3 Country Bistro: New Asian in Woburn

Downtown Woburn, a strip on Main Street, is becoming a mecca for small restaurants, from Brazilian to Mexican, from Pizza to Asian. I have recently had my eye on two new restaurants, the Brickyard and 3 Country Bistro. The Brickyard will be a pizza and burger joint, scheduled to open in the beginning of May. 3 Country Bistro just opened about a week ago and I stopped by yesterday for lunch.

The restaurant is small, seating only about 18 people, and offers Japanese, Thai and Korean cuisine. It is a casual place, with a tiny sushi bar, and is open for both lunch and dinner. They do takeout and also deliver within Woburn. It is a BYOB spot, so you can bring your own wine or beer.

It has an extensive menu, with plenty of sushi options, especially makimono, sushi rolls. Sushi prices are average, and sashimi orders consist of five slices of fish, not the usual three at most other places. There are five Korean entrees, ranging from Bi Bam Bab to Bulgogi.  Thai entrees include about twenty choices, including four curries and a few Pad Thai options. I was disappointed though that they did not have Massaman Curry. Japanese entrees include Tempura, Teriyaki and Agemono. Many of the lunch choices are under $10, and most dinner options are under $15.

For lunch, I tried some sushi, including maguro, unagi, tamago and a sweet potato tempura maki. The maki was so-so, with not enough sweet potato and lacking a sufficient crispness. The other sushi though were tasty, good-sized and seemed fresh.  I also tried a few of their appetizers, Gyoza, Tatsuta-Age and Tempura. The fried Gyoza were cooked well, plump and with a nice crunch. The Tatsuta-Age were larger pieces of chicken than many other places serve, which I like, and it had a pleasant tasting coating over moist, white meat. The tempura was good, though the batter could have been a little lighter. Presentation was very nice, with some nice mukimono, vegetable carvings, on the sushi plate. After lunch, they served me a dish of fresh, sliced fruit, with some fruit carvings.

As the restaurant has only been open for a week, matters could change. Hopefully it will improve over the next couple months as they work out the initial kinks. I had enough tasty food here that I will return to try more of their dishes, maybe some Thai next time. It may not replace any of my local Asian favorite restaurants, but it is worth checking out.

3 Country Bistro
379 Main Street
Woburn, MA
Phone: 781-376-8030