Organic eatery offers option to meat

Mary Furr

Come sit with me under the Bodhi Tree, as Buddha once did in India,

and learn about the newest organic vegetarian restaurant at Main and

6th streets, which opened August 28.

The Bodhi Tree is owned by the Pham family. The mother, Kim Huynh,

is the talented cook, while son Quoc Pham is the manager and daughter

Huong the server. She is so helpful in interpreting and recommending

the exotic yet healthful menu.

There are three tables on the sidewalk in front and tables and

chairs, but no booths, inside the bright restaurant. Its pale yellow

walls are hung with large pictures of Oriental scenes and flowers.

It’s very restful with only the sound of water tumbling over a tiny

grotto at the entrance.

Lunch Specials ($5.95), served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., are a great

introduction to this strictly vegetarian restaurant in which

everything is free of any animal products and so fresh you can smell

the scent of cilantro in the jicama spring rolls (2 for $2.75, 4 for

$4.50). Wrapped in transparent rice paper the rolls are as large as

hot dogs filled with crunchy jicama, carrots, vermicelli and tofu.

They are served with a small bowl of dark, spicy peanut sauce. They

are wonderful.

Lunch begins with vegetable soup with a mild creamy broth with

dice-like squares of tofu, carrots, zucchini, asparagus and mushroom

halves. It’s excellent -- who would miss meat? On the lunch special

you may choose any entree -- tofu, vegetable, “chicken,” “beef” or

“calamari” ($7.95) or “shrimp” ($8.95) and then select a sauce to go

with it. There’s everything from hot and spicy to curry to Kung Pao,

a spicy classic, which I selected to go with my “chicken.” You can

crate an entree as if you were in your own kitchen -- it’s marvelous

and doesn’t require any work.

My friend selected vegetables which gave him spinach, zucchini,

green beans, carrots, broccoli and mushrooms. Both our entrees came

with a soup of sticky rice to mix with our sauces and chow mein of

slender noodle with celery, and water chestnuts. Slices of faux beef

completed this dish of complex but delicate flavors.

Bodhi Tree has two delights you shouldn’t skip. One is coconut

milk served in a big hollowed-out coconut that is refreshing as a

drink as well as being a great conversation piece. The other is cream

served in a tulip glass it has big chunks of coconut meat surrounded

by the slices of peach and four deep fried halves of baba beside it

on the plate. Daughter Huong says the Bodhi Tree desserts are

diabetic friendly since both her father and grandfather have diabetes

and that the banana fritters are something they can enjoy.

The Bodhi Tree, in addition to the lunch specials, serves

sandwiches with soup and salad ($4.50 to $5.50) and a variety of

vegetarian seafood, chicken and beef that comes with the “exotic

spices of the Orient home style cooking.”

You won’t believe your taste buds!

* MARY FURR is the Independent restaurant critic. If you have

comments or suggestions, call (562) 493-5062 or e-mail

hbindy@latimes.com