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An elegant lunch at Evergarden
by Eric Jackson
There are plenty of Chinese restaurants in Panama, which should
surprise nobody since Chinese, like Americans, have been living
here for more than 150 years and are an inseparable part of the
isthmian social and cultural fabric. Given that kind of seniority,
it should also be no surprise that there's a Chinese-Panamanian
cuisine, with such creations as leon pan mein and a preference
for ginger among its defining characteristics. Nor should anybody
be shocked if businesspeople from China, Taiwan or elsewhere in
East Asia might prefer something more familiar to them over Chinese-Panamanian
fare.
That was precisely the case with managers from Evergreeen, the
Taiwan-based world's biggest shipping company. Therein is found
the origin of the Evergarden, which is located on the fourth floor
of the Evergreen building, directly behind ATLAPA.
The décor is sumptuous, the view of the bay is nice (if partly
obstructed by the convention center) and the service is first
class. The Evergarden is the sort of place where you might want
to talk business over lunch in impressively elegant surroundings.
But of course, the main thing about a restaurant is the food,
and that's also elegant.
A colleague and I could have done the lunch buffet, or could have
asked for one of the intriguing combination meals for two or more
(at $18 per person), but instead we ordered a la carte. I ordered
one of the simpler and less expensive entrees, the seafood chow
mein.
I'm not sure what the translucent slice was, but I do believe
that it was sea cucumber, which was in any case delicious. Also
atop the noodles and vegetables were slices of abalone, langostinos,
calamaris and scallops. The squid and veggies were sculpted just
so, the noodles were properly fried to just the right texture,
and the gravy enhanced rather than overpowered the rest of the
dish.
This was Cantonese fare, in its Taiwanese lineage rather than
the Panamanian derivative. It's easy enough to understand the
Evergreen execs' longing. The Evergarden is an important addition
for Panama's culinary sinophiles.
The chow mein, one of the cheaper items on the menu, cost $12.
If you want to spend $50 or $60 on an entrée, it can be done at
the Evergarden. The somewhat higher prices than in most other
Chinese restaurants will keep some diners away, but if you like
Cantonese fare at its best, the cost shouldn’t keep you away.
You should splurge at the Evergarden at least once.
