Sampling an international mix

It was a perfect place to meet because it’s so easy to find — right off Route 128/95 at Exit 15, adjacent to the Holiday Inn and about one Tom Brady bomb from Legacy Place on the other side of the highway.

The decor is modern and clean, with a palette of beige and brown. The restaurant seats about 120, but the close placement of the tables would make it less than ideal for a romantic meal. Nice for families or groups of friends, though.

A charming touch was the teapot holding the green tea. It looked like it was made of ancient black iron and made it seem that we had an antique on our table.

Oh, yes — and then there was the really good food. We ordered a full complement of appetizers and entrées, sampling from both Japanese and Chinese cuisine.

One of us picked miso soup ($2.50 for small) as an appetizer. We had an extended discussion of what the heck exactly miso is, but in the end the verdict was in: great soup.

We ordered two appetizers, both of which we enjoyed. The shao-mai (six for $5.50) are steamed egg flower dumplings stuffed with ground pork, shrimp, and vegetables. And all of us — even those who aren’t fans of sushi — enjoyed the eel maki with avocado ($7.25).

Half a Beijing duck ($22 for a half duck) was our most expensive entrée. It was served with great flair. Our waiter, Ken Cheng, sliced up individual portions and served them in pancakes, with slivered cucumbers, to each of us. It was good but not our favorite.

Mermaid shrimp ($15) was “crispy shrimp with sesame seeds, finely ground roasted peanuts, spices and a hint of sweet and sour,” according to the menu. Everyone thought it was fantastic and maybe the best entrée we had.

We also enjoyed the basil treasure mild ($13.50), a combination of chicken, shrimp and scallops with garlic, ginger and pea pods in a brown sauce.

We also got the Hunan spicy salmon ($16), but ordered less spicy. It was a well-prepared and generous portion, which we loved.

As usual there were fortune cookies, which normally I pass on — but these were chocolate!

The desserts were heavy on the Italian side. We tried the limoncello liqueur ($4.25) and the fried ice cream ($3.75). The desserts were excellent.

Kitty Huang, who has managed the restaurant for five years, noted Bamboo Dedham has a sushi bar as well as a regular bar. Bamboo also has daily lunch buffet (weekdays 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.), and a Sunday night buffet (5 to 8 p.m.).

There are two other Bamboos, in Westford and Bedford. The restaurant also does catering and hosts special events.

Matt and Elaine Carroll