PROVO — As snow began to fall on the crowd lined up for half a block at the former Bamboo Hut near Provo High School, I asked myself why I was I shivering with a group of other would-be diners also too silly to get out of the cold.
It was because of the keiki hut special: a sampling of four favorites at the shack that specialized in Hawaiian cuisine. I also had a craving for the seafood wontons. The servings were generous; every time I went, I wondered if I were carbo-loading to become a Sumo wrestler.
It closed and relocated briefly in more remote locations.
Happily for those of us who like island fare, the Bamboo Hut is back in a new building with many of the specialties that made it such a hit in the past.
Liberal piles of rice or oyster noodles fill the plate before one even orders from among the specialties. The bamboo ribs were as meaty and tender as I remembered them and were swimming in rib sauce. The pork and cabbage was slow roasted and flavorful — just don't make my mistake of smothering its flavor with one of the hut sauces. In fact, many of the dishes lose their individuality when lathered in liquid. Also flavorful were moist strips of top sirloin marinated in a distinctive teriyaki sauce.
Ono chicken is one of the Hut favorites. Chunks of chicken are fried and dipped in a honey sesame sauce. I, however, found it a bit tough and flavorless the day I tried it. For me it was a big "Oh, no." The Katsu chicken is fine if you like chicken strips, but I recommend forgoing them for some Hut choices not as reminiscent of fried strips served elsewhere. Ditto for the beef and broccoli. I wanted to enjoy the teriyaki chicken, but the center was pink — and underdone poultry undoes me.
The seafood wontons — as tasty as I remembered — were stuffed with a crab and cream cheese filling with a sweet and sour aloha sauce. A new treat is the teriyaki beef wonton, which is filled teriyaki- and ginger-marinated beef.
A new addition is a series of tropical island salads that feature fresh greens, fruits, onions, cheeses. Some of them are topped with teriyaki chicken, steak or pork. Also new are desserts, including guava cream cake, a refrigerated dessert with a white cake base, gelatinous guava filling and topping . . . delicious.
It's apparent that I like the fare as I've visited the Bamboo Hut several times since its reopening. The food is as satisfying as ever. I just miss the keiki hut special. I'd like to be able to have a bite or two of nearly everything.
BAMBOO HUT
Rating: ***
Where: 2306 N. University Parkway, Provo
Cost: Entrees: $5.99-$9.99, salads: $6.99
Charlene Winters is a freelance writer, former food editor and food judge who — when she's not in the kitchen — works as the director of communications and marketing for BYU alumni. Contact her at: charlene_winters@byu.edu.