Review: Bamboo Restaurant

Last Friday night, my boyfriend and I went to Bamboo, a Thai restaurant located at 1616 Commonwealth Avenue in Brighton. Although I'm trying to expand my horizons, I am hardly a foodie or a culinary adventurer. In fact if you don't count the tiny chicken skewers with peanut sauce they serve at my company's catered events, this was my first time eating Thai food. Still, I was excited to try something new.

A large fish with a square lumpy head reminiscent of the Elephant Man greeted me as I entered. Luckily, it was contained in one of the giant fish tanks in the center of the small room. Was this a Thai fish? I have no way of knowing. I'm pretty sure the bright primary colors of the salt shakers and overhead lighting fixtures weren't traditionally Thai, but they enhanced the casual vibe anyway. The waitresses/hostesses and most of the patrons wore jeans. Bamboo caters to students and young professionals, although I also saw a middle-aged couple. Soothing mint green walls and incongruous soft rock music added to the laid-back atmosphere.

Although it was a Friday night at dinner time, the restaurant was only about a third full and we were seated at a booth as soon as we entered. Normally, I love sitting in booths. In this case, I'd advise calling shotgun for a normal chair. The booth bench seemed to harden as the night progressed. We ordered vegetarian spring rolls and Thai ice tea for starters. If you like shrimp, the shrimp spring rolls may be a more flavorful option. The sweet and sour sauce accompanying the rolls didn't quite mitigate the blandness of what was basically a portable lettuce salad. Thai ice tea resembles creamy tea with an unidentifiable aftertaste. I am glad I tried it, but my stomach began rebelling at its foreignness about halfway through the glass. If I go to Bamboo again, I want to order Sam's Platter, an assortment of appetizers. It seems like a great way to try many of the appetizers at once and pick favorites. Unfortunately, we weren't hungry enough to take on Sam.

I chickened out (excuse the pun) and ordered "Chicken in the Garden" instead of a more signature Thai dish. A heaping plate of steamed veggies and chicken in peanut sauce arrived quickly. My boyfriend took advantage of Bamboo's option to create your own stir fry and ordered a beef stir fry with crispy egg noodles. He loved it and he actually cooks and has eaten Thai food before. The entrees ranged from around $10-$20, but my bountiful dish lasted me three meals and remained delicious. Overall, a great bargain for some tasty food. Bamboo added some color to the plates with carrot flowers and adorable radish mushroom straight from Mario Brothers.

As a dessert freak, I can not go out to eat without trying a restaurant's dessert menu. You can't go wrong with Bamboo's fried ice cream. Basically a huge ice cream meatball of fried batter and vanilla or coconut filling, the fried ice cream creates the sensation of eating a donut and a bowl of ice cream at the same time. I did not exercise enough that day to eat it and after eating it, I did not care.

In general, Bamboo is a good casual option with quick service and large portions. Although I'm not quite a Thai-food convert yet, I'd go again just for the fried ice cream.

Postscript: A student employee at work recently told me she has seen Bamboo staff members take the carrot flowers off one person's plate and put them on another person's plate. If you care about hygiene, you may want to avoid Bamboo or at least don't eat the petals like I did.