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A wild side walk at Bellevue's Bamboo Garden
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I’ve already mentioned that Bamboo Garden is one of my top five Asian restaurants in the Seattle area. Some see that mention as a surprise; knowing me, they wonder why I’d include a vegetarian restaurant. Not to knock the vegetarians, but this is the Bamboo Garden in Bellevue—the one that has the “Take a Walk on the Wild Side” menu with organ meats and more. (More on why I like that menu here.)
Last week, I suggested places to have a spicy, Szechuan Thanksgiving. As one who wants to walk the talk, I’m here to report that I did choose Chinese food for Thanksgiving. In fact, I took a walk on the wild side, ordering sliced pork kidneys in a tangy broth ($9.95, photo above) as my entrée. Some at my table were skeptical, but this turned out to be the favorite dish of the night. The kidneys were tender and delicious, the sauce wonderful, and the accompanying bamboo shoots, black fungus mushrooms and Chinese greens offered excellent texture and taste to round out the dish.
Also delicious, and another hit, was "Swimming Fire Fish" ($14.95, below). We ordered it very ma la; spicy (la), yes...but mostly numbing (ma)—in a good way!
Bamboo Garden might make an excellent choice for a different type of dinner during this holiday season. Prices are reasonable, the service is friendly, and you can easily order food that you can’t always find at other Chinese restaurants—unless you can read Chinese characters. I’d be back one day this month, but I’ll soon be heading to Taipei and struggling with those very characters—and hopefully reporting back here on what I’ve eaten.
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