概要
Lotus Blue号称是曼哈顿的第一家云南菜馆。云南菜和泰国菜缅甸菜相近，善用各种香草，比如薄荷香茅紫苏香菜之类的，香料丰富，但是比四川菜要轻盈许多。
我是去年和几个同事一起去的，其中有2个美国人1个缅甸人。餐馆不小，靠窗的桌子很大，很安静，谈话的时候不需要扯着喉咙喊。服务生英语很好，人也很有礼貌。我有印象的几个菜是：
香蕉果蕾芒果沙拉（见下图）。菜很清爽可口，摆得也很漂亮。香蕉花是垫在下面好看的，主要是酸甜的芒果丝，薄荷紫苏香菜糅合在一起，丰富而轻盈，花生末的浓厚香气则是全菜的重心，就好像风筝的线一样把各种口味拴在一起。稍微有点点辣，但是并不过分，应该大部分人都可以吃。
三鲜过桥米线比传统版的要清爽一些，没有那么油腻，味道倒是很浓厚。肉嫩菜鲜，很赞！
传统气锅鸡非常成功，清鸡汤可以根法菜里面的consommé相比，鲜而不油腻。因为点的菜太多，我没有怎么吃鸡肉，但是那汤太鲜美了，被大家抢光了。
唯一不喜欢的菜是油炸红鳟鱼。老美同事点的，油腻腻的，不是我的菜。
Lotus Blue, located in Tribeca, is the first restaurant I've
seen in Manhattan that serves Yunnan food. Unlike the chili-spicy Szechuan cuisine
that most Americans are familiar with, Yunnan cuisine dances effortlessly with
herbal spices such as mint, lemongrass, purple basil and cilantro. Compared to
Szechuan food’s heartiness and intensiveness, Yunnan cuisine is more airy and
naughty, almost weightless. Although I could easily relate it with Thai food,
my Burmese friend almost screamed in tears when she had the first bite of the
Yunnan noodle that tasted just like the noodle she had in her hometown.
I went to Lotus Blue with two Americans and one Burmese on a
sunny evening last year. We got a spacious table at the window. The place was
quiet, perfect for a laid-back conversation. The waiter spoke fluent English
and apologized politely when he found the bottle we picked was out of stock. We
ended up with no drinks, I think. Otherwise the drink had to be mediocre since
I don’t recall what we’d ordered. But the food was quite impressive.
Banana blossom salad (see the picture above) was a
refreshing start. Shredded mango blended seamlessly with the sweet & sour
dressing. Mint, basil, and cilantro layered airy spiciness, all rooted with the
nutty grounded peanuts. A little kick with chili, but not overwhelming at all.
Three delights cross-bridge noodle was a less-oily healthy
upgrade from the traditional Chinese delicacy. The broth was rich in flavor, yet
clear in texture. Everything was cooked just right: tender meat, soft noodles, and
fresh vegetables. It came in big portion.
Traditional Yunnan steam pot chicken was a master piece. If
you are a fan of chicken consomme, you know what I’m talking about -- clear soup
packed with that delicate flavor you can only find in organic chicken. I didn't
eat much chicken (as always, we ordered too much), but the soup itself worth
five stars.
The only disappointment was crispy red snapper, a fish dish
that I can no longer find on their online menu. I guess they have removed it (I
do hope so). However, I did find its picture in their online gallery (see
below). Well, it was not terrible, but I simply don’t eat fried fish like that.
Both my taste buds and my waist line screamed “NO”! Oh, yes, it was ordered by
one of my American friends. J
Address: 110 Reade Street, New York, NY 10013
Telephone: 212 267 3777
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