Double vision

Clever combinations and exceeded expectations at Bao Asian Fusion

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Unsurprisingly, the Asian fusion restaurant was all about combinations. But not in the way one might expect.

Indeed, expectations for Bao Asian Fusion in Louisville were sort of blurry. The building is a big beige block on a busy intersection, flanked by a closed-down Chili’s and an Outback Steakhouse, that you have to drive through a McDonald’s parking lot to get to.

Plus “Asian fusion,” is one of those darn trends that for those who dove in and continue to innovate are producing great cuisine and inspired combinations. For those who rode the trend, they probably ended up like that Chili’s across the street.

But so the expectation was for Bao to fuse some continental Asian elements with some other storied cuisine. Or, for Bao to make fusion dishes using, say, Thai ingredients and Japanese methods. Neither was the case. “Asian fusion,” for Bao, basically means a pan-Asian smattering of individual Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese dishes, alongside sushi.

Everything considered, expectations were low. But Bao delivered again and again.

It began with the hot and sour soup. It’s usually do-able to pick out the main components of a dish but the only thing I was sure of were the Chinese mushrooms and the tofu. And black pepper for certain. I’m no expert, but it was easily the best take on the soup I’ve had in a long time — rich umami flavor, thick broth, salty and well-textured, it enlivened the taste buds and the stomach. Oh, and it comes free at Bao.

Next were Thai spring rolls, notable for their crispness, dryness and heat. The goopy plum sauce that accompanied was fine and the burnt end bits of the roll were the two best bites.

Now let’s talk sushi by way of interior design. The restaurant really does have the “big, open, casual,” feel of its neighbors but the interior funnels down into a beautiful and smartly designed sushi bar. It’s got modern fixtures and lighting and ESPN on one end. But the sushi chef is on chief display, and it is endearing and makes you root for Bao more than whatever’s on the TV.

The sushi itself was mostly successful. The specialty rolls were well combined and inventive. The nigiri and sashimi were fresh and tasty, particularly the red snapper and the yellowtail, the latter of which was buttery and perfectly cut. The California roll was crisp, cold and delicious. The specialty spicy tuna, orange roe, mango and avocado roll was sweet and fresh but lacked a little punch — to be fair, it was one of the tamer options on the list. The only miss was the octopus nigiri, which was pretty tough. Octopus meat always comes tough and needs to be manipulated very particularly, and even then it’s not guaranteed to be tender.

On a whim, we ordered the Mongolian beef in an effort to see what the entrée looked like at Bao. And it was great. There was the pleasant combination of sautéed shallots and chopped green onion tubes, sopping in some combination of soy and hoisin sauce. It served as the perfect bed for incredibly tender flank steak. It was a much lighter version of the dish than you might get elsewhere, and it was presented beautifully with the purple shallot, green tubes and brown beef piled neatly in a sphere next to a bright salmon-colored radish slice fashioned into a flower.

A final pleasant pairing came with the udon noodle plate. Triangles of seared tofu were right on the safe side of crispy, not chewy, but the presence again of green onion and shallot, as well as the combination of broccoli and cauliflower not only tasted great, but provided good texture, color and sight.

Bao brought a pineapple chunk, again complimentary, to end the meal. Combined with a really inexpensive bill, the expectation is to come back again.

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