August 26, 2005

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Publication Date: Friday, August 26, 2005

Exciting, unusual tastes at Orchis

By Dale F. Bentson

Mango-colored walls, bamboo poles, palm trees and orchids greet diners just inside the door of Orchis, the latest restaurant inhabitant of a tucked-away courtyard on California Avenue in Palo Alto, just across from Mollie Stone's.

Subtle textured shades diffuse overhead light from the vaulted ceiling and the dining room is divided by a low wall for more intimate dining. Tables are spaced to allow for amiable conversation. It is soothing and agreeable ambiance.

With specialty chefs in the kitchen for each cuisine, partners Lisa Chun and Ena Tzeng have composed an arresting menu based on the cuisines of Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Color, flavor and texture along with emphasis on seafood, fruits, vegetables and dipping sauces distinguish the fare of this southeast Asian restaurant. Service is attentive and friendly but not yet totally familiar with the nuances of the kitchen. Fortunately, Lisa Chun is usually on hand to answer questions.

For starters, roti canai ($5) was a large, Indian-style, crispy folded pancake. It was buttery, not greasy, and came with a not-too-spicy potato curry dipping sauce. It was a fun, unusual and light beginning for dinner. The Empress prawns ($9) were crisp, fried and meaty with a flavorful house dipping sauce with hints of spices and flowers.

Papaya salad ($7) was a large plate of greens and papaya. The tasty accompanying green-scented flower sauce was made from hot chili, honey, fish oil and tomato solids. Mango salad ($7) featured a generous portion of medium-ripe shredded mango on a mound of lettuce. Both salads were light and piqued the appetite.

At first, I was a little put off by the picture menu at Orchis. Many of the dishes have been photographed and laminated onto the pages of the menu. While the menu itself was stylish, the pictures seemed a little hokey. Yet a number of dishes were unfamiliar to me, and, in the end, I was happy to have an idea of what it was I was ordering.

Green curry chicken with vegetables ($10) was a platter of sautéed vegetables: broccoli florets, bok choy, sugar peas and corn kernels. The curry was nut-green and creamy, made with coconut milk. Entrees, as well as all other courses, are served family-style -- enough to pass around and share.

Beef rendang ($10), savory tender beef strips, coconut milk, chilies and hints of clove and cinnamon, was swathed in a dry Malaysian curry sauce. The kitchen will adjust the spiciness of any dish to the diner's taste.

The Malaysian pork chop ($11) was a small platter of deep-fried boneless bites of pork lightly painted with Asian barbeque sauce. The pork chops were flavorful but I liked the Malaysian golden spareribs ($10) better. They were deep-fried meaty morsels, lots of them on the plate, with a dipping sauce of lemon, mayonnaise and ketchup that added just the right touch.

I loved the coconut jumbo prawns ($20), which were fried in butter and wrapped in a batter of coconut milk and seasonings. A tiny egg drop sat in the center of each fried crustacean, a time-consuming little touch that added to the allure of the presentation. The crispy golden fried squid ($10) was enjoyable, if not distinctive, and was served with a dipping sauce of shrimp paste, spices and herbs.

Vegetables are prominent at Orchis and the menu has an entire page devoted to vegetarian dishes: appetizers, soups, salads and a dozen out-of-the-ordinary entrees.

There are also vegetable side dishes to accompany entrees. Kang Kung Belacan ($9) was sauteed convolvulus, a plant of the morning-glory family that has twining stems and a funnel-shaped tube. It was green, like wilted spinach, but stringier with the slight bitter flavor reminiscent of broccoli rabe. It was unusual, tasty, and suffused with spicy shrimp paste.

The platter of string beans ($9) sautéed with the same shrimp paste was lip-smacking spicy. Noodles, fried rice and three flavors of steamed rice are available. I was particularly fond of the Hainan and coconut rice ($2) wrapped in banana leaves tucked into a tiny basket.

Dessert can be an adventure. Ice Kacang ($4) is native to both Singapore and Malaysia. It is a large dish of crushed ice, evocative of a giant Sno-Cone. Different flavored syrups such as red rose and coconut milk had been drizzled over the ice giving a rainbow appearance to the dish. Then, red beans, corn kernels, plum seeds and jellies were added to the sides of the dish.

I don't know what I was thinking: it didn't sound all that good to me but I ordered it anyway. It was one of the more bizarre desserts I have been served. I am sure the dessert is well-loved in Southeast Asia, but the combination of beans and corn with syrups and jellies was a little over-the-top for my palate. The restaurant graciously removed it from the bill.

The fried ice cream ($8) was more successful. Creamy ice cream was rolled in pound cake crumbs, cut into cubes and refrozen. Then, just before being served, the cubes were deep-fried. The result was a semi-crunchy hot-cold satisfying conclusion.

Orchis offers 10 daily lunch specials ranging from $9 to $16 that include the special soup of the day and steamed rice.

The restaurant offers a variety of beers ($3.50 to $4.25) and a modest selection of wine. The wines run the gamut from South Africa, Australia, Italy and France to California. There is something for everyone. Prices are moderate ranging from $21 to $59. Ten wines are available by the glass, at $5.50 to $6.50.

Orchis' presentation is elegant without being pretentious. Dishes are artistically presented with decorative carved vegetables rimming the plates. The china is stylish and contemporary.

My one complaint is the paper liners over the linen tablecloths. While it makes sense to have paper liners with all the dipping sauces served, the table was never brushed or wiped clean between courses. When the next course arrived, it was piled atop the already soiled and splotched tabletop.

Orchis has not quite the elegance of Tamarine, not quite the chicness of Three Seasons and a more difficult location. Yet, it has many things working for it: an exciting and unusual menu, excellent kitchen execution, lovely ambiance, reasonable prices and friendly service.

INFORMATION: Orchis 151 S. California Ave. (central courtyard), Palo Alto, (650) 329-0311. Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 10 p.m., Monday through Friday. Noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. on Sunday.

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