For someone who wears a striped headband with red flats and bright pink nail polish on a constant basis, I shouldn’t be as shallow as I can be at times.

Call it cheeky, call it sassy, call it what you will-my inner Tyra Banks can be brutal when she wants to be. I see something I don’t like, and the inside of my head screams, “We were all rooting for you; how dare you?” It just happens.

Not to mention, I’m far too awkward to be cool of my own accord; I need to be awesome by association. I need the clothes, the hair and the surroundings, in order to make up for the tripping, the uncomfortable silences and the eventual slip-ups while speaking.

Ambiance is key for me, and appearance is everything.

Sapphire Pan Asian (4753 McPherson Ave., in the Central West End) is just cool enough for my taste and just swanky enough to make up for my social discomfort.

The restaurant can be seen from a block away, with its blue- and gray-tinted lights illuminating the street. It’s just suave enough for me to forget I’m still in St. Louis, and just hip enough to make me forget that I’m actually a 20-year-old living off of 12-for-$10 pasta deals at Schnucks and off-brand Easy Mac. I pretty much breathe carbs at this point.

In addition to the hip, urban atmosphere, Sapphire has its own spin on the complimentary appetizer. The endless fried wonton strips that appear seconds after you sit down are reason enough to go to the restaurant. They’re sweet, salty and wonderful-not to mention the fact that our overzealous waitress could spot the contents of the wonton bowl waning from across the restaurant, a feat in and of itself.

The service was attentive, almost to the point of being overbearing. I’m all for filling up my water glass, but I would like to take more than three drinks out of it beforehand. I’m just greedy like that.

Additionally, enthusiasm is always welcome-but the simple fact that my friends and I were having a girls’ night out did not require the “Oh my God!” exclamation that it garnered from our waitress.

All aside, I would much rather have too much service and attention than too little. Not to mention, it makes for a much better story than the alternative. “My waitress was totally crazy” is a much better lead at a party than “my waitress was uninspiringly lackluster.”

As for the food, if you want to make your entire meal out of appetizers, Sapphire is the place to go. In addition to the wonton strips, the appetizer menu offers a wide array of options, including spring rolls, pot stickers and tempura, all costing between $8 and $14.

Though all of the main courses appear to be well-prepared and delicious, the prices that correspond may be a bit much for the poor, college-aged sap. Most meals cost about $20, but the slight splurge is worth it. Pain is beauty, beauty is pain, and all that jazz.

The food was fresh, and the portions large and filling enough to make for multiple meals. The menu was also large enough to make the final decision a difficult one. Like service, though, too much is always better than too little.

I think it’s OK to be shallow at times. It means that you’re picky, that you want the best for yourself and the people you care about.

Tyra would be proud of me-and really, that’s all that matters.

Kelley Dunn is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences.