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Augusta’s Grand Dame Kicks Up Her HeelsThe Partridge Inn Struts Her Stuff As She Introduces BambuBy Murray D. Laurie
Discriminating diners will find Bambu sophisticated, sexy, secluded, and surprising. The entrance is on Hickman Avenue, around the corner from the main entrance to The Partridge Inn on historic Walton Way. When the hotel underwent a multi-million dollar renovation in 2000, Chef Chin, the world’s youngest French chef, was part of the team that blended respect for the traditions and tastes that earned The Partridge Inn its listing as one of the prestigious Historic Hotels of America with a knowing eye for what he calls “the Wow! factor.” Chef Chin’s menus for Bambu feature Asian fusion cuisine impeccably prepared and presented. Raised in Paris, young Philippe stood beside his father each weekend while he prepared intricate Chinese dishes for the family, absorbing a sense of the seasonings, combinations, and possibilities of traditional Asian cuisine. His training at the famed L‘Ecole Hosteliere de Paris, however, was in the traditional French method. Chin brought his ideas of blending the two culinary traditions to the United States and launched a successful career, opening his first highly rated restaurant in 1992 in Philadelphia. The Partridge Inn management lured him south to accept a new challenge, and Bambu opened in April 2002, in time for the Masters golf tournament. In contrast with the Partridge Inn’s other restaurant, the PI Bar and Grill, which offers clubby and comfortable southern-style dining, Bambu on Hickman dazzles with an exotic atmosphere. Prepare to enter another dimension, one animated by quirky design touches, natural elements, playful colors, and intriguing ingredients. Is that rain inside the room? Is the sun setting in a violet or a blue glow behind that mountain range in the corner? Are those black-clad servers carrying precious gifts to waiting diners or are they setting the stage for a Kabuki play? Have I ever heard celestial music like that in a restaurant? And may I please have the hosomki sushi composed of maguro?
Augusta itself is worth an extended visit as it is richly blessed with historic sites, natural beauty, and an active year round sporting and cultural calendar. But add The Partridge Inn and Bambu to the mix and you have the ultimate destination enhancement, one with lots of “Wow!”. For Chef Chin’s menus and other information about Bambu and The Partridge Inn, go to http://www.partridgeinn.com Call 1-800-476-6888 for reservations. For information on Augusta, go to http://augustaga.org. |
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After holding court
for over a century at the crest of a hill overlooking Augusta, Georgia,
you’d think the gracious and charmingly southern Partridge Inn would be a
wee bit impatient with fiddling with the ever-changing tastes and demands of
picky tourists and travelers. But you would be dead wrong. In fact,
she’s just undergone a tantalizing transformation and added a new sparkle to
her enviable reputation with the introduction of Bambu on Hickman, the
signature restaurant creation of French Master chef Philippe Chin. 
The
rain? A subtle waterfall curtain divides two sets of banquets in the center
of Bambu. To one side, the silhouette of a mountain range, cut from sheet
steel, seems to fade into the distance as sunset hues shimmer and change
throughout the evening. A humble pilgrim, I place my trust in my attentive
guide, stylishly garbed in chic black, as he explains the fine points of the
menu and wine list, the selections from
Bambu’s sushi bar
and the kitchen tucked somewhere behind the mountain. If I don’t like his
suggestion, he promises to finish it off himself. Not a chance! I love the
maguro (tuna) arranged like a six-petal flower. I know from talking to the
Chef that I will be in for an adventure. Yes, the shrimp and vegetable
tempura with spicy kim chi wakes up my palate with a smile. But should I
have ordered the crab martini instead, a mélange of chopped, chilled
vegetables tossed with crabmeat, seasoned with Dijon-lime sauce and served
in a big martini glass? And this is just the first course! I will torment
my readers the other agonizing decisions I had to make: Seared Filet Mignon
with Washbi Mashed Potato or Pacific Rim Saint Peter Fish Fillet? Chimney
Rock Reserve Cabernet 98’ or Louis Jadot Chassagne Montrachat 97’?
Chocolate Mousse Tuxedo or Bambu Trio of Crème Brule with Fresh Fruit? 
With a daunting,
tempting wine list and a menu that changes every day depending on what’s
available in the market, frequent visits to Bambu are the best solution to
this dilemma. “I combine the very freshest ingredients and prepare them in a
way that best brings out the flavors,” says Executive Chef Chin. “We are
always preparing new dishes that keep us fresh and give our customers our
best every night.”