Day 18: In which Red Bamboo rocks my world.

My very first destination in New York was Red Bamboo.  I had heard so much about how awesome it was that I couldn’t resist going for lunch and trying out some premium fake meat action.  Normally, I don’t really go for the mock meat, mostly because it’s expensive and also because it’s processed.  But the whole point of my food adventures while traveling is to try new things and foods that I cannot get in good old Huntington, WV.  So this trip was a total fakefest for me.  Decadence!

My aunt and I got there a bit before they opened, so we had plenty of time to peruse the extensive menu displayed outside.  (We also walked around Washington Square Park, where I passed right by Kim Kardashian, which was neat.)  Guys, their menu is seriously so huge!  I had heard from people on the ppk that the Soul Chicken Sandwich was good though, so I definitely made sure to order that.

 

oh yes.

 

This was very reminiscent of real chicken sandwiches that I used to eat back in the pregan days, but way, way better.  It was somewhat light, for being as huge as it is, and the Vidalia dressing is to die for.  Make sure you get extra napkins though, because this monster is messy.

 

i miss it already

The ‘chicken’ has a nice texture, without being too chewy, and there is a lovely little crunch to it, thanks to the panko crust on the outside.  Also, it was on the lunch special, so I got it with the collard roll:

 

adorable!

 

This perfectly fried little number is filled collard greens and veggie ham, served with a sweet chili dipping sauce.  A perfect side: not too big, not too small and just really damned delicious.

My aunt decided to order 3 appetizers, in order to get a full spectrum of what Red Bamboo has to offer.  I helped her out with these…and it’s a good thing I did, because their appetizers are absolutely huge.

 

outstanding

 

The Roti Canai stole the show.  The crepe that it is served with was lightly fried, warm, and delicate without being wimpy.  And the curry bit!  Whoa.  I’ve never tasted a curry quite like it.  I’m not even sure how to describe it, except exceptional.  Creamy, tangy, and with a nice chunk of potato and soy chicken.  This was our favorite thing that we ordered, by far.  The flavor was just…darned impressive.

 

so much food

 

This is the broccoli and sweet potato tempura.  While it was good, it wasn’t nearly as awesome as everything else we got.  I would almost say it was a tad bland…  Still, it was good for what it was: giant chunks of broccoli and thick slices of sweet potatoes breaded and deep-fried.  The soy-ginger dressing it came with was quite tasty.  This is the only thing we got that we didn’t finish, though.  There was just too much of it.

 

dumplings!

 

I absolutely adore dumplings.  I can’t get them around here, so they are a real treat for me when I visit bigger cities.  And I especially love spinach dumplings!  These are the Asian Dumplings, and they have soy protein, carrots and cabbage inside.  Served over a nice little salad, they also came with the soy-ginger dressing.  And yum!  They were hearty and perfectly steamed and full of delicious bits.  Man, dumplings.  I need a good recipe for them, because now I really, really want to make some of my own.

Red Bamboo was a really rad place to start my New York foodventures.  The interior was also cozy, our server was super nice and had adorable food tattoos on the backs of his arms, and it was reasonably priced!  We got all that food for around $30.  I know!  I totally recommend it, if you’re going to New York in the future.  Also, it was easy to get to and the park right around the corner is a nice place to take a walk to ease your full tummy afterwards!