Madame La Bouffe and I had gone to a horse show at the stable where I ride regularly, and afterword, we were hungry and pretty tired, even after the excitement of watching the horses go over the hair-raisingly high jumps. There was nothing much to eat at home (we hadn't been grocery shopping in a while), so of course we hopped in the car to go to Barcelona Tapas. But alas, after we had been driving a while, with our growling stomachs and hungry thoughts of gazpacho and tortilla española, we were confronted with a horrific sight when we walked up the steps of Barcelona Tapas. On the door there was a sign, which said that the restaurant was hosting a private party and that the owners were sorry for the inconvenience, but no one but the invited guests were allowed in. While we were glad that Barcelona Tapas was hosting a private party (the restaurant is usually empty when Madame La Bouffe and I go, which is very frequently, as ya'll know, and I'm always worried that it's going to close), a wave of despondency washed over me, and I grumpily got back into the car. We drove around a bit, when Madame La Bouffe put forth the idea that we go to Maple Street. So we did, with the suggestion that we go to the new Vietnamese restaurant across the street from Satsuma, which was called Ba Chi Canteen. I was hesitant, still grumpy from the tapas disappointment, but also wondering if I would like Vietnamese food. I'd never tasted it before. Would it be something horrible? Some washed out, limp vegetables and rice? Would it be horrible spring rolls filled with scary Vietnamese vegetables that I couldn't even pronounce the names of? Would this be my last restaurant review? (Okay, I actually did not think that.)
Madame La Bouffe and I pulled up across the street from the restaurant and went inside. The building used to house a restaurant that was fussy and prissy and smelled like an old man's toilet, but now it was miraculously improved. The walls were sparkling white, with lovely flowers all over made out of wire, all swirly, pretty shapes. The lighting was very bright, and the cluster of tables were covered with white paper and a basket of Hoisin and other sauces. A squirt bottle of the "House Sauce" was included. It was pretty vacant, since it was after nine at night, but the quiet chatter was very relaxing. We were seated at our table by a casually uniformed waitress (I mean, it wasn't torn jeans and ratty T-shirt casual, I mean it was comfortably casual), obtained our silverware bundles, water, and menus, and sat back. I took a good hard look at my menu. I was surprised to find many things that I like on there, all sounding much better than usual. So after I collaborated with Madame La Bouffe, we decided on our meal. For appetizers, Madame got the Shrimp Fresh Spring Rolls, while I, who didn't care for fresh spring rolls, requested the pan seared shrimp and pork dumplings. They came relatively quick, plated nicely on clean white plates. Madame's two spring rolls were placed on a plate perfectly straight, with a small cup of sauce next to them. There were five dumplings on my platter, with lots of yummy sauce on the bottom, topped with a few shrimp, which seemed more fried then pan seared. We began to eat. It was all delicious. The shrimp were the most notable, with their tender pink insides and crisp, bronzed outsides. The dumplings were firm, bright, tender and flavorful. The sauce (which was mostly soy) paired perfectly with them and the shrimp. For the main course, we each got a baco. A "what?" you might cry. What's a baco? Is this girl losing her mind? Doesn't she mean a taco? Sheesh, woman, get yourself off the Internet. If those are your thoughts, you are perfectly entitled to them, but this is what I say to you: get your own self off the Internet!
Those who are sensible enough to keep reading, you won't be sorry. I, hopefully, will make your mouth water with my cute baco story. And no, baco isn't a typo.
So, here ya're: Madame La Bouffe and I both got a baco, which the menu said was the Canteen's take on a Mexican taco: a Vietnamese baco! They did not describe what a baco really is on the menu, except that it looks something like a taco. So Madame and I were the guinea pigs when we ordered them, she the coconut curry chicken and I the sweet chili shrimp, both topped with basil aioli, sweet potato, pickled carrot, and diakon. We apprehensively and expectantly waited as they were being cooked, and finally, just as I felt like I had been waiting at least ten years, they were brought out. My eyes nearly popped out of my head! I had never seen a more adorable food! There were the bacos, still in the parchment-paper lined steamer basket, warm and utterly lovable. Instead of the Mexican taco shell (which seemed like an outrage to me now), the ingredients were tucked snugly inside a lovely little snow-white bun, fluffy and warm. The meat was topped with the aioli and vegetables, all dainty little pats. I scarcely dared touch them, but I did, of course, and I felt as though I had stepped into a delicious world of tender spicy-sweet shrimp, creamy sweet potato, herby aioli, and crunchy, lip-smacking diakon and pickled carrot. It seemed as if it were five seconds before the insanely wonderful little baco had disappeared down my esophagus.
After this delicious meal, all I could do was rave about those little buns. But I felt as though something was missing......what? You know quite well. DESSERT! Seeing that they had a dessert menu, I quickly and rather mindlessly ordered a chocolate baco ice cream sandwich, not knowing what the results were. Well, when it arrived a short time later, I felt as if I could live on it for the rest of my life from just looking at it. Half a toasted, sweetened, slightly larger, and rounded baco bun was at the bottom of my bowl. Topping that was a generous scoop of chocolate ice cream, topped with chocolate syrup and toasted coconut flakes. Placed in an artfully offset position beside it was the top of the sweetened baco bun. I dove right in, feeling the smooth, creamy ice cream pass down my lips in large gulps, and experiencing the sweet, thrilling crunch of the baco bun and toasted coconut. What a meal! Well, looking back before I had eaten at the Canteen, I could kick myself for being so closed-minded.
If you love Asian food like me, and like tacos, but don't think that the two can mix.....THINK AGAIN! Take my advice and swing by the Ba Chi Canteen, eat your way through at least one steamer basket of bacos and you'll surely fall asleep that night, as I did, with happy dreams of flying bacos and worlds where sweet chili shrimp are completely unlimited.
Madame La Bouffe and I pulled up across the street from the restaurant and went inside. The building used to house a restaurant that was fussy and prissy and smelled like an old man's toilet, but now it was miraculously improved. The walls were sparkling white, with lovely flowers all over made out of wire, all swirly, pretty shapes. The lighting was very bright, and the cluster of tables were covered with white paper and a basket of Hoisin and other sauces. A squirt bottle of the "House Sauce" was included. It was pretty vacant, since it was after nine at night, but the quiet chatter was very relaxing. We were seated at our table by a casually uniformed waitress (I mean, it wasn't torn jeans and ratty T-shirt casual, I mean it was comfortably casual), obtained our silverware bundles, water, and menus, and sat back. I took a good hard look at my menu. I was surprised to find many things that I like on there, all sounding much better than usual. So after I collaborated with Madame La Bouffe, we decided on our meal. For appetizers, Madame got the Shrimp Fresh Spring Rolls, while I, who didn't care for fresh spring rolls, requested the pan seared shrimp and pork dumplings. They came relatively quick, plated nicely on clean white plates. Madame's two spring rolls were placed on a plate perfectly straight, with a small cup of sauce next to them. There were five dumplings on my platter, with lots of yummy sauce on the bottom, topped with a few shrimp, which seemed more fried then pan seared. We began to eat. It was all delicious. The shrimp were the most notable, with their tender pink insides and crisp, bronzed outsides. The dumplings were firm, bright, tender and flavorful. The sauce (which was mostly soy) paired perfectly with them and the shrimp. For the main course, we each got a baco. A "what?" you might cry. What's a baco? Is this girl losing her mind? Doesn't she mean a taco? Sheesh, woman, get yourself off the Internet. If those are your thoughts, you are perfectly entitled to them, but this is what I say to you: get your own self off the Internet!
Those who are sensible enough to keep reading, you won't be sorry. I, hopefully, will make your mouth water with my cute baco story. And no, baco isn't a typo.
So, here ya're: Madame La Bouffe and I both got a baco, which the menu said was the Canteen's take on a Mexican taco: a Vietnamese baco! They did not describe what a baco really is on the menu, except that it looks something like a taco. So Madame and I were the guinea pigs when we ordered them, she the coconut curry chicken and I the sweet chili shrimp, both topped with basil aioli, sweet potato, pickled carrot, and diakon. We apprehensively and expectantly waited as they were being cooked, and finally, just as I felt like I had been waiting at least ten years, they were brought out. My eyes nearly popped out of my head! I had never seen a more adorable food! There were the bacos, still in the parchment-paper lined steamer basket, warm and utterly lovable. Instead of the Mexican taco shell (which seemed like an outrage to me now), the ingredients were tucked snugly inside a lovely little snow-white bun, fluffy and warm. The meat was topped with the aioli and vegetables, all dainty little pats. I scarcely dared touch them, but I did, of course, and I felt as though I had stepped into a delicious world of tender spicy-sweet shrimp, creamy sweet potato, herby aioli, and crunchy, lip-smacking diakon and pickled carrot. It seemed as if it were five seconds before the insanely wonderful little baco had disappeared down my esophagus.
After this delicious meal, all I could do was rave about those little buns. But I felt as though something was missing......what? You know quite well. DESSERT! Seeing that they had a dessert menu, I quickly and rather mindlessly ordered a chocolate baco ice cream sandwich, not knowing what the results were. Well, when it arrived a short time later, I felt as if I could live on it for the rest of my life from just looking at it. Half a toasted, sweetened, slightly larger, and rounded baco bun was at the bottom of my bowl. Topping that was a generous scoop of chocolate ice cream, topped with chocolate syrup and toasted coconut flakes. Placed in an artfully offset position beside it was the top of the sweetened baco bun. I dove right in, feeling the smooth, creamy ice cream pass down my lips in large gulps, and experiencing the sweet, thrilling crunch of the baco bun and toasted coconut. What a meal! Well, looking back before I had eaten at the Canteen, I could kick myself for being so closed-minded.
If you love Asian food like me, and like tacos, but don't think that the two can mix.....THINK AGAIN! Take my advice and swing by the Ba Chi Canteen, eat your way through at least one steamer basket of bacos and you'll surely fall asleep that night, as I did, with happy dreams of flying bacos and worlds where sweet chili shrimp are completely unlimited.
