Inside: Tree Country Bistro

One part Japanese, one part Thai and a pinch of Korean equal Tree Country Bistro, the latest Asian eatery on Coventry. Located in the former Que Tal space, the restaurant offers an abundance of tempting dishes that are all reasonably priced.

Food: If you are looking for endless options, this is the restaurant for you. Tree Country features more than 165 items on its menu—from sushi and noodles to rice, curry and everything in between.

Sushi alone consists of 75-plus rolls including sashimi and specialty rolls, like the B-52, snow mountain and alligator. We sampled the fashion maki (BBQ eel, cream cheese, avocado, cucumber and tobiko). This neatly constructed roll, complete with a decorative bird assembled out of a carrot, was simply wonderful.

Under Thai specialties, expect to find the usual suspects: a variety of curries, pad Thai and an impressive selection of fried rice (pineapple, basil and mango to name a few). An order of the country pad Thai, a spicier version of its traditional counterpart, was surprisingly quite good. This dish easily holds its own compared to neighboring versions within a stone’s throw. In fact, Tree Country’s version packs more heat than a similar dish found a block over.  

To round out the order, we tried the popular Korean dish Okdol Bi Bim Bab, with assorted vegetables and beef (or chicken) over rice topped with a sunnyside-up egg served in a sizzling hot stone pot.

This piping hot dish, which remains sizzling long past the last bite, was easily the standout favorite of the meal. The meat was plentiful and wonderfully seasoned, and when mixed with the egg yolk, rice and veggies, creates a wonderful texture and delicious layers of flavor. To kick this dish up a notch, try mixing in the spicy-sweet chili-bean paste that’s served alongside the pot. The only suggestion we might offer the chef would be to cut back on the rice and increase the vegetables. Other than that, this is a must-try dish.

If you can manage a few more bites, dessert options include tropical fruit on ice, fried bananas, Thai custard, fried ice cream and Thai custard with sweet sticky rice. We tried a few bites of the fried banana, which is wrapped like a spring roll with chocolate sauce and honey drizzled on top. It’s a good dessert, but not worth holding off on the main attractions.

Libations: Options include a handful of Asian beers and sake, plus Thai iced tea, coconut juice and 14 varieties of fruit shakes.

Décor: The somewhat small space is clean and contemporary with warm tones and a few Asian influences scattered throughout. Plastic green bamboo, which the restaurant can do without, separates diners from passers-by on Coventry.

Service: Friendly, knowledgeable and quick with orders.

Crowd: There are a lot of twenty-somethings mixed in with area residents, mostly pulling from within Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights.

Bottom Line: While there is definitely no shortage of Asian dining options on and around Coventry, Tree Country Bistro should be atop your list of local favorites.