My dad, who still doesn't understand why anyone would want to forgo hamburgers, lives by the motto: If it's green, it's trouble; if it's fried, order double. I've been meaning to get his take on items that cross both barriers: like vegetable tempera or the crispy-friend vegetarian spring rolls my husband and I devoured with friends during a trip to Typhoon in downtown Bend.
I've seen vegetarian menus before, but Typhoon is the first establishment to hand me my very own Vegan Menu. I was thrilled at first until I remembered hours later that I'd had my eye on the yellow vegetable curry on the standard menu, a favorite when it comes to Thai, only to be distracted by the laminated vegan insert (which must be requested by the diner).
Sébastien and I decided to share the Lahd Nah ($9.95) and the house salad ($8.95). I asked our waiter if these were good choices: my way of fishing for a food-worshipping waiter to proclaim: "The Death by Asparagus, although green, is to die for." (According to the menu it was voted first place blue ribbon asparagus entrée by the California Asparagus Commission.) Instead our waiter quickly answered in the affirmative, which was in no way reassuring.
I drink tea from time to time, but never at $9 a pot, like the Imperial Green Oolong our friend Chris ordered. I savored the dollar-sized portion he poured me and have to admit I was considering offering up my Stella in exchange.
Whenever Sébastien likes something I consider it a success, and he was well pleased with our meal's wide-cut rice noodles, vegetables, and mushrooms coated in a thick saucy glaze. Our mixed greens, another concoction created to test my father, was dripping in sweet sesame dressing as thick as caramel syrup, topped off by a liberal sprinkling of pan-fried wontons. When the dessert menu arrived I wanted to say, "Are you kidding me? After that salad? Bring me some broccoli instead; and not the kind deep-fried in batter."
