Contact Bill of Fare at fare@theblade.com.

First Published June 25, 2015, 4:00 a.m.