Ba-Le
The glass swinging door opens-up into a medium-sized air-conditioned room lined on both sides with seating booths, with 2 smaller table settings in the center. Walking pass these seating sections, directly in-front of our approach is Tam, always with a friendly smile welcoming us. Above Tam, and facing us. are an array of colored photographed numbered menus. We choose, a number to order. Tam scribbles on a white piece of paper, walks toward the back kitchen and shouts-out the order! Payment is made before eating . In 10 minutes, the orders are ready and served on a cafeteria-type tray. Beverages are chosen early as well, and served in tall covered-paper cups. If there is room, we seat at one of our preferred booths to the side. No room indoors, then we dine on one of the circular tables in the food court outside. Extra spicy condiments are selected from the counter where Tam is and the remaining spices, utensils, and napkins are already tabled in containers. Once we sit, shuffling to reach for our usually steaming hot meal, salad, or French Sandwich off the tray, we immediately experience the comfort of home, away from home. There is no fancy wait-help, designer walls, or plants to add to the ambiance....just large windows looking-out into the umbrella-covered
seatings in the food court with people minding their own time.
Immediately we are drawn to tasting our Vietnamese Soup and French Lemongrass
Chicken Roll Sandwich. Without any hesitation, we begin commenting how good it looks, and with satisfactory expressions we comment on the fresh taste. This is the usual pattern! We want an affordable, fast-serving, fresh flavorful meal for lunch or dinner, and we've got it!
Simple and nice for the gourmand, foodie, family, and career person of any economic status. Yes, it is affordable. Menu choices can be $15.00 and under. Furthermore, it is Vietnamese, preparation, different from our home cooking. True, no Maitre' d, wait help, hand-held menu, or crisp white table linens and Silver flatware. Rather, delicious tasty food served across the counter.
History tells me that Vietnamese was invaded by the French many years ago. Hence, the French influence remained in language, culture, and of course food. Hence, the "French Sandwiches" served on fresh-baked rolls, or croissants baked by the Ba-le Restaurant! The choice of French Rolls are prepared with fresh garden vegetables with choice of avocado, tofu, lemongrass chicken and more. Well....you really need to experience Ba-le to discover these delicacies yourself, remembering to respond to this review!
There are at least a choice of 25 or more Vietnamese Soups, Noodle, and Rice servings to choose
from the photographed menu wall...sometimes so many that you delve right back to your
usual favorite. Soups are served with choices of Beef, Pork, Char Siu, Shrimp, Crab... with
fresh-cooked vegetables, and basil, bean sprouts, and chili pepper garnishes to complete a healthy and spicy experience.
By the way, Ba-le (baah-lei), is Vietnamese for Paris.
My first introduction to Ba-le Restaurant was absent of its history. Once I discovered its French
influence, I got really excited. Can you imagine? The Ba-le restaurants did nothing to "fancy-up"
or "clothe" the ambiance with the combination of French and Vietnamese influence! A Restauranteur's dream to create a unique eating place! With delightful imagination, the history of a mixed-culture added to the restaurant ambiance in color, lights, linens, regaled with visible story-lines of epicurenism, wining and dining, music... all to feed upon mankind's desire or need for worldly haute satisfaction...can do wonders in the sense of materialism. Most people enjoy the designer pampering service they receive at a restaurant. I do! Do you?
Rather Ba-le Restaurants prefer to entertain the inner man... without any pretentious interruption, but just eating a delicious and healthy full meal. So, in this sense of down-home
needs, we can be superbly satisfied in price, taste, simple interaction, and always a friendly smile from Tam! Many people enjoy, the simple things. I do! Do you?
3 Star Rating
No comments:
Post a Comment