INDOCHINE (430 Lafayette St. /btwn 4th St.&Astor Pl.)
As Indochine has been a NY staple for years I was sorry that this experience did not live up to my expectations. Indochine is known for its colonial French/Vietnamese feel (ignorant me initially thought it was going to be Indonesian food; "Indochine" apparently refers to the colony of "French Indochina", of which modern Vietnam was once a part - thanks Wikipedia). The service was pleasant. The decor straddles the tastefully kitsch-y and the plain tacky - my opinion is it strayed too much to the latter. However, its major downfall was the sub-par food. All in all, I don't see what the hype is about. Am I being too harsh? Well, lets see ...
Appetizer: Crab cakes. This was, hands down, my favorite part of the meal. The crab meat was fresh, springy and the seasoning was perfectly tangy, spicy and crisp in flavor for the summer. (I went to 'Visage' the next day and tried their crab cakes - pft ... incomparable, Indochine is a whole four levels beyond). Although the sprout salad on the side tasted bitter and blah, but I guess totally necessary for aesthetics. 
Entree: The size of this dish was huge. AND it came with a side of sticky rice. They definitely do not skimp on the portions here. The sea bass itself tasted fine; they loaded on the spices but it tasted like something I could concoct with whatever I have left in my fridge. The sugarcane stick at the bottom was a good creative touch. The kale was well cooked. Good, but not spectacular.
April's filet mignon represented the more Western part of the restaurant's offerings. The dish was yummy but forgettable.
Dessert: Lemon tart. So much tang. Don't get me wrong, I love foods that make me pucker a little but this was just like 'whoa there'. Maybe that appeals to some people, but I feel the majority of us folks would want them to hold off a wee bit on the lemon for something that's supposed to be a 'sweet' dessert.
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