Nils R.: Thai Bamboo Opening Thursday

Finally, it's happening. The Spokesman-Review's roving business reporter Nils Rosdahl has the good scoop as usual. He reports on the opening of Coeur d'Alene's new Thai Bamboo in today's Handle Extra section:

The north end of Fourth Street in Coeur d'Alene's Midtown is becoming Asiatown with restaurants in the past few years. A few years ago the Vietnamese Pho Thanh moved into what was originally a Skipper's facility just south of I-90. More recently, Syringa moved its Japanese cuisine into what was the first home of Pilgrim's Natural Foods. And we've long had the Chinese Gardens and Canton restaurants several blocks south.

This coming Thursday food from Thailand debuts in Coeur d'Alene with Thai Bamboo Restaurant in its new, unique building at 2010 N. Fourth St.

Owners Matavee and Tom Burgess are bringing their experience and success with Thai food and business savvy. She was chef and owner of three Thai restaurants in Seattle. Then Tom designed all three of the couple's restaurants in Spokane and the new one here.

The décor is distinctly Thai, both inside and out, of the 4,700-square-foot place that opens onto a patio with four glass garage-style doors. The outdoor décor includes bamboo plants, a water feature, festive lighting and infrared heaters. The temple-style, red roofline frames huge Thai angels and dragons.

Inside, the main dining room is topped with 4,000 fiberoptic, twinkling stars in a sky mirroring the season and time of day. A 52-inch monitor shows a slideshow of Thailand photos and can be linked to a computer for a party up to 150 people. Custom-made tables have Thai carvings and are surrounded with sandstone carvings, bamboo and silk.

Also with a 52-inch monitor and computer connections, the banquet room holds 40 people.

The extensive, health-oriented menu includes fresh fish choices and specialties such as sweet and sour fresh noodles, curry-fried rice, Sea Bass Mango Tango and beer and wine. Thai Bamboo will be open at 11:30 a.m. weekdays and noon weekends. It will employ about 20 people. Phone 667-5300 or check www.thaibamboorestaurant.com.

By the way, that website is simply amazing - check out the flash version. I know from eating at their Spokane locations that these folks don"t mess around when it comes to the very best and I cannot wait to try out the Coeur d'Alene location.