| Opening the small door to the Indochine Bistro in a nondescript strip mall in Kensington, I was surprised by the restaurant’s spaciousness. The smooth, polished floors, vivid greenery and subdued shades of taupe and honey are soothing and inviting. An illuminated tropical fish tank emits a blue glow next to a small bar.
A sunken area features beautiful, heavy carved wooden tables and chairs, while the elevated section has tall tables and a banquette for larger parties. It’s like a slightly upscale version of the classic Vietnamese eatery, although it holds on to a few of the clichés like bright-fluorescent martini lights behind the bar and exotic fans decorating the walls. The prices, however, stay true to the style’s "cheap eats" roots.
I always seem to get stuck in a rut when I eat Vietnamese with the usual bun (rice noodle salad) and pho (rice noodle soup), but the menu can be a bit daunting for trying new things. My dinner companion and I pled our case to the friendly server and asked for some recommendations. He seemed surprised to be asked, but was happy to oblige and we took him up on all of his suggestions.
Starting with an appetizer combo ($8.25), we shared a very fresh spring roll, a shrimp salad roll that was tasty but seemed to be missing the usual cilantro, a slightly overcooked piece of grilled beef brochette and a wonderful deep-fried pork dumpling. There was only one of each item and they were small, so if you’re feeling peckish, you’d be better off ordering a combo of your own rather than sharing.
We also shared a tropical salad ($7.95), a combination of thinly sliced green papaya and pieces of carrots, fresh basil and shrimp dressed with a chili vinaigrette and fish sauce. The light and refreshing mix accompanied the deep-fried appetizers nicely.
Next we tried an order of crispy egg noodles topped with stir-fried shrimp, crab, squid, pork and vegetables ($11.95). The veggies were cooked perfectly al dente and the seafood was fresh, but there was a noticeable absence of any kind of sauce or flavouring. With the half-crispy, half-cooked noodles underneath the veggies and seafood, the overall taste was bland.
We finished butter stir-fried beef ($12.95), a stir-fry mix of mouth-wateringly tender chunks of sautéed beef in a hearty garlic, onion and red wine sauce, served on a bed of lettuce with rice. It was Vietnamese comfort food – flavourful and the kind of dish you always end up eating too much of. It’s one I would definitely go back for.
Overall, the meal was very good, with the exception of the uninspired seafood dish. I definitely missed not having any rice noodles with the meal. Next time I will be sure to include at least one rice noodle dish with my meal.
For dessert, I usually indulge in the Vietnamese coffee with sinful condensed milk, but the late hour meant I would be climbing the walls through to early morning. We decided to try the crispy deep-fried banana ($5.95). I was slightly ambivalent until it arrived. Presentation alone had our mouths watering, with three deep-fried spring rolls filled with banana, drizzled with honey and a side of coconut ice cream. A small flower bud on the plate was a lovely touch. It tasted just as heavenly with the subtle-tasting ice cream cooling off the steaming spring rolls for a perfect finale to the meal.
Indochine Bistro is located at 314-D 10th Street N.W.; phone, 283-8608. |
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