Nov 2: Some Asian Spice

I ate the most delicious dinner the other night. Asian, at a bargain price. Best of all, someone else was buying so it was an extra-value value meal for sure. Really, though, I can highly recommend the Vietnamese cuisine at Basilic, a new Lauderdale-by-the-Sea restaurant. It is delish. I've eaten Vietnamese food in Ho Chi Minh City so obviously I've been lucky enough to taste the real deal. As much as I enjoy all the Asian cuisines that I've tried, I must say that Vietnamese is my favorite. To me, the flavors are more delicate and complex than the others, perhaps because of the French influence. In any case, my experience with the food at Basilic brought back memories of eating in Vietnam.

Three of us last week decided to try this new spot for the first time. And we all had the same reaction - excellent food. We started by splitting Vietnamese filled crepes, which are stuffed with pork loin, shrimp and bean sprouts. One order was plenty for all of us as we carved up the large crepe into bite-sized pieces for our chopsticks. Price: $8. Pretty darned good for such a large appetizer.

I ordered lemongrass chicken for $12, Gwendolyn got the Vietnamese chicken salad, $9, and my friend Hal tried the "shaking beef" for $15. That's about as expensive as the entrees get at Basilic, by the way. (Oh, but I suppose I should describe a dish called "shaking beef," shouldn't I? Sounds bizarre but it's only marinated filet mignon cooked in a wok with red onion and bell peppers. Mmmm.) Anyhow, my chicken was superb - dark and white meat marinated with lemongrass and chilies then grilled and served with rice. Just writing that sentence makes me hungry. I was struck by how fresh the ingredients were too. For our appetizer, for instance, toppings of cilantro and mint on the sprig were placed in a small pile beside the crepe. You toss a piece of crepe into your own small mixing bowl, then you pick off exactly as much of the fresh herbs as you want, drop those leaves into the bowl and splash some fish oil into it all. Then you eat. That's how things were done at the restaurants I experienced in Ho Chi Minh City. A word of warning for anyone allergic to peanuts: the menu states plainly that they "use peanuts in preparing and serving our food." I happen to love peanuts. And the food at Basilic. It's located at 218 E. Commercial Boulevard, phone 954-771-5798. A wonderful addition to Greater Fort Lauderdale's dining scene, whether you've been to Ho Chi Minh City or not.