. By Andrew Horan

The Orange County Register

Originally published Oct. 7, 2005

A couple months passed in between our visits to Thai Bamboo Bistro, and this time, on our third cease, we knew a little much more.

Occasionally, a little a lot more details is unsafe and just adequate to convince you not to return to a restaurant tai ch .

Not this time.

Our 1st check out was on a summer time Monday. We were a tiny ahead of the lunch rush, our two-year-old was a tiny subdued, and so we took a opportunity on a location we'd noticed in the new Quail Hill Village shopping center in Irvine, not far from exactly where the San Diego (I-405) and Santa Ana (I-five) Freeways converge in central Orange County, California.

The center sprang up in the shadow of the Shady Canyon estates seemingly overnight. It really is out of the way – you don't just occur by.

It's in one of these new-generation neighborhood centers that has an all-as well-familiar feel about it: anchor supermarket on one particular end, Starbucks on the other, generic rapidly-meals and quickly-casual restaurants in between. This a single was a little diverse – some of the franchise names have been not quite so ubiquitous, and it appeared that the Irvine Co. took a possibility and leased to some non-franchise operators, as well.

We ventured into the bistro, and inside 10 minutes, the intimate place was packed. So packed, we swiftly changed our sit-down order to to-go, hustled our now not-so-subdued tiny guy out and headed residence to the most sumptuous take-out we'd had in months.

Jungle curry with chicken ($12) was mellow and smooth (we ordered the milder green curry yellow and red are offered). Spicy lemon grass chicken ($12) was zesty and fresh. Classic pad thai ($11) – my wife's regular – aromatic and generously portioned with shrimp, egg, tofu and noodles.

So, we went back, this time for dinner, with out the boy.

Once more, the restaurant was complete, although minus the maddening lunch crush. Again, our dinner was delicious: far more green curry and pad thai – we're creatures of habit.

We were struck by the cool, contemporary space, with its handful of bamboo decorative touches. By the briskly efficient service (even though the meals can arrive at a a lot more languid pace, testimony to the fresh cooked-to-order kitchen). And by the extremely fresh ingredients, rendered in light sauces.

The chef markets virtually every day, co-manager Jade Tam told me. Occasionally the grocery, occasionally a specialty retailer, occasionally a farmers marketplace.

Then, well, life kept us away for a couple of months, till I spoke with manager Amy Lam.

As we chatted about the restaurant's expansion plans and presentation themes, Amy asked, ``Do you know Julie and Pat? Nicely, yes, I mentioned, we're going to their wedding in a day. ``We haven't noticed them in a whilst, Amy stated, laughing visit link . Julie warned they'd be absent for a while, some thing about pre-wedding fasting.

I know Julie's taste in meals and restaurants just nicely adequate that this little nugget of information – that she and Pat are regulars enough to be on a initial-name basis – told me to get back in there, pronto.

We have been once more wowed by fresh flavors. We began with the Thai bamboo sampler appetizer ($14), a mix of 4 from the menu (spring rolls, summer season rolls, chicken and beef satay, and gold bags – crispy wontons tied up like tiny Gold Rush-era treasures).

Our shrimp in spicy mango sauce ($16) was sweet, but subtle. We upgraded from the normal pad thai, ordering the ``new edition'' version (egg noodles alternatively of rice noodles visit site . $11).

It won't be such a long wait for our subsequent meal here.