Providence has the reputation of being a great food town. Much of this is due to the fact that the city is home to people from a wide range of national origins. Immigration must be a lot of work because people seem to arrive hungry. And they tend to bring their food preferences with them. So there’s no surprise to find many diverse cultural influences in the Providence restaurant scene. One of the products of this interesting diversity is the proliferation of what I call “Pan Asian” restaurants that serve Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Thai selections all on one menu. Apparently, the folks in Southeast Asia found Americans more agreeable on our shores than in their homeland during the 1960’s and ‘70’s. I can’t imagine why. In any event, Providence now benefits from the arrival of these people and their wonderful food.
Apsara Palace, located at 783B Hope Street on Providence’s East Side, is one of the better examples of the Pan Asian restaurant model. The first thing you will notice is the enormous menu. Let’s see, 18 pages overall, 28 appetizer selections, 12 varieties of chicken wings, 7 preparations of ribs, 32 choices of soup, and well… you get the picture. Since the prices of appetizer-sized soups start at $1.50 and an entre averages about $7.50, you can easily fund a culinary tour of Asia on your paper route money alone. You can even take a Tapas approach by sampling the appetizer menu as a great way to share a whole meal with friends. The Nime Chow (fresh Vietnamese rolls $2.99 order of 2) were bursting with the bright essence of basil leaves, tender steamed shrimp and soft rice noodle filling. The Sesame Ribs ($7.50) featured smaller, country style cuts that were lean and meaty. Rounding out the appetizer course were the traditional fried Chinese Egg Rolls ($1.99/ order of 2) that were crispy and stuffed with a flavorful blend of cabbage, sprouts, and minced pork.
Soup is good food
Often times, we view soup as an afterthought or just a starting point for a meal. If this describes you, no problem. The chefs at Apsara Palace will accommodate you with a nice selection of your favorites. The Won Ton Soup ($1.50/$3.50 cup/bowl) features a delicate clear broth with big plump meaty dumplings stuffed with ground pork, ginger and spices. Finished with just a touch of toasted sesame oil for another layer of flavor, this as good an example of Won Ton Soup as you will find in the region. The Hot and Sour Soup ($1.50/$3.50 cup/bowl) is similarly packed with big chunks of bean curd, finely chopped shoots, fungi, and various vegetables. Being neither particularly hot (spicy) nor sour, it was still very pleasant. If soup-as-a-meal is more up your alley, you have plenty of choices. Big bowls of Cambodian-style Noodle Soup ($6.99/bowl) with rice noodles, cilantro, sprouts, and lime, Thai Chicken Curry Soup ($6.99/bowl) with red curry, string beans, onion, bamboo, and sweet potato, and Sweet and Sour Vietnamese Soup (from $6.75/bowl) with pineapple, tomato, basil, green onion, and herbsare just a few of the many offerings.
Noodles, noodles, and more noodles
The community on Federal Hill may think they have a lock on the pasta scene in Providence, but the Pan Asian restaurants have clearly not gotten that memo. Lort (short rice noodles), Udon, Pad Thai (both Thai and Cambodian style), Cantonese flat, thick or thin egg noodles, and even Angel Hair varieties are served up with all manner of sauces and cooking preparations. And Apsara makes it easy by pricing all noodle dishes at an affordable $6.50 for vegetable, tofu, chicken, beef or pork, and $7.00 for shrimp or seafood combination. The Bankok Crispy Noodle with Beef featured thick, pan-fried egg noodles prepared with broccoli, baby corn, sliced bamboo, straw mushroom, and curry sauce. The noodles were a little over fried, but the beef was tender and juicy and the veggies were nicely crisp. The curry sauce was tasty but would have benefited from some more peppery heat.
Apsara Palace does a great job with their entrees as well and offers a choice of brown rice, white rice, or Japanese sticky rice with any dish. The Chicken Lemongrass Stir Fry ($8.50) brought a Vietnamese flair with basil, onion, string bean, bell pepper, carrot, and baby corn. The Lemongrass sauce was rich and creamy with coconut milk, curry, and sweet floral notes. The Crispy Fish in Hunan Sauce ($11.00) provided a huge platter of battered and fried salmon filets in sautéed vegetables and julienned fresh ginger covered in a sweet and spicy Hunan sauce – a delicious dish that would be at home in a more upscale restaurant, and represents an incredible value at this price.
Apsara Palace is a fantastic example of the Pan Asian restaurants unique to Providence. The menu is huge and will provide you with foodie adventures for a long time to come. There is a simple dry erase board with daily specials that you should not miss. No liquor is served, but you are welcome to BYOB along with cash or your favorite form of plastic. Parking can be scarce, so check Hope Street or any of the local residential side streets for a spot. See the whole menu here, just be sure you have time for a long read.
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