In Search of a Le Colonial Clone

Posted on June 4, 2007

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

I had a special occasion to celebrate Friday, so I did some research and found a Vietnamese-fusion restaurant named [tag]Bambu Bistro[/tag] in Newport Beach, Calif.

Immediately, my mind flashed back to one of the most delicious meals I’d ever eaten–at [tag]Le Colonial[/tag] in Chicago, another Vietnamese-fusion restaurant.

The result?

Well, to be charitable, Bamboo Bistro (as they spelled it on the menu, not the way it was spelled in the newspaper listing) is fine. It serves Vietnamese and Thai dishes and has a huge menu, but the problem is in the sheer size of the culinary undertaking. The food tends to come out fast as at many Chinese restaurants with similarly huge menus, and fast usually means medium quality or less attention to detail.

At Le Colonial, you order from a normal two-page menu, and the food takes its time in getting to you–and it shows in the results. As I mentioned, the meal I had there is one of the most memorable in my life. Charlie Palmer’s [tag]Aureole[/tag] in Las Vegas is the only place that holds a similar place in my memory.

Bamboo/Bambu Bistro, however, did offer something rare and delicious in another way of viewing matters. Some of the most beautiful Vietnamese women imaginable seem to frequent the place. With reasonable prices and beautiful surroundings like that, the restaurant takes on a whole new charm.

» Filed Under Food News Tags: