Dr. Gourmet's Food Reviews

Organic Bistro Asian Style Coconut Lemongrass with Chicken

We've had good luck with Organic Bistro brand frozen meals. Every one that has been put to the test fared well and has received a thumbs up. That's rare for us. We've found time and again that you can't always rely on a brand every single time and that even those that we have raved about for one selection, the next might not be so great. When I saw two that we hadn't tried I jumped at the chance to break their streak.

First up was the Thai Style Yellow Curry with Chicken. Out of the microwave this smelled good with that nice, sweet curry flavor that you get walking through the door at a Thai restaurant. The flavor is good, if a little predictable. This is a mild yellow curry in creamy coconut sauce and is mixed with good quality frozen matchstick carrots, edamame, green beans and red peppers. There's brown rice and quinoa for good texture. The chicken is not all that tasty with a dry, crumbly texture. This meal would have been much better with finely diced tofu (but it probably wouldn't sell).

We'll give this one a thumbs up, but barely. The chicken and the 640 mg of sodium per serving put this at the bottom of the Organic Bistro list, so if there are other selections, purchase them. It does contain only 280 calories but the 4 grams of fiber is a little low.

The Asian Style Coconut Lemongrass with Chicken fared better. It has a bright, flowery lemongrass aroma right off and the sauce is darn good for a frozen meal. Most people are timid with lemongrass, but the spicy flavor comes right through in this dish. The coconut sauce is flavorful and there is a nice hint of anise. The veggies are cooked well and the chicken texture is much better than with the Yellow Curry. Maybe they're just having some production issues, but chicken is key to getting a frozen meal right. Veggies are easy, rice is simple but the chicken requires care.

The numbers are nearly perfect. This comes in a 260 calories, 3 grams fat, 500 mg sodium and 5 grams of fiber. A very good showing.

Well, these folks have thrown down the gauntlet. We're now in search of every one of their products. While the Yellow Curry squeaked by, they are still 7 for 7. Stay tuned....