Down-home Vietnamese cooking

The Bamboo Hut

by Margaret LeRoux

The Bamboo Hut 1394 Main Street 754-1755 Hours Lunch Tues.-Sat. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Dinner Tues.-Thurs. 4-9:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat. 4-11 p.m. BYOB Major credit cards handicap accessible

I had a memorable meal at the Bamboo Hut just after it opened a couple of years ago, and after a recent return visit, I'm pleased to say this Vietnamese restaurant has gotten even better with age. Perhaps because it's in a house, the Bamboo Hut is one of the most welcoming dining spots in town. The unusual décor -- sea green walls and ceiling with bamboo accents -- makes you feel like you're in the tropics. Which is a welcome illusion in the midst of a New England winter. Add friendly service from the waitstaff who make sure your tea cup and water glass are full throughout your meal, and a menu that sparkles with many unusual entrées, and you've got most of the elements for success. What also makes Bamboo Hut special is the care shown in preparation, presentation and in the freshness of the ingredients.

On this recent visit, I was happy to see that Bamboo Hut has generated a following. Almost all the tables were full; my friend and I got the last setting for two on the little glassed-in porch, warmed on this frigid night by a space heater. Two family groups were dining while we ate; their toddlers were happily engaged by the shrimp chips and noodle soups. We were too. The Bamboo Hut's complimentary basket of these ethereal yet crispy snacks are unlike any potato chips you've eaten. Shrimp chips are made from a peppery shrimp paste that's dried into thin disk shapes. Deep frying puffs them up into chips that are both crunchy and fluffy at the same time.

We noticed several new items on the dinner menu, including an appetizer of roasted quail ($4.95). It's the size of a miniature chicken -- much smaller than a Cornish game hen -- and marinated in a mixture of spices and fish sauce. The resulting meat is tender and sweet, salty, and sour all at the same time. The quail is served split atop a bed of shredded lettuce. If you try to use your knife and fork, you'll have a difficult time. We gave up and used our fingers instead; it's a little messier, but definitely worth the effort.

Our other appetizer choices were chicken satay ($4.95), two bamboo skewers of grilled chicken breast served with a spicy peanut sauce, and Vietnamese spring rolls ($4.95), two tightly rolled cylinders of shrimp, ground pork, vermicelli noodles, carrots, onion and garlic deep fried. These are served with lettuce leaves and sprigs of fresh mint. Wrap the spring roll in the lettuce, tuck in a mint sprig and you've got a fresh tasting Vietnamese "wrap."

We were satisfied with Bamboo Hut's tea, but you are welcome to bring your own beer or wine to drink with your meal.

On my previous visit I'd tried salmon cooked in a clay pot ($10.95) and was pleased to see this flavorful item is still on the menu. A new addition is salmon grilled with either ginger or tamarind sauce ($10.95).There are other new seafood items, including an intriguingly named shaken shrimp (still in the shell) with scallion and spiced salt ($11.95). The shaken technique is applied also to pork with hot pepper ($8.95) and beef with sweet onion, tomato and potato ($8.95). Shaken refers to the cooking technique -- shrimp and meat are tossed in a wok along with the rest of the ingredients.

In another welcome change to the menu, Bamboo Hut is now offering its wonderful pho -- noodle soup -- at dinner as well as lunch, with ten different varieties, all bargain priced at less than $6. For a dollar more, you can have the large size, but be forewarned, large here means enough for two very hungry people. My friend loves pho but even he wasn't able to finish the bowl of seafood noodle soup he ordered. This is a pleasant, mild broth (you can make it considerably hotter by adding the red chili paste which is served in a separate dish) with lots of shrimp, calamari, scallops and ground pork, plus a generous amount of vermicelli, fresh bean sprouts, chopped mint, thinly sliced onion and chopped scallions. You can request that the pork be omitted if you prefer.

Bamboo Hut's also offers pho with beef and roast pork as well as several combinations of meats seafood. Vegetarian options include vegetable stir fry combinations ($7.95), a soy version of chicken stir fried with cashews, and a soy fish substitute cooked in a clay pot (both $8.95). A three course family dinner for two is offered at $19.95 and for four at $38.95.

I chose char-grilled beef with lemon grass ($8.95) and was served three skewers of tender steak marinated in a mixture of garlic, lemon grass and soy that to me is the essence of Vietnamese cooking. The beef was served over a healthy mound of fried rice with peas, carrots and onions.

We couldn't resist Bamboo Hut's desserts, a couple of them showing off the French colonial influence. French buttercream cake is a standard offering, as is crème brulee -- tonight's version was chocolate. We tried it and agreed it ranks as one of the three best chocolate desserts we've ever had. The custard is silky, richly chocolate without being either too sweet or bitter. The crunchy brown sugar topping is the touch that takes this dessert over the top. We also sampled Bamboo Hut's flan, also outstanding, with a clean vanilla taste and sweetness from the caramel syrup. Both priced reasonably at $2.95. We feasted for under $50 before tip. You could eat well here for considerably less.

Margaret LeRoux can be reached at
feedmefeedback@hotmail.com.

Margaret LeRoux can be reached at feedmefeedback@hotmail.com.