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Friday, September 18, 2009

Marco Polo 2009

Posted by KandN
~KandN

Yay for the return of date night!
Maybe it was due to our late arrival (around 7:30) that made the window seat at Marco Polo possible.  Whatever the reason, I was one happy diner.  I love sitting by their big picture windows and looking out over the concrete water fall at Pringle Creek Park. The interior of Marco Polo is pleasing to the eyes, as well.  They've created a slightly fancy, yet warm and inviting atmosphere with a nice balance of decorating details when they remodeled and then moved to this building a year ago.

N and I scanned the Chinese menu to see what entrees appealed to us at this particular hour of the evening.  We narrowed it down to 3 items:  barbecued pork, Almond Chicken with Shrimp and (for something sweet and spicy) Peking Pork.  Our waitress returned in just minutes with our barbecued pork, appealingly plated and sprinkled with sesame seeds.  N and I messed around with my older, little Canon, trying to capture a red, leafed, vine maple with raindrops hanging along the edges of the leaves with no luck.  So our dinner was brought out just as we had begun to eat our barbecued pork appetizer.
Along with our entrees, our waitress thoughtfully brought out a little heat tray, in case our Peking Pork wasn't hot enough for us.  The two dishes were beautiful;  fresh chopped vegetables, tender chicken and shrimp, pork lightly breaded with a slight crunch as I bit into it and glistening, aromatic sauces.  Sweet sauces aren't usually my first choice, but it's obvious that Marco Polo makes theirs from scratch.  Which in my book, makes all the difference in the world.  Oh and did I mention how much I love their brown rice?  They do offer a choice, but I highly recommend giving the brown rice a try.
N and I ate, talked, enjoyed the atmosphere and then shared a smile after reading the fortunes from our cookies.  If you don't have a date night tradition, you should give it a try.  It's good for the belly AND the heart.  :>)

300 Liberty St. SE Salem,
OR 97301
(503) 364-4833
at 7:14 AM
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11 comments:

  1. That food looks really good. glad to see date night continue. Is this newer location busier then the old one? How was parking?

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  2. Our dinner was delicious! Reminded me of how long it's been since we've had our Marco Polo favorites (we passed them by this time); curry beef, ginger rice, Kung Pao chicken, etc.
    There were only 5 other tables filled (plus a group in the banquet or bar area) when we were there, but it WAS 7:30+ PM on a Wednesday. Probably why we found a parking spot right in front of the entrance. :>)
    Yes, it's good to be back in that groove.

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  3. I've been wondering how the new location was. It looks much more upscale inside when I get carry-out. Did you get that feel?

    Btw, nice new pic, who took it? ;-)

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  4. Yes, it does feel more upscale. Their old location had a more casual feel.
    Oops! BTW thank you for taking our picture!

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  5. We had a birthday lunch at Marco Polo yesterday for our chorus director. 20 of us each ordering different things, and the service was fantastic. One lady with a bad allergy to all things cruciferous (cabbage, kale, bok choy, etc.) was able to order off the kids menu, and I was able to order cashew chicken off the senior menu. I still had plenty left to take home to Norm.

    Very refreshing and different presentation of cashew chicken from what I've seen at other restaurants in town. Light and fresh, but very tasty.

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  6. We've only been once and we loved the view, but we weren't impressed with the food. I believe I had kung pao chicken, which was good - but, I've better from many other restaurants so either we ordered a few bad things or I don't know what all the fuss is about. My dh ordered general tso's chicken and we agree that it's the weirdest general tso's chicken we've ever had. It looked like deep fried prepackaged chicken strips that were very soggy and had no flavor that were covered with sauce. Dh wasn't impressed and refuses to go back.

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  7. Anonymous, In the times we've dined at MP we've had the range of "wow!" to "that was okay" entrees. But more often than not, we leave happy. The same is true about the service.
    As a general rule, we try to stay away from all dishes with deep fried meat, but that's what we do anywhere (unless it's fish and chips, of course). I can still remember one night when we ordered beef curry and it was amazing. The next time . . . it was okay. Is that a sign of having more than one cook in the kitchen, perhaps?

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  8. They have an amazing lunch special here that is cheap, delicious and filling. This is one of my favorite restaurants in Salem and it is always busy. The only problem is the servers seem to rush those eating. They check back to see how the food is about every five minutes. This gets to be a little overbearing. But I gladly put up with it because the food is so good.

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  9. We've been going to the new location since it opened and it's our absolutely favorite place to eat. My husband orders off the European menu, my boys order from the Chinese menu, and I always order vegetarian food. There's something for all of us and we've NEVER had a disappointing experience, or meal, ever.

    Great ambience, but not stuffy at all; casual dress; full bar; friendly staff; adequate parking...it's ALL good!

    Oh, and btw, it's HEALTHY food, prepared with fresh ingredients by a chef who really knows what he's doing!

    Yay Marco Polo!!

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  10. I hadn't been to the new location until last night. A group of 7 of us went at about 6:30. Fantastic experience! The new location is much more upscale -- very large, and I was already thinking about planning larger events there for work.

    We all enjoyed our entrees, plus several appetizers. Service was excellent and friendly. I'm so happy to find another great place in Salem.

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  11. I arrived about 1 PM today and had no problem getting one of the coveted window seats. Very pleasant. I ordered a Samosa appetizer and their Curry Chicken Lunch. My wife and I had tried the Samosas during our last visit and liked them very much. Today’s were just as good. They were served with a sweet sauce and one that looked fiery but was not and had a roasted nut-like flavor. The Curry (yellow) Chicken lacked flavor and was bland to my taste. The steamed brown Rice was uniquely delicious. I remember thinking, on my last visit, that my entrée could have benefited from a spice infusion. My attractive young server did a first rate job with the exception of forgetting my tea request entirely. I mentioned it when my check was presented. She offered to bring it then, but I was ready to leave. It was a good lunch but lacked zip. All the same, I’ll be back.

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What do you think? Please keep your comments civil. Personal attacks are not welcome and do not lead to constructive or even interesting discussion. If you believe a restaurant is in violation of county ordinances please bring that matter to the county health department at (503) 588-5346

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