Foodie Friday: Bodhi Kitchen
REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. – For this edition of Foodie Friday, we’re visiting a spot with many exotic offerings. Bodhi Kitchen in Rehoboth Beach is all about flavor, spice, and freshness. Stepping through the moon gate at this eatery, you’ll be transported on a journey of delicious Asian fusion cuisine.
“We have a really fun atmosphere,” said Co-Executive Chef Rachel Diener. “I think it kind of removes people from the regular Rehoboth vibe of beach town, and sets you like you’re in the city.”
Singapore Black Pepper Crab Sings
You can’t go wrong by trying out the Singapore black pepper crab. It starts with toasted scallions. Then comes fresh Maryland blue crab meat.
“Our sauce is made with some sweet soy, fresh ginger, garlic, toasted black peppercorns, white pepper, and just a little bit of black vinegar to cut through the sweetness of the soy,” Chef Diener said. “And then, we top it with some Thai chili as well, but it has some sliced cucumber on there to kind of mellow out the heat, and some crunchy bean sprouts.”
The balance of freshness and heat in this meal is enough to satisfy any seafood fan.
“I’m getting a lot of sweet but umami flavors in there. Just luxurious,” said Foodie Photog Mike. “I’m going to have a hard time going back to just picking crab now that I know you can get this much flavor out of crab. That’s changed some perspective.”
Tender as Velvet
Next, Co-Executive Chef Beau Fazio gets to work on some Beijing beef.
Preparing this dish involves the crucial step of velveting the meat. “We slice it thin, and then it’s marinated in soy sauce, baking soda, egg whites, and rice flour,” Chef Fazio explained.
After getting nice and tender, and evenly coated in rice flour, the meat is deep fried. Meanwhile, some sliced bell pepper and diced white onion are getting happy in a pan. Once the meat is nice and crispy, it joins the veggies.
The magic is really in the sauce. “It’s an eleven-ingredient sauce that I’ve been playing around with for a little bit,” Chef Fazio hinted.
Foodie Friday host Hannah Cechini was impressed with just how much that velvetting process transformed the beef. “It really does make the meat so much more tender, but at the same time it allows the outside of the meat to get crispy and crunchy,” they said.
“The crunchy but tender with the glossy sauce on there is just a way more interesting way of eating this, and it really brings out the natural sweetness of the onions, too,” Mike agreed.
“Very comforting and warming,”
Last, but certainly not least, is cumin lamb with wide noodles, perfect for carrying all the sauce. “This is going to have some kick, so I hope you guys like heat,” Chef Fazio said with a laugh.
This dish is truly indulgent and left the Foodie team dreaming.
“Tender—almost silky,” Mike said of the lamb. Just a beautiful texture there.”
“This dish, to me, is very comforting and warming,” Hannah added. “I could totally see this being a great dish for a rainy day or a colder day.”
Bodhi Kitchen
Bodhi Kitchen is located at 10 North 1st Street, Rehoboth Beach, Del. You can call them at 302-567-2129. If you go to check it out, tell the team that you saw them on Foodie Friday.
