Exploring Biddeford to Portland, Maine (Part 3)

As I mentioned in Part 1 of this article, this past weekend, I traveled to the Biddeford/Portland region for a short vacation, and had lots of fun exploring this area. On Tuesday, I discussed the places I visited in Biddeford, and on route to Portland. On Wednesday, I then discussed some of the spots in Portland I visited. And today, I'll finishing talking about the rest of the interesting places I visited in Portland. Some of these stops were preplanned, while others I stumbled upon while wandering through the streets of Portland. Please also note that there were plenty of interesting places I didn't visit, but hope to check out on a future trip.

On Saturday morning, we left our hotel and walked down High Street, taking a left onto Congress Street. It didn't take long before we made our first stop, at Yes Books, at 589 Congress St., a used bookstore. There's an extensive selection, reasonable prices and it has that old-school appeal, with plenty of piles of books scattered everywhere. A fun place to browse and seek out used treasures.

Next, we checked out the Portland Flea-For-All, at 585 Congress St., an eclectic and interesting shop of vintage items, antiques, housewares, clothing, dishware, and much more. I was intrigued by some of the decanters and glassware that were there. 

I wanted to visit Strange Maine, a cool record shop at 578 Congress St., but it wasn't yet open when we passed by. Will have to visit on my next trip to Portland.

The Sock Shack, at 564 Congress St., sells a diverse selection of socks with numerous fun designs. If you have a specific interest, hobby or such, you might find socks that pertain to that subject. For example, I picked up a couple pairs of socks, one with Tiki cocktails and another with Sushi. Check out their Food & Drink selection. They have socks for men, women and children.

Maine Craft Portland, at 521 Congress St., is a retail gallery for Maine craft artists, including pottery, jewelry, glassware, and so much more. A great place to support local artists. 

The Lady in the Moon, at 15 Monument Square, is a boutique dedicated to mysticism and healing, the type of place that would fit well in Salem, MA. Tarot decks, crystals, witchcraft books, skulls, and more. I was intrigued by some of the tea sets they had.

Longfellow Books, at 1 Monument Way, is a large bookstore, offering new and used books, with a large selection of books by Maine authors. 

HiFi Donuts, located at 30 City Center, has "Made from scratch old world style donuts." They also sell sustainable coffee and a variety of interesting breakfast sandwiches (such as NJ Pork Roll, Egg & Cheese and the Breaded Eggplant, Tomato, Pesto & Egg). They also serve Lunch sandwiches, from Peri Peri Fried Chicken to a Deep Fried Brisket Burger.

I opted for the Churro Donut, and it was very tasty, being fairly light and airy, with a nice cinnamon/sugar coating, and it certainly reminded me of a churro. As I would be having lunch soon, I couldn't indulge and try more of their donuts, but will likely return again some day. 

Simply Scandinavian, at 19 Temple St., sells traditional and unique products from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. From clothes to food, Christmas decorations to candy, and much more. 

The Eighty 8, at 225 Federal Street, is also a donut shop, but it makes fresh mini-donuts, to order, and tops them with your choice of toppings, similar to Dockside Donuts in Nova Scotia. 6 donuts cost $6-$8, dependent on the topping. The Eighty 8 has another location at Sugarloaf Mountain and also operates a good truck. I didn't eat any of the donuts here, but suspect they are very good, if they are at all similar to Dockside Donuts. I love the concept and will return here again on my new Portland trip.

Lunch was at the Black Cow, a burger spot, cocktail bar, and soda fountain. The Menu is relatively small, with Sandwiches ($7-$16), Salads ($11-$13), and Sides ($3-$17). Sandwiches include items like a Cheeseburger, Slushburger (Sloppie Joe), Fried Fish, and Fried Chicken. Sides include items like Potato Fries, Tomato Soup, Fried Brussel Sprouts and Pickles. 

The restaurant is located in a former bank, and you can see one of the vaults if you're sitting at the bar. It's a casual spot, with more atmosphere than a fast casual burger joint. 

Their Cocktail menu has plenty of appealing options, most priced at $11-$15, as well as a couple Non-Alcoholic options. They also have a dozen beers on tap, many local, House Crafted Sodas, and a very small selection of wine. 

I opted for the Angel Fire ($15), made with mezcal, amaretto, madeira, Jamaican rum, and charred apricot bitters. This was a very well-made and balanced cocktail, with a complex blend of flavors, with the mezcal being the most prominent taste. Highly recommended.

The Before Sunset ($13) was made with cynar, bourbon, averna, lemon, and Islay scotch. Another excellent, complex and well-balanced  cocktail, with a nice smokey edge to it. I'd return here just for their cocktails.

In some respects, it's a no-frills spot, as they put your food in paper plates and give you plastic utensils. The Cheeseburger ($10) normally comes with a beef smash patty, American cheese, iceberg, pickles, mustard, onion, c.t. mayonnaise, and a Black Cow bun. However, you can customize your burger if you so desire, and my burger only had cheese and pickles. It was a delicious and meaty burger, with a soft bun that well fit the burger. I was very happy with this sandwich.

The Foie Gras Poutine ($17) is a Side, with potato fries, Foie Gras gravy and cheese curds. This was fine, but didn't appeal to my own preferences. First, I'm not a fan of these shoestring fries, especially in poutine. I prefer a thicker French fry. Second, the curds were more melted, lacking that squeaky, almost rubbery texture, you get in the usual cheese curds in poutine. I had no complaints about the taste of the gravy, and many people would enjoy this dish, but it just wasn't a personal favorite for me. 

Overall, I strongly recommend Black Cow, especially for their burgers and cocktails. 

The Gross Confection Bar has a Bakery at 57 Exchange Street, and a Dessert Bar & Restaurant at 172 Middle Street. Obviously, the name caught my eye. Why would you call your Bakery "gross?" It isn't because the owners are named Gross. It began as "pure kitchen sarcasm" and the owner decided to use the name in 2019. The Bakery has plenty of appealing pastries, scones, cookies, biscuits and more. If I hadn't been so full after lunch, I probably would have bought a few items here. 

Skordo, at 372 Fore Street, primarily sells a myriad of spices, herbs, salts and such. You'll also find cookbooks and assorted kitchen accessories. The spices and herbs are from all over the world, and generally stocked by world region. I bought a few intriguing spices, such as gochugaru, Korean chili powder. 

For dinner that evening, we went to Boda, located at 671 Congress Street. It is a Thai restaurant, which they state: "We serve “very Thai” food, with a focus on street vendor specialties and home-style cooking... By “very Thai” we mean our food is very authentic, opposed to being an Americanized version of Thai food." 

It's a medium-sized restaurant and they don't take reservations. We arrived a few minutes before it opened, and there was soon after a long waiting line formed outside. The restaurant filled up within ten minutes, if not less. 

They have a full bar, with a variety of Cocktails ($12-$13), and we chose the Mai Tai ($13), made from a house rum blend, orange curaçao, almond orgeat, pineapple syrup and lime. This drink had more of a pleasing sour taste rather than a sweet one. A nice way to begin our dinner. 

The Menu includes Tapas ($4-$12), Grill Bar ($4-$10), Thai Salad & Soups ($8-$12), and Entrees ($17-$22). There are lots of appealing dishes and you might be torn over what to order. Plus, there were some Seasonal Specialities. 

We began with the Kanom Jeeb Gai ($9), chicken dumplings with ginger, scallion, onion, shiitake, and carrot with a sesame soy dipping sauce and fried garlic. Very tasty, with a nicely balanced blend of flavors and textures. The dumplings wrappings were more thin, allowing the delicious fillings to dominate. Another good start to the dinner.

From the Grill Bar, I selected the Beef Skewers ($9.50), which are seasoned with ginger, garlic, soy, lime leaf and lemongrass. These were average, nothing special. 

Also from the Grill Menu, the Thai Sticky Rice Ball ($4), is made with soy, pepper, scallion, and garlic, and it also was average, with a few overly charred spots, especially on the bottom. 

From the Seasonal menu, the Crispy Chicken in a Sweet & Salty Garlic Sauce ($11), was excellent. The chicken coating was very crispy, with moist, tender chicken within, and the sauce had a rich garlic taste, with a nice balance of sweet and salty. I also wasn't expecting there to be so many pieces of chicken in this dish. Highly recommended!

As for Entrees, the Woon-Sen Pad Thai ($18), is made with glass noodles, Chinese chive, shallot, salted Daikon, bean sprouts, fish sauce, and chicken, wrapped in a Thai egg omelet. What an intriguing idea putting the Pad Thai inside an omelet, adding that eggy texture and flavor to the dish. Quite a delicious and more unique dish.

The Chicken Panaeng ($18) is braised chicken in a sweet & salty panaeng curry, Thai basil, lime leaf, and coconut cream. This was another excellent dish, with plenty of tender chicken in a compelling and complex sauce, with rich coconut notes, and a nice balance of sweet and salty. 

Overall, I was largely impressed with Boda, except for their Grilled Bar items. The Grilled items were okay, but nothing special like the rest of their dishes. Service was very good too. I'd definitely recommend Boda, but just note that it fills up quickly as they don't take reservations.

And that wraps up my time in Biddeford/Portland. It was lots of fun, and we enjoyed some excellent food and drink. Plenty of interesting shops, and there's much more that I hope to visit on future trips to Portland. 

What are some of your favorite spots in the Biddeford/Portland area?

East Of Suez: Delicious Pan Asian Cuisine in Wolfeboro, NH

"Ship me somewheres east of Suez, where the best is like the worst,
Where there aren't no Ten Commandments an' a man can raise a thirst"
--Mandalay (1890), by Rudyard Kipling

What first drew me to the restaurant was the fact that it was BYOB. Then, I checked out their food menu and it intrigued me as well, Pan-Asian cuisine, ranging from the Philippines to Vietnam. It also seemed reasonably priced. And as I looked further, I learned that it had existed for over 50 years, a worthy and uncommon achievement in the restaurant industry. As I was going to spend a few days vacationing in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, I knew I wanted to dine at East of Suez. 

East of Suez was founded back in 1967 by Charles and Norma Powell, taking over a spot that once houses a pizzeria. Charles' father had been a naval officer, photojournalist and cinematographer, and often took Charles with him on visits to China and Japan. In 1962, Charles met his future wife, Norma Antonio, who was from the Philippines. At the time they opened the restaurant, they both lived in New York, so running a restaurant wasn't easy and during the early years, the restaurant was only open on weekends.

Currently, the restaurant is owned and operated by their daughter, Elizabeth Powell Gorai. East of Suez is primarily open for the Summer, though it may extend a bit into October dependent on the weather. Their food is prepared to order, and many local ingredients are used, except for those unavailable. It is also a BYOB spot, so you can bring your own wine or beer, though they also sell a variety of nonalcoholic beverages.

Their website states, "We are one of the oldest Pan-Asian restaurants in the United States, serving an eclectic sampling of exotic cuisine from Southeast Asia and the Pacific Rim, with occasional detours around the world since 1967. Our menu is small, specifically so, to represent a mix of the time-honored classics and culinary innovations our patrons have grown to love, however, each evening we experiment by adding choice delicacies to our collection, in much the way a traveler gathering mementoes might do, if he ventured to explore 'East of Suez."

The restaurant is cozy, spread out over several rooms, and decorated with an eclectic Asian decor, spanning several different cultures. I dined here twice, with several good friends, and on both visits it was fairly crowded, indicative of its popularity. We also brought wine with us on both occasions. Overall, I was impressed with the cuisine, enjoying the layers of flavors in each dish. It earns my hearty recommendation, and I look forward to dining there against some time.

The Regular Menu is relatively small, but with plenty of different choices, and each day they have a Special Daily Menu, adding even more choices. The Regular Menu generally consists of Starters/Small Plates (7 choices, $10-$12), Mains (8 choices, $19-$24) and Desserts (4 choices, $9-$10). The Special Daily Menu adds a Soup (Cup $6, Bowl $8); 4 Starters/Small Plates, 3 Mains, and 2 Desserts. So, there's plenty of options without being overwhelming. There are also Vegetarian and Gluten Free options. This is an excellent place to order a bunch of small plates and share, so you can sample the range of dishes available.

The Manila Polo Club Chowder ($6 cup/$8 bowl) is made with "Rich steamer clam and black tiger shrimp broths with chunky shrimp, bay scallops, clams, golden potatoes, veg." It is "Simmered all day in sweet cream seasoned with saffron, garlic and a hint of red chili." This was a superb chowder, rich and flavorful, with plenty of chunks of seafood. It wasn't too thin or too thick, and was seasoned well, creating nice layers of flavor. It was a big hit at our table.

Another big hit were the Goat Cheese Rangoon ($11), made from "Local NH farm goat cheese, seasoned with fresh herbs, enveloped in wonton skin & deep-fried crispy outside, melty inside; with sweet chili sauce dip." I'm not a fan of Crab Rangoon, with their fake crab meat and cream cheese, but I loved these goat cheese rangoon! Fried perfectly, with a crunchy exterior, the creamy goat cheese was a delight on the palate, enhanced by the sweet chili dip. We had these on both visits as they were just that damn good. Highly recommended!

The Philippine Lumpia ($11) were "Fingerling spring rolls of pork, tiger shrimp & veggies, deep-fried, sliced & served with pineapple sweet & sour." You can also order a Vegetarian version of the Lumpia. These crunchy rolls, with flaky layers, had a pleasing balance of flavors.

The Crab & Corn Fritters ($12) consist of "Shredded lump crab meat and shaved cob corn blended with Thai herbs and spices; Deep-fried crispy and served with nuoc cham, sweet chili lime dip." Another tasty and well balanced dish, the fritters had a great fluffy texture to them, with the crunch of the corn, some sweet crab, and a hint of spice. The dip was delicious too, as were all of the sauces and dips at the restaurant.

The Sichuan Giant Dumplings ($14) were "hearty pork dumplings steamed and drizzled with crunchy garlic soy black vinegar and chili flakes." They certainly were packed with savory pork and the sauce was intriguing, with sour and umami flavors, and a mild hint of heat.

The Japanese Yakitori ($12) include "Rock sugar & sweet soy marinated boneless organic chicken thigh, skewered & charbroiled; with ginger teriyaki glaze." Juicy, flavorful chicken, with some slight charring, and a light sweetness. Again, a well balanced and tasty dish.

Another of the regular Small Plates, Tita Glo's Lettuce Cups ($10), are "Auntie's wok-tossed turkey, apple, raisin & veggie crumble, with sesame, hoisin & garlic; served warm in a cool Boston lettuce leaf with toasted sunflower seeds." A take on lettuce wraps, it is also like a taste of Thanksgiving, with Asian accents.

The Longanisa Bao Buns ($10) are "Sweet and garlicky Philippine pork sausages in puffy steamed bar bun, with lettuce, tomato, onion and banana catsup aioli." Soft buns, with a meaty and intriguing sausage taste, enhanced especially by the aioli.

Onto some Main dishes now. The Bulgoki Steak ($22) consists of "Korean BBQ style, Angus beef flank steak, sliced thin & marinated in sesame, sweet soy & garlic chili miso paste; charbroiled & served with spicy kimchee pickles." The steak was tender and delicious, with a compelling and well-balanced sauce, bringing a nice contrast of sweet and heat.

The Drunken Noodles ($24), aka Pad Kee Mao consists of "wide rice noodles pan-fried with black tiger shrimps, red chili oil, garlic, sweet Thai basil leaves, red and green peppers, onions and Shaoxing rice wine in a sweet & spicy oyster sauce." The noodles had just the right texture and absorbed the tasty and spicy sauce. A hearty dish, there was plenty of shrimp and veggies, and it seemed fresh and bright, a delightful summer dish.

I really loved the Philippine Adobo ($20), "Mama Tars' tender confit of bone-in organic chicken & country style fatty pork, marinated and slowly braised in crushed garlic & soy vinegar with bay leaf & black peppercorns; with sliced fresh banana." Both the chicken and pork were extremely meaty and tender, in a superb and scrumptious sauce, each bite bringing gustatory pleasure.  Highly recommended.

The Vietnamese Bo Luc Lac Beefsteak ($25) is another beef dish, with "Well-marbled Angus rib-eye marinated in soy, garlic, rice wine, and lemongrass, char-broiled to order, sliced and served over mesclun greens and aromatic herb-tossed rice noodles, with nuoc cham, sweet chili lime dip." Once again, the beef was tender and flavorful, though with its own unique taste, a bit brighter here due to the lemongrass. The rice noodles were also quite tasty, with a mild herbal flavor.

Besides all the savory dishes, make sure to save room for Dessert. The Banana Blueberry Hawaiian Bread Pudding ($9) is made from "Barnstead blueberries and coconut sugared bread custard, served with Alae Sea salt butter caramel." I love Bread Pudding and will often order it if I see it on a menu. I think it is an under appreciated dessert, and still would love to see a Boston-Area bakery specializing in it. This Bread Pudding was fantastic, with an excellent, spongy texture, and great flavors of coconut and blueberry, with a salty and sweet edge from the caramel. Highly recommended.

 

The Banana Tempura ($10) consists of "Sweet bananas, batter-dipped, deep-fried light & crispy & honey-drizzled, with scoop of coconut ice cream." Another winner dessert, with an excellent tempura batter, fresh and sweet bananas, and creamy coconut ice cream. Pure hedonism.

Overall, East of Suez presents well-balanced dishes with pleasing layers of flavor. The dishes seem fresh and and everything seems cooked just right, from their noodles to steak. Some of the dishes seem very traditional while others are variations, and those variations, like the Goat Cheese Rangoon, work well. Service was very good on both visits. My only complaint is that they need better wine glasses, as the ones they offer seem more like fancy water glasses. However, you can bring your own glassware if you so desire (which we did on one visit). I strongly recommend you check out East of Suez before the summer ends.

Thursday Sips & Nibbles

I am back again with a new edition of Thursday Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I highlight some interesting, upcoming food & drink events.
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1) Beginning Thursday, January 17, Legal Sea Foods will be celebrating crustaceans with the “Shrimp Classic” feature menu available at Legal Sea Foods, Legal C Bar, Legal on the Mystic and Legal Harborside locations.

Available until February 13, seafood lovers will indulge in a series of special starters, light entrées and entrées:

STARTERS
Coconut Shrimp (orange ginger marmalade) $14.50
Shrimp Risotto Cakes (lemon aioli, herb oil, romano) $8.95
LIGHT ENTREES
Chipotle Lime Shrimp Tacos (salsa verde, queso fresco, roasted corn salsa, ham hock braised black beans and rice) $16.95
Shrimp BLT (chorizo aioli, bacon, arugula, tomato, griddled flatbread) $15.95
Buffalo Shrimp & Blue Cheese Salad (frisee, romaine, blue cheese vinaigrette, radish, celery) $16.95
ENTREES
Pesto Shrimp (pea and pancetta tortelloni, roasted tomato, pesto cream sauce) $23.95
Tempura Kung Pao Shrimp & Vegetables (snap peas, cauliflower, red pepper, pineapple, jasmine rice) $22.95
Shrimp Pad Thai (rice noodles, stir-fried vegetables, egg, bean sprouts, peanuts, Thai basil) $22.95
Grilled Bacon Wrapped Shrimp (jalapeño cheddar polenta, grilled broccolini) $23.95

2) Diane Kochilas, award-winning cookbook author, television personality, consulting chef, teacher, and one of the world’s foremost authorities on Greek cuisine, will launch Season 2 of her delectable cooking program My Greek Table with Diane Kochilas. The new season premiered locally Saturday, January 12 at 2:30 p.m. on WGBH. With 13 episodes, the new season also premieres on public television stations across the country. The series takes viewers to the source, as Diane introduces the breathtaking natural beauty, fabulous food, easy, nutritious recipes, and the unmatched hospitality Greece is known for worldwide.

To celebrate Season 2 of My Greek Table, Diane is launching her latest cookbook, My Greek Table – Authentic Flavors and Modern Home Cooking from My Kitchen to Yours (St. Martin’s Press, January 2019; $35.00).

On Thursday, January 31, Committee Ouzeri & Bar will host a Meet & Greet and Cookbook Signing with Diane. Diane and Chef de Cuisine Theo Tsilipanos will be serving treats from the new cookbook such as: avocado taramosalata, phyllo wrapped feta with poppy seed crust, mini sea bass wraps, stuffed baby eggplants and more. Should be a fun and tasty event!

There is so much more to Greek cuisine than tzatziki, souvlaki and gyros. In both Season 2 of My Greek Table and her cookbook, Diane digs deeper into the specialties and traditions of Greek cuisine, exploring ancient Greek flavors for modern cooks, the scope of Greek breakfast, the mountain roots of traditional Greek yogurt, the food and flavors of the Eastern Peloponnese, Grilling, Retsina, and the unique food and music of the Greeks who came as refugees from Asia Minor to Mainland Greece almost a century ago.

The start of the new year inevitably brings an onslaught of dietary focused resolutions and many of Diane’s recipes showcase the breadth and variety of Greek cuisine, with regional specialties, an array of delicious vegetable and bean dishes, succulent grilled specialties, authentic seafood dishes, healthy desserts, and, twists on some of the country’s most iconic classics. Adapting a Mediterranean diet in 2019 does not have to be at all about deprivation, but more about healthful whole foods and choices. Diane is an authority on the Mediterranean diet and has a wealth of knowledge from living and teaching in Ikaria which is known as “the blue zone” for the health and longevity of all who live there.

The Bangkok Brings Tasty Thai & Vietnamese To Melrose

Good things something come in small packages.

The Bankgok is a small, new Thai/Vietnamese restaurant on West Wyoming Avenue, near the railroad tracks, in Melrose, that opened around mid-March. There are about five small tables, for two people, in the restaurant and they have room to put up another couple tables if they get busy. They also do take-out and delivery, though delivery may be limited to the evening hours. I've dined there on multiple occasions, mostly during lunch time, and including getting take-out one evening.

Their website has little information about the restaurant beyond the necessary basics, though you will find their full menu online. Some research indicates that corporate officers are also connected to Pho & Rice in Somerville and Thana Thai Kitchen in Arlington. In the near future, I will try to speak with the owners for more background on the restaurant but for now, I'll primarily deal with their food and service.

The Menu is extensive, with plenty of Thai and Vietnamese options, and is very reasonably priced, with no dish costing more than $15. The Menu categories include: Appetizers ($5-$7), Salads ($7-$8), Soup ($4), Vietnamese Pho & Thai Noodle Soup ($9-$12), Stir Fried Noodle ($10-$14), Fried Rice ($10-$14) Bun-Vermicelli ($9-$11), Rice Plates ($10), Sautéed ($11-$14), Curry Dishes ($11-$14), Bangkok Specials & Seafood Entrees ($11-$15), and Sides ($1-$3.50).

They don't have a liquor license but their drinks menu includes items like Bubble Tea, Smoothies (though it appears they are not available yet), Thai Iced Tea, Lychee Juice, Vietnamese Iced Coffee, Coconut Juice, and more. It is nice that they usually bring a large bottle of water to your table, though you drink it out of a paper cup.

They have about thirteen Appetizers and I've tried several of them. The Roti Curry Sauce ($7) is a  Fried Scallion Pancake served with a Green Curry Sauce. The pancakes are fresh, light and flaky, and not greasy. They make an excellent vehicle for dipping into the sauce, with its tasty flavor combination of coconut, lemongrass and mild spicy heat.

The Moo Pbring ($6.50) are grilled skewers of lemongrass marinated pork, accompanied by a smoked chili and tamarind sauce. These were excellent, with lots of tender, moist and flavorful pork and the sauce added some sweet & spicy elements. Forget those dry beef teriyaki skewers you get at other Asian spots. These easily put them to shame.

The Gyoza ($5), which you can have steamed or pan-fried, come as either Pork & Chicken or Vegetarian, and are served with ginger soy sauce. I opted for the pan-fried Pork & Chicken and they were tasty, filled with plenty of meat, and fried just enough to add some crispness to the gyoza skin.

The Sai Grog Issaan ($6) states it is "Sausages fermented Pork and Glutinous rice" but appears to be sliced sausage with lettuce, cucumbers and peanuts. The sausage was tender and spiced well and the veggies were fresh.

As for the Soups, I tried the Soup Hoanh Thanh ($4), which are pork and shrimp dumplings gently boiled in clear chicken broth with lettuce, onion, scallion and cilantro. You receive four plump and meaty dumplings and the broth is clean and mild. This would be especially good on a chilly day.

The Pho Gar ($9) is a Chicken Noodle soup with shredded chicken, rice noodle, onion, cilantro, and scallion with aromatic chicken broth, accompanied by some bean sprouts, herbs and lime. The broth is intense with flavor and there is plenty of chicken within the soup. The noodles had a nice chewiness to them.

The Mi Hoanh Thanh ($10) consists of pork and shrimp dumplings, yellow noodles, sliced pork, scallions and cilantro in a chicken broth. This is a hearty dish, with several slices of tender pork and plump dumplings. The noodles are thinner than the ones in the Pho but still had a nice texture and chew to them. There was plenty of flavor in the broth making this a very compelling dish.

The Rice Plates ($10) come with Traditional Vietnamese Grilled meat (chicken, pork or beef) accompanied by steamed Jasmine Rice, fresh tomato, cucumber, sliced lettuce and their Fresh Homemade Sauce (Nuoc Cham). You can also add a Fried Egg ($2). Above is the dish with the grilled chicken and egg. Another excellent dish with plenty of tender, flavorful chicken, enhanced by the egg, and the veggies were fresh and crisp. There was plenty of rice below all of the toppings. A good value for only $10.

I enjoyed a few other dishes, but which I don't have photos. The Grapao Gai Sub ($11) is stir fried minced chicken with fresh chili and basil. A spicy dish, it was very good layered over some rice. The Com Chien Fried Rice ($10) is Vietnamese fried rice with a combination of shrimp, chicken, Chinese sausage and mixed vegetables in Vietnamese chef's special sauce. Lots of flavor in this rice dish as well as plenty of meat. It tasted very fresh. The Chicken Pad Thai ($10) consists of stir-fried noodle with egg, bean sprout, turnip, and scallion in a Thai tamarind sauce topped with ground peanut. A nice choice as well.

The restaurant has a special, second menu which you probably won't receive unless you are Thai. It's only written in Thai and they don't have an English translation though your server will explain it to you if you ask. You can see there are sixteen options, priced $7-$12.

Fortunately, Pai Chourattana on Facebook generously provided me a translation of their menu which will help you navigate this special menu.

Off this special menu, I tried Nheam Kra Dook Moo, sour pork ribs (#6 on the menu), which were accompanied by some cucumber slices and lettuce. You need to gnaw the meat off these small pieces of ribs, which have a mildly sour flavor to them. These would make for a nice bar snack.

Also off the special menu, at #16, is the Garlic Pork Over Rice, which also comes with a few cucumber slices.  It's a simple dish, pieces of slightly fatty pork with crisp pieces over garlic over white rice. But it is hearty and tasty, perfect for a rainy day.

The Garlic Pork dish also comes with a small bowl of soup, a slightly soup broth.

I'll be sure to try more items off this special menu as there are plenty of other dishes that interest me.

Service is very good, personable and attentive. Overall, I've been very pleased with the quality and taste of the food from The Bangkok. It is fresh, with clean flavors, and there is enough diversity for all preferences. I've already been recommending it to my friends and I'll also continue regularly dining there. It is a welcome addition to the Melrose area.