I celebrated a birthday this week, and I’d anticipated a fairly quiet celebration. There would be no gathering of friends or family, with the exception perhaps of sharing a dinner and cake at home with my daughter, son-in-law and grandsons with whom we’ve shared our “bubble” for the last several months. Here in our county in Southern Oregon we’re in Phase 2 of three in reopening, and even though our case numbers continue to climb, they’ve not done so at a steep or unmanageable rate. Restaurants have been allowed to reopen for on-site dining, so my husband proposed that we enjoy dinner out . . . our first experience at a nice place since sometime in January.

Then we learned that my sisters wanted to drive down from Portland and spend a few days to help me celebrate. I had seen each of them briefly, maintaining a safe distance, when we had traveled to Portland in May, and I was excited to be able to spend some quality time with them. They have both been very careful in following all the recommended guidelines to stay safe over the past five months (and I think were also eager to get away from Phase 1 in their neck of the woods), so we encouraged them to come for a visit.

They arrived the day before my birthday, and we enjoyed a leisurely dinner on a warm evening on our back patio, catching up with each other and swapping stories and memories. The next morning we got up and out for a three-mile walk before the day grew too hot, knowing we wanted to “earn” our dinner and birthday cake that evening.

Harry had made reservations at one of our favorite places, Bambu, a Pan-Asian restaurant with a nice wine list, great food and service and a pleasant ambience (in spite of the fact that it’s in a sort of strip mall). The menu offers both a good selection of small plates that are easily shared along with generous “big plates,” with seafood a prominent ingredient in many dishes and several gluten-free and vegetarian and vegan options. We had hoped to be seated outside but hadn’t reserved our table early enough, and — with safe-distancing protocols in place — the counter overlooking the action in the kitchen (very entertaining) was off-limits. We wore our masks as we followed the hostess to our booth (every other one remained empty, and, of course, all staff wore masks). It took us a while to settle on our choices, with our server patiently checking in every few minutes to answer questions, open the bottle of wine we’d brought (corkage fee was a reasonable $12) and eventually take our order.

We started with two appetizers to share: Char Grilled Prawns, seasoned with mild yellow curry and served with the house’s creamy peanut sauce, and Chicken Curry Wontons, served with a sweet and a sour chili sauce (Bambu’s dipping sauces are carefully crafted, each one a unique combination of flavors). The appetizers range from around 10 to about 15 dollars, and I have yet to try one I didn’t like.

We each ordered a different entrée, and unlike pre-COVID days, did not share bites but admired each other’s from afar. Sister Julie had the Cantonese Steamed Salmon, served over sautéed spinach and accompanied with rice.   Sister Ann couldn’t resist the Shanghai Baby Back Ribs and was not disappointed.   She exclaimed over how meaty and tender the ribs were and loved the barbecue sauce that came with them. I stuck with seafood, choosing the evening’s special of salmon and prawns in a mild seafood broth swimming with fresh asparagus and shiitake mushrooms.     Harry opted for a medium-spicy country curry brimming with an assortment of veggies and served with chicken and a bowl of pickled cucumbers and red onion.  Entrées range from the upper teens to around $30, with generous portions.

We skipped dessert, as we had a wonderful gluten-free carrot cake birthday cake waiting at home,   courtesy of my sisters. The evening ended with a rousing chorus of “Happy Birthday to You”  and the glow of an almost-normal (read that “pre-pandemic”), perfect night out.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor