The Cafe - Two Visit review!

First Visit:

Mr. P and I had the chance to try out The Cafe earlier this summer for our anniversary. We'd just moved, hadn't made any reservations, and decided to wander around the neighborhood in search of some good eats and a nice, air-conditioned environment. Not making any reservations was a bad idea, as we completely forgot that Restaurant Week was happening then. We walked up to the hostess who apologetically told us that the only table left was on their cute front porch patio, which, on any cooler day of the year, would have been fine. However, we were starving, so we took what we got (and with sad eyes asked to be seated inside if a table opened up, to which they kindly obliged). As our server poured the wine, we enjoyed live guitar music that evening, accompanied by a sultry Billy Holiday-esque jazz performance.

Situated in a lovely old Victorian home, The Cafe is an unusual mix of styles. The decor is turn-of-the-century romance featuring with gilded mirrors, burgundy and dark green walls, sparkly chandeliers, floral arrangements and antiques throughout. It actually reminds me of a British tea room. The menu, however, is authentic Thai and French. This is not to say that their dishes are necessarily fusion; the chef is Thai but also offers French preparations of his dishes. For instance, you might see something like, "Filet Mignon with choice of Green Curry or Dijon Cream". Odd, but also interesting.

Vegetable split pea soup (a special) seemed like a strange menu item but was surprisingly tasty (although anything with smoked bacon is difficult not to like), and a side green salad was refreshing with a delicious peanut vinaigrette (made with crushed peanuts, not peanut butter). Following this, we had the seafood dumplings in green curry - light, pillowy pureed fish and seafood quenelles lightly fried and cooked in a delicious, spicy green curry sauce of perfect consistency (too many places thicken their sauce into a goopy mess). The pad thai with shrimp, tofu and egg with beansprout salad was also very good. Rice noodles were properly cooked and still had a nice bite, while seasonings were well-balanced with sweet, sour, and spicy. Portion sizes are on the larger side, so we ended up bringing half our entrees home in boxes. Despite the horribly humid weather, we still enjoyed our meals and were moved inside for dessert. Once inside, we chose from a glass case filled with lovely cakes and tortes. A generous slice of yellow cake layered with hazelnut cream and dark chocolate called out to me and I had to give in. Mr. P, who didn't want dessert, ate probably half of my cake. Good thing it was a big slice. I'd say our first visit was quite good.

Second Visit:

We went as a group of four a week ago, on one of the rainiest nights of September. Only one other table sat in our dining room, and jazz music played quietly in the background. For our first courses, we all tried something different. Mr. P had the hot and sour vegetable soup, which was nice, but that was about it - it was nice. A light broth with sliced veggies, the flavors were too subtle and could have used some punching up. Perhaps the non-vegetarian version would be tastier. I had the calamari salad, which was excellent - tangy, spicy and tender rings of steamed/poached calamari with shredded carrot, cabbage, onion and greens. Mango salad was apparently delicious as well, served with a similar spicy, hot and sour dressing. Silver noodles were also a hit. By now, we were all getting quite stuffed, having overdosed on bread and salads. Then our side salads arrived, which were complimentary with our entrees, though a little too similar to my calamari dish (and mango salad and silver noodles). It would be nice if they adorned the first course plates with different salad items.

For our main courses, Mr. P made a good choice by returning to the green curry served with tender beef, giving it a thumbs up. Our other two diners both had a special - stir-fried mahi-mahi with basil sauce, which also received positive reviews, although I didn't taste it myself. One friend said the mango salad was the best part of their meal, so I assume the mahi mahi was fine, but not a stellar dish. I had the crispy duck panang curry, which unfortunately was disappointing. The sauce was fantastic, a sweeter curry with pineapple, eggplant, peppers and onions, but the duck was quite bad. For a menu item that emphasizes 'crispy', it was nowhere to be found on my plate. The disappointing dish may partly have been my fault; I assumed it would be slices of seared duck breast (given the $20 cost) and I asked for it cooked through (damn this pregnancy diet). Perhaps they gave me a less-than-desirable piece given how I ordered. My dish was made with bits of duck leg, the meat badly overcooked with good deal of fat still under the skin, all soft and chewy. No crispy. I enjoyed the rest of the dish and made a mental note not to get duck next time, or at least inquire what part of the duck I'd be served.

Overall, it was an OK visit, and it worked out that if your first course wasn't fantastic, your main course was, and vice versa. If I had been in a more foul mood, I could have let the non-crispy duck factor ruin my meal. However, I do plan to go back and try other items on the menu. The pad thai is probably my favorite, and one of the best versions I've eaten in the Lehigh Valley.

The Cafe
221 W Broad St
Bethlehem, PA 18018-5517

(610) 866-1686‎
Reservations recommended.