Not just another sandwich bar?

STAR Wars meets the American diner in Pacific Place, where the latest in concept sandwich bars has emerged from its clapboard wrapping.

Named simply Eat, it is a celebration of chrome, plastic, neon lights . . . and sandwiches which still need lots of work before they can live up to the claim 'not just another sandwich bar'.

The eatery, which belongs to the same group as Cafe Deco and the Peak Cafe, serves a fair selection of designer sandwiches, a few salads and desserts.

This includes the $38 panini set, a selection of three miniature rolls with turkey, ham and salmon, a $25 tiramisu and the $25 Caesar salad.

There's also foccacia with tuna ($30) and ciabatta with pastrami ($30), both of which are a welcome change from Oliver's Super Sandwich sameness.

But neither of them rise above anything else that is being served from happening sandwich counters in town.

Unlike the Mandarin Cake Shop, Eat doesn't seem to have taken into account the latest in sandwich habits - butter-free and low or no fat.

The closest they come to being free anything is the wheat-free baguette.

'The sandwiches are mushy, soggy and mayonnaisey,' said one customer.

'They have obviously used expensive ingredients. But there's too much goop. It's nicely wrapped though.' Eat management say they are still experimenting with the menu, so expect improvements with time.

Strawberry jelly, shaken not stirred IN the alcoholic jelly stakes, you're best off marrying brandy with orange or cherry jelly. Peach jelly and bourbon are also a match made in jelly-maniacs heaven.

It is all in Jellophile - The Jellomaniac's Manual, brought to us courtesy of American jelly enthusiast Chez Baden and the information superhighway.

A great party novelty, alcohol replaces some of the water used in making normal jelly.

The trick, Baden says, 'is not to overdo it'.

And the secret to great tipsy jelly - as opposed to a neat mouthful of coloured booze - is to know what the water-alcohol ratio should be.

Another of Baden's tips is to use sugar-free jelly because, she insists, 'there is less powder to mix and dissolve'.

The manual also includes recipes for jelly in every form - salads included.

You can reach Jellophile - The Jellomaniac's Manual on ftp://ftp.netcom.com/pub/ha/hazel/ www/jello.html.

Real ale with a hint of peach REAL men are drinking . . . fruit beer.

Australian beer talk at the moment is dominated by Belgian fruity ales.

The drink of the moment is St Louis Lambic fruit beer from the Van Honsebrouck of Ingelmuster brewery.

The beer is produced by fermenting the brew with wild yeast, leaving it to mature for 18 months, and then adding a puree of raspberries or peaches.

After six months of additional fermentation, the brew is filtered and bottled.

The fruit beer is only available in Sydney at the moment.

But, with the growing trend towards designer beers, it is expected to spread rapidly to other capitals.

'Virtual' shopping becomes a reality HONG Kong home deliveries have gone into cyberspace.

The Tenderloin Meat Co. has opened up its range of fresh or frozen meats, seafood, imported cheeses, wines and, for that special dinner, flowers, to Internet users.

There's everything from Pacific oysters and US corn-fed tenderloin to cheese and apple pie.

The Tenderloin brochure is available by sending a message on tmcinfo Orders can be placed on tmc If non-techies, a fax is available too on 2877-1359. Daily deliveries are made to Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.

Immediate plans are to open the delivery service to customers in Beijing, Shanghai and Singapore.