Bodhi Kitchen
One of the great antagonists in surf villain film history was ‘The Bodhisattva,’ or ‘Bodhi,’ in 1991’s Point Break, who surfed and bank-robbed his way to crime drama movie infamy. Second Block Hospitality Group’s pan-Asian 2023 special, Bodhi Kitchen may not match the intensity of Patrick Swayze’s ‘Bodhi,’ but from a culinary standpoint, surpasses the thrill, lure, and magnetism of the cult film classic. The restaurant is small but warm, inviting and refreshing, themed like the Asian crossed menu it presents. Bodhi Kitchen has the unpretentious patina of a veteran restaurant, but it’s a relatively new stage. Small plates, dim sum, and noodles & rice dishes round out Korean, Chinese, Singaporean, and Thai themed entrees that span Pacific cuisines almost as effortlessly as its exotic drink menu spans the coasts, striving for east and west cocktail harmony. There are literally no food misses at BK, but the efficient service is sometimes too attentive, with a barrage of small plate dishes served moments after ordering, with near dizzying fast-food restaurant speed; indeed, during our last visit, food started arriving before our drinks were delivered, which were ordered way before the food order was taken. Was Bodhi Kitchen trying to flip our table for the next wave of visitors; not on the August weekend night we last visited, where plenty of tables remained open. Still, Bodhi Kitchen has no Delmarva competitor offering anything close to the type of pan-Asian quality experience that literally, but pleasantly assaults your senses upon entry. The menu teases with dishes like “Bang Bang Shrimp Steam Bun,” “ Crab Rangoon,” “Togarashi Tuna,” and others that provoke mystery in their food combinations, but with a touch of theatrical dining. Diners of non-American cuisine hope to be transported to the faraway through the glamour of food and space, service and taste, and cuisine they cannot duplicate at home. At BK, the idea is to entreat plenty of dishes and share, and order lots of craft cocktails, sipping your way through an adventurous evening. Swayze’s “Bodhi” famously met an inglorious end in Point Break, but took the viewer on a thrill-seeking ride along the way; your gastronomical journey at Bodhi Kitchen may not end with being swallowed by a 100’ wave (delivered by 1990’s style CGI), but the thrill and excitement will be just the same; perhaps even more lasting because unlike Bodhi, you get to take the ride again with a click of the reservation button.