Sometimes it depends on the dish you choose from a restaurant menu that makes or breaks the meal, and that was my recent experience at Boda, still one of the most popular Asian restaurants in the Longfellow Square dining loop.

Boda’s bar captures a lively crowd from 20-somethings on up

Getting in to this dining darling is not always easy as lines form out the door every night of the week.  When I arrived on Tuesday night there were plenty of parking spaces in the adjoining Joe’s parking area reserved for the restaurant.  But that belied the activity within. The place was packed.  (Ponder this: what happens  when the parking lot behind Joe’s is rehabbed into a high-rise rental and parking is lost?)

Restaurants that don’t take reservations do offer other options in landing a table. I recently discovered an app called NoWait.  It puts you on a list and you can see how many people are in front of you waiting for a table.  When your turn comes you are either texted or called by the restaurant.

Boda doesn’t use that service (a few restaurants in Portland do) but you can leave your cell number with the host/hostess and you’ll be notified to come on over.

I did that and went across the street to LFK for a drink.  No sooner had my Negroni on the rocks arrived that I was called by the restaurant.  I gulped it down (Maine does not allow roadies) and went back.

Boda’s excellent Negroni–a very generous pour

One of the blackboard specials sounded terrific: Khao Mok Gai Thai Chicken and Yellow Curry Rice, a whole chicken leg with yellow fragrant rice, fried shallots, sweet and sour sauce, cucumber soup and cilantro.

The dish was, however, disappointing.  The leg was not tender fall-off-the-bone; I’m not sure how it was prepared, but I imagine it went through some method of braising, which would render the meat soft and juicy.  I put all my might into knife and fork to separate the meat from the bone, and even then, the meat was chewy.  Nor did the accompanying flavors offer interest. It was served with a cucumber soup—an insipid broth not much more interesting than dishwater.

The special chicken with a side of cucumber soup served alongside and curried rice–a peculiar dish; clams are in the background

The two dishes I had prior to the main course were classic Boda.  The Ma-Hor is one of my favorite small bites on the menu.  Ground, sweetened pork, shrimp, onion and peanuts are spread over chunks of pineapple and served on soup spoons.

Ma-Hor

Another starter of pan sautéed clams were served in a sweet chili sauce, which was wonderful.  The only problem was there was no bowl in which to put the empty clam shells, and getting to that delicious sauce underneath was tricky.

The bowl of clams additionally held a delicious sweet chili sauce–hard to get to without removing the shells; but lapped up with a spoon it was delicious

I don’t usually have dessert at Boda,  but this time I went for the Thai sundae.  The ice cream was very creamy with flecks of mango, moistened with bits of chocolate sauce,  of which there should have been more.

Thai sundae

Sometimes the specials are spot on, other times not.  Favorite dishes on the regular menu include Kanom Krok Quail Eggs, Spicy Thai Wings, Crispy Quail, various pad Thai, Beef Panaeng and Yaowarat Duck.  Go for these and you can’t go wrong.

Boda, 671 Congress St., Portland, ME  207-347-7557 www.bodamaine.com

Rating: this time 3 stars; other times easily 4 to 5 stars

Ambiance: fun and lively, especially the bar

Tables: spacious

Bar: Great, big drinks (no measured pours)

Service: Attentive if they’re not rushed

$$$: Moderate