It can be tough enough for a restaurant to do one type of cuisine right, so getting three types of cuisine right is certainly quite a feat. But such is the case with a tiny under-the-radar spot in Woburn Center called 3 Country Bistro, which, as its name implies, features foods from three different countries. And for those who like Japanese, Korean, and Thai fare (along with other Asian food), the menu at this friendly little place will probably cause what indeed could be seen as a "nice" problem--trying to choose from the many interesting dishes to try at this spot, and which type(s) of fare to focus on.
3 Country Bistro is one of a number of restaurants in Woburn Center, with the downtown area offering options for American, Greek, Thai, Brazilian, Italian, Japanese, Indian, and Vietnamese fare. This spot is one of the smaller eateries in the center (from the outside it almost looks like a takeout place), with a few seats at its sushi bar and a handful of tables within its little dining room, including window seats. The interior is warm and comfortable, with earthy colors throughout, a shiny hardwood floor, art on the walls, relatively dim lighting, green plants here and there, and a low noise level.
The menu at 3 Country Bistro focuses on authentic Asian fare, with a surprising number of choices considering the size of the restaurant. The Japanese part of the menu has an array of sushi options, including excellent versions of spicy tuna, spicy salmon, and salmon roe, along with fluke, BBQ eel, sea urchin, mackerel, and vegetarian maki. (Other Japanese options include a savory miso soup, tempura dishes, chicken teriyaki, and shrimp agemono.) The Korean part of the menu is a bit smaller, with one highlight being the kimchi soup--which starts out moderately hot but has a slow burn as time goes on--along with such familiar dishes as bi bim bab and bulgogi. Finally, the Thai section of the menu has a number of options, with the country pad Thai having more of a saucy consistency--and much more heat--than the basic pad Thai (which is also an option here, as well as a crispy pad Thai), and the curry dishes including a screaming-hot green curry. One final item that needs to be mentioned is actually not Japanese, Korean, or Thai at all; it is the Indonesian fried rice, which has a fried egg placed on top of the rice and veggies and can be chopped up and mixed in, making for an extremely rich and tasty dish. Drinks are relatively limited at 3 Country Bistro, with the wonderfully sweet Thai iced tea (that tastes almost like liquid caramel) being a very good choice.
There are a number of restaurants featured within the Boston's Hidden Restaurants that are virtually unknown (which makes sense, based on the name of the site!), and 3 Country Bistro is certainly one of them. And it just happens to be one of the best Asian dining spots that has been reviewed here, and is definitely one that lovers of Japanese, Korean, and/or Thai food do not want to pass up.
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