ASIA FANTASIA

At Pao Lim Asian Bistro and Bar

In Durham on Sunday, March 2, 2003

A DELHI-CACY

Grilled Tandoori Shrimp

Takara Plum Wine

The venerable (and vulnerable) shrimp have been afforded the pleasures of bathing in the raw in ginger, garlic, shallot, tumeric, chili pepper, yogurt, cumin, not to mention paprika. Then they’ve gone under to have undergone ongoing appropriate if unwilling grilling. The credibly crusted crustacean finds itself in a non-embellishable, relishable relish of zealous but not jealous mango, aggressively grilled pepper and onion, sumptuous lemon juice plus esteemed cilantro. The puréed sauce is composed of mint, cilantro, yogurt, and boasts of roasted jalapeno.

Complementing Our Next Three Courses:

Cavit Pinot Grigio & Yellow Tail Chardonnay

A JAPANESE TEASE

Crisped Tuna Spring Roll

Sashimi yellowfin tuna has been wrapped in seaweed, stuffed with spinach and then re-wrapped in a rapturous overlapping over-wrap of nice rice skin, thence to be fired up and sliced up – the above properly proffered in an elite discrete oil of snobby wasabi.

A LAOTIAN POTION

Mussels with Garlic and Basil

These Prince Edward Island macho muscular mussels have without tussles been hustled into a sauté sortie entailing a prevailing osmotic flow to undergo an undertow of white wine, fish sauce, oyster sauce, Thai basil, chili and garlic, the above magnanimously sprinkled with a boldly thorough throw of cilantro.

FROM CHINESE SEAS A SEIZE TO PLEASE

Salt and Pepper Scallop and Calamari

Perversely diverse diver scallops and their delectable tentacled octapodal companions have been submerged and purged in pure and sure tempura batters in collusion with a concoction of scallion, ginger, garlic, and chili – the above seasoned meticulously and conspicuously with salt and pepper.

Enhancing Our Next Three Courses:

Hardy’s Shiraz & Salice Salentino, Leone de Castris

FIT TO BE THAI-ED

Grilled Thai Beef Salad

NY strip sirloin has tolerated reasoned seasoning with lemongrass and then submitted to endearing pan-searing rare, its outermost layer wistfully crispy. The meat has enjoyed waiting while wading in soy sauce with ginger only to undergo involuntary slicing with subsequent alighting upon a suggestively erotic quixotic and amusing fusing of onion, bean sprouts, mesclun, and cucumber. The dressing, a profound compound, is compounded of fish sauce, wine vinegar, and sugar, whilst the accompanying green sauce presents a provocative evocative convocation of chili, garlic, jalapeno, and lemon juice.

EPICUREAN À LA MANCHURIAN

Manchurian Chicken

Battered (but not abused) chicken has been deep fried to frail fruition and then sautéed to palatal ecstasy in a garlic and cilantro sauce, the preceding meeting its mediating mature basil and baby bok choy, the total existential experience being conducive to an elusive and effusive Manchuria euphoria.

A HUNK O’ SRI LANKA

Braised Veal Osso Bucco

An historically abstruse, esoteric Italian invasion of the East led to this fusion of veal braised and bruised with a flurry of curry confidently burnished and furnished with Moroccan cous cous engulfing raisins with fried shallots served with brazenly brash braised farm raised cabbage.

THE LAST OF A FEAST OF THE EAST - TO SAY THE LEAST

The End of the Vine:

Château Rieussec, 1er Grand Cru Classé

Cardamom Crème Brulée

An expansive inexpensive reduction of creative cream and stark starch has been graced and embraced by a whopping cardamom topping harnessing an astonishing untarnishing varnishing of raspberry garnishing.

Pao Lim Asian Bistro and Bar

Freddie Lee – Owner/Chef

Bernard Huang – Executive Chef

William Chang – Sous-Chef

Steve Lee – Restaurant Manager