I’ll be honest; I’m an Asian food junkie. I love it and can’t get enough. Whether it is Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Indian, etc., I love it all. So, I was so glad when we decided to stop and try Indochine in Wilmington. While we had never heard much about it, every time we drive by the restaurant, its parking lot is packed with cars. One easy rule that everyone should follow is “go where the locals go”. Forget the tourist traps, if the locals consistently frequent a place, you know it must be good. Indochine is exceptional. 
Since they open at 5pm, we were there a few minutes early, which was good since there already was a small line. We asked to be seated in the garden as it was a nice day in the mid-70s, we might have stayed inside if it were hotter. While the inside of Indochine is very nice, decorated ornately with Asian designs, the garden is the place to be. It is beautiful. Amid the plentiful plants, they built individual covered tables. They are of different sizes, but each is reminiscent of an open-air building, giving you seclusion, privacy, and an intimate dining experience. 
For our appetizer, we ordered the Dumpling Sampler. It is six different dumplings, one each of crab, shrimp, beef, pork, vegetarian, and Wasabi. Each of these was steamed per our request (they can be fried) and were delicious. The thin, soft, house-made dumpling noodle was exceptionally fresh and tightly wrapped around the different fillers. While all of them were good, my favorite was the shrimp. This is a great way to try many dumplings at once, I just wish you were able to get an order of your favorite ones separately, but they seem to only serve them as a sampler. 
Megan ordered the Yum Yum Chicken. This dish is exceptional! It is chicken, lightly fried until crunchy, similar to what you’d get as Sesame Chicken or General Tso’s Chicken at a Chinese restaurant, but then there is so much more. It includes pineapple, mango, bell peppers, onions, cashews, and lychee. Initially, we did not know what lychee was, but it is a wonderfully sweet fruit, similar in texture to an orange, that complements the dish exceptionally. All of this is mixed with a sweet chutney sauce and then topped with sesame seeds. Megan loves it because of the texture combinations. With the crispy chicken, the bursting fruitopia, and the slight tingle of sweet from the sauce, this is an epically great combination. I would recommend this dish to anyone who wants a great dinner, but doesn’t want to wander too far outside of their box. 
I ordered the Vietnamese Wraps and these were easily a meal built for two. With this dish, I received skewers of shrimp, beef, and chicken, surrounded by shredded lettuce, cucumbers, and rice noodles. Then you get a plate of fresh spring roll wraps. You then build your own wraps. Each of the meats was expertly grilled just enough to get a slight char on the outside, while the vegetables were fresh and crunchy. There were three dipping sauces to choose from, each one with a varying level of hotness. Once you get the hang of wrapping with fresh spring rolls, this dish is great. My favorite was combining the beef with rice noodles and cucumbers, with a drizzle of the sweet-chili sauce. The dish was immense in size, but it was so worth being stuffed. 
Our experience at Indochine was great. The servers were very attentive and constantly refilled our drinks, also they were very knowledgeable about the menu. The food was exceptional and the outdoor atmosphere can’t be beat. I now understand why there are always so many cars in the parking lot. When it comes to Asian cuisine, Indochine is the best that it gets. Take it from the locals and get to Indochine, early and fast. Category | Scale 1-5 stars |
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Value for the price | |
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