Making ME- Into a Food Critic, Blue Taleh style

What I learned:

1.) Be prepared! I met some fantastic musicians and as I was introducing myself I kept thinking shoot why don't I have business cards made?!

Friday nights are normally dinner and date night for my boyfriend and I, it’s a time for us after a long week of commuting to work and long hours that we can begin to unwind and welcome in the weekend. While I would love to say we pre-plan our date night it is often something that is left to where our appetite takes us and last night was no exception, we were craving Thai and our appetite took us to Blue Taleh.
Blue Taleh is nestled in the city of Lowell, where the downtown cobblestone streets lead you to flavors such as curry, coriander, and ginger. Upon entering Blue Taleh it was clear that we were in for a spectacular surprise. Friday nights in July are Piano Bar night, and Blue Taleh literally transforms from the quaint restaurant which serves Thai, Japanese, and Sushi cuisine to all of that and more, and the more is a musicians haven where sounds of Jazz fill your heart and soul. The Baby Grand piano, the flute, the saxophone, and the sweet sounds of vocalists fill the room and entice you to find your inner musician.

While we listened and at times sang along excitedly to the music my boyfriend and I perused the drink menu until finally deciding on mojitos as our drink of choice. I ordered the Tango Mango mojito, a blend of Malibu rum, lime, mint, and mango puree, while my boyfriend opted for the Blue Taleh mojito, a blend of Blue Curacao, rum, and mint and lime chucks muddled together. For a starter I chose the chicken coconut soup and for my entrée, I ordered the vegetable tempura that is accompanied with two dipping sauces. My boyfriend chose the pineapple fried rice with chicken.

When our drinks arrived I was eager to taste the mango mojito and see if it lived up to my expectations, it did! I must say I am a very harsh critic when it comes to mojitos and my favorite fruit is mango so the bar was already set pretty high. The drink was spectacular, the mint and lime was muddled to perfection and the mango puree was blissful. The chicken coconut soup came out at exactly the right time and once again at first bite I was impressed, while many may snub their noses at the idea of coconut milk and chicken making a spectacular combination for soup it is! It was a mild, creamy soup with mushrooms, scallions, chicken, spices, and coconut milk. Lastly my entrée arrived piping hot which included veggies like sweet potato, broccoli, green beans, and carrots along with two dipping sauces. As I enjoyed my entrée I couldn’t help but sample the pineapple fried rice with chicken, both the tempura and the pineapple fried rice were spectacular. I found myself liking the sweet chili sauce for the tempura out of the two dipping sauces and using the rice as an accompaniment to my almost finished perfect meal.

I was astonished as I looked at my watch and I realized it was almost closing time, had that much time passed from the time we arrived until now? YES, but I suppose time does fly when you’re in the company of a loved one, good food, good drinks, and good music.