Cuisine: Asian variety...mostly Vietnamese with French-influence, but also some Chinese and Thai dishes.
Restaurant Features: Bar, On-Site Parking
Location: White Bear Township
Address: White Bear Township Theater Shops 1190 County Road J White Bear Township, MN 55127 They also do take-out! 651-426-3558
Links: Google Map Orchid Website .
Atmosphere: Newly constructed at the end of a strip mall, Orchid has a main dining room that seats approximately 50 people (booths and tables). Just off the side of the main dining room is the bar area with an additional 6-7 booths and taller cocktail tables. Softly painted walls, dim lighting, fresh flower arrangements and Asian decor give the restaurant a very cozy feel. The bar is a great place to have a drink if a table is not immediately available. The Mojito is an Orchid specialty.
Menu: Appetizers: chicken wings, calamari, spicy oyster wings, spring rolls, pot stickers, cream chesse wontons, pot stickers, cripy shrimp, shrimp dumplings and grilled sesame beef.
Entrees: Mixed vegetable, broccolli in oyster sauce, sweet n' sour, spicy kung pao, toasted sesame, lemon grass chicken, ginger chicken, sauteed beef with fried potato, Mongolian beef, pineapple delight, curry chicken, spicy szechwan,Vietnamese crepe, and black pepper steak.
Specialties: Deep fried sea bass, imperial prawns, Lúc Lác Beef, Steamed Sea Bass with Ginger, Special Thai Basil, French Garlic Prawns, Seafood Combo
Noodles and Rice: Orchid fried rice, Lo Mein, Vietnamese Chow Mien, Crispy egg noodles and mixed vegetables, Hảo Nhi’s Chow Fun, Spicy Singapore Noodles, Saigon Rice Noodles - Bún Tḥit Nứơng, and Pad Thai.
Vegetarian: Spring Rolls, Vietnamese Chow Mien, Lo Mien, Spicy Tofu or Mock Duck, Saigon Rice Noodle Dish, Annie’s Favorite Stir Fry, Buddha Delight, Fried Rice.
Price Guide: Appetizers: $ 4-7 Entrees: $9.75-12.25 Specialties: $13.25-17.25
What I ordered: To start off, I tried the calamari. I have to say that this is some of the best calamari I have ever had! It is cooked just perfectly so the texture is delicate, not tough. The spicy sweet and sour sauce is delicious and has just the right amount of "kick", a perfect compliment to the calamari.
The entree I ordered was the Lemon Grass chicken; marinated dark chicken meat stir fried with white and green onions, lemon grass, curry and chili pepper. This dish came highly recommended by our server, and once I tried it, I could see why it is so popular. The sauce was on the spicier side, probably a 3-4 on a scale of 1-10. I recommend serving it atop white rice.
My companion ordered Orange Chicken. Crispy, white-meat with a deliciously sweet orange sauce.
Service: Most of the time the service is very fast and pleasant. If you happen to come when the restaurant is not as busy, service sometimes takes longer.
Matt the bus boy was absolutely awesome!
Posted by: Bob | July 19, 2008 at 01:59 PM
That is great. Thank you very much for sharing.
Posted by: Thai Orchid | December 11, 2009 at 10:23 PM