Birthday at Boda
Birthdays come once a year and dates with my husband are nearly as rare, which is why scouring restaurant reviews and choosing wisely become essential.  (Not to mention my habit of getting unforgivably grumpy after a disappointing restaurant meal).  So, after some research, I selected Boda, a trendy “very Thai” restaurant at 671 Congress Street in Portland.  Word on the street was that Boda was worth trying and their website touts it as authentic Thai…the stuff you get on the streets of Thailand, people! ( Wait a minute, what have I been getting?)
We took the date-night challenge of going out to eat at 7pm on a Saturday night with no reservation (they don’t take them anyway).  Thankfully, Boda has ample parking in an adjacent lot.  The hostess graciously ushered us to the bar where she said that the wait would be about 15 minutes.   Sitting at the bar had clear advantages – we got to scope out what everyone else was getting plus we got extra time to research the menu.  More importantly, we had time to try local beers on tap.  We got a Peak Organic Winter Session Ale and an Allagash Tripel – both fantastic.  
Boda consists of two medium-sized dining rooms plus a glass-front kitchen and feels rustic-y, hip and comfortable – salvaged wood tables, modern glass pendant lighting and small white candles.  The bar has about ten seats and only two were taken.  The crowd was pretty lively and young and while the menu may well be authentic, the wait staff looks, um, not Thai.  
Boda’s menu is on a hinged wooden tablet and the offerings are different from what you might expect at a Thai restaurant.  For one, it is not the typical book of options you receive – you know -  the one that is sealed in thick plastic with the metal corners and as volume of choices clicks down on the glass-topped table you mindlessly thumb through and say, “Pad Thai, please.” Instead, I read all the words on Boda’s menu…Sriracha sauce, lime leaves, Thai Basil and pickled ginger.  The menu lists vegetarian options, and gluten-free choices are available plus two choices which feature Wolfe’s Neck Organic Beef.  
Fewer than ten minutes passed at the bar and our romantic table by the window was ready.  I had committed to memory the names of the entrees that were placed in our vicinity and based on that, had made my choices (and my husband’s, for that matter).  We started off with the steamed assorted vegetables with a roasted eggplant relish ($6).  The steamed bok choy, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower and squash were nestled in a small steaming basket on a white oblong plate with the small white dish of relish sprinkled with scallions.  The vegetables were perfectly warm and fresh and the eggplant relish had ample spice and flavor to make my husband forget that he was eating steamed cabbage.
For an entrée I chose the Beef Panaeng ($15) - Wolfe’s Neck Beef in a sweet and salty curry with Thai Basil, lime leaves and peanuts. The red sauce was drizzled with coconut cream and served with a side of jasmine rice.  The arrangement on the plate was artistic and very appetizing and the scent of the curry sealed the deal.  The braised beef was tender and the sauce rich.  
My husband ordered Pad Thai’s trendier cousin, the Woon-Sen Pat Thai with chicken ($12).  Woon Sen initially looked unfamiliar because it was wrapped in a thin Thai omelet.  After the remotely creepy incision was made into the omelet (and I made the requisite inappropriate comments), the stir-fried glass noodles flowed out along with the shallots, tofu, daikon, bean sprouts and Chinese chive.   (Prior to eating there was a brief interlude where I explained to my husband that “daikon” is not a rapper.)  My favorite was the side of lime, chili flakes and ground peanuts.  The portion size and temperature were just right and you have to hand it to the chef for presentation – seriously, wrapping glass noodles in a thin omelet takes some skill.  
Due to the richness of the curry in my dish (and my repeated attacks of my husband’s plate), I was too full to have dessert and I gathered that was kind of the point because Boda had only one nightly dessert option.  So, we got excellent French press coffee and the waiter kindly boxed up the rest of my entree.  It’s worth noting that Boda does not do take-out.  But I fooled them – my leftovers were my take out lunch the next day – and I was looking forward to it all morning.  
The hardest part about going back to Boda will be trying something new, because our choices exceeded expectations.  Next on the agenda - visiting Thailand!
Boda is open Tuesday thru Sunday from 5 pm to 1 am.  A late-night menu kicks in after 9:30pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday and 10 pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  Free parking is available next door.  No take out or reservations.  Check out their website for specials:  http://bodamaine.com/

BODA

671 Congress Street

Portland, Maine

Phone: 207-347-7557

Fax: 207-879-4089

 

Download Boda's Menu Here