Red Bamboo Brooklyn

Red Bamboo recently opened a branch in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. It's much like the original on W. 4th St, but better in so many ways:

• Not as crowded -- less/no waiting for a table

• Outdoor seating

• More Caribbean-style things on the menu

• Most importantly, they have a full bar! The Manhattan location only has wine and beer.

I went last week, and it was great. It's a bit of a walk from the Subway (the C or G train), but the neighborhood is nice and cute, and sitting outside on a warm spring evening made it worth the walk. Their menu has a lot of the same things as the original menu, but they do seem to have more Caribbean-inspired options. Most things on the menu are vegan, with those that aren't clearly labeled.

I ordered their "signature drink," the Red Bamboozle (yes, I actually ordered something called that). I can't remember what was in it, but it was delicious.

I also had the mango "chicken." It was pieces of fake chicken sauteed with strips of bell pepper and pieces of mango in a sweet mango sauce served in a mango shell (wait, mangoes don't have shells...I guess the proper description would be a hallowed out mango....or an intact mango peel?). It was really good, but it could have used less and/or less-sweet sauce...although that didn't stop me from gobbling it down.

Isn't it cute?