Exotic Dining on an Enchanted Island

Exotic Dining on an Enchanted Island
 by Cuiyin Zhang

Lynnfield is a traditional New England residential community located in the western part of Essex County, 15 miles north of Boston in Northeastern Massachusetts. Its location on the North Shore, with direct access to major highways, makes it easy for residents to commute within Metro Boston, and also access nearby mountains and beaches.

Situated on 93 Moulton Dr. in Lynnfield, Bali Hai Restaurant is an East Polynesian style dining establishment. The 20,000 square foot dining area and spacious parking lot available attest to the restaurant’s high volume of customers. Customers who dine here also love the magnificent views of beautiful Suntaug Lake.

After getting off Route 1 and winding your way through a number of residential streets, you will be greeted by an A-frame building that slightly resembles a tiki hut. Customers are impressed by its details, including the wrought-iron railings engraved with the words BALI HAI on either side of the door. Stepping in the restaurant, you will find that the lobby has tribal drums suspended from the ceiling. The rest of the decor is an exquisite amalgamation of bright South Pacific artwork and bold East Asian elements.

Winning with Creativity
Combining an incredible tropical décor with an inventive and creative menu is a sure way to attract and keep customers, especially when combined with reasonable and consistent prices. This winning formula has made Bali Hai Restaurant into the crown jewel of Lynnfield’s culinary scene.

Bali Hai Restaurant offers a rare selection of tastes and spices from around Asia. Asian fusion and Polynesian cuisine are the house specialties. At first glance, you’ll find a number of interesting delicacies which you won’t find in other Asian establishments. The owner, James Yee, summarizes his restaurant’s offerings as being unique and creative.

Hawaii style fruit-based dishes are common, such as those that are made up of lychee and pineapple. “In preparing tropical cuisine, the fruits are used not just for garnishment but are instead the main ingredients,” James points out. Another type of item on the menu is the seafood items. Again, it’s only seventeen miles to Boston from Lynnfield, so lobster dishes are featured prominently on Bali Hai’s menu. Dishes made with vegetables, an important part of Asian cuisine are also present on the menu. Besides assorted vegetables, tofu is also available. The restaurant also serves many unusual greens that are not commonly found in many other Chinese restaurants such as mustard leaf.

All-time favorites such as Bali Hai Gai Poo Lo Mein, General Gau’s, and Sweet & Sour Chicken, have been added to the menu to assuage the taste buds of customers who are fond of popular Chinese food. Polynesian items include Treasure Island (lobster meat, shrimp, chicken, sautéed beef, roast pork covered w. golden brown crispy wonton), Beef Hawaii (a tropical flavored combination of beef, pineapple, water-chestnut, black mushroom and pea pods), Chicken Kailuala (well-selected chicken breast and sliced Virginia ham in a special batter, topped with shredded garden vegetables and mingled with Bali Hai’s Polynesian sauce), and Polynesian Duckling (delicious juicy breast of duck and tropic lychees simmered in a pungent Polynesian sauce).

James is very picky about the oil his restaurant uses. “We have been using top quality canola oil all these years,” he says. Bali Hai was doing their part to prepare healthy dishes to customers even before healthy dining became popular, and they have continued to do so by not offering dishes high in fat, sodium and cholesterol. Nowadays, canola oil’s reputation as healthy oil has created high demand in markets around the world. Thus, it continues to be a key ingredient in the foods that Bali Hai Restaurant offers.

“The main draw is the drinks! They still use their original logo-stamped mugs to serve their concoctions in,” wrote one online reviewer. Bali Hai’s full bar offers nightly live entertainment and a long list of cocktails, beer and wine. There is plenty of room to spread out with friends, or if you are still a bit stressed out from a full day’s work, settle into one of the comfortable, overstuffed chairs by the large windows and enjoy the breathtaking sunset views.

Goods are delivered once or twice weekly from trustworthy purveyors. Vegetables and meat are purchased in small batches to ensure quality and freshness. James believes that in today’s economy, restaurateurs should keep away from overstocking so as to avoid unnecessary wastage while also maximizing profits in the face of increasing food costs. “Doing market research is very important. It helps to familiarize yourself with the latest dining trends and gives you the knowledge required to continue making sound business decisions in the future.” James is equal to the occasion, keeping prices steady even while other restaurants have experienced large price fluctuations over the past few years. “Picky purveying keeps prices down,” he says, “prices are still within $1 of what they were twenty years ago.”

Unbeatable Service
What stands out the most about Bali Hai is the taste, VIP service, and being the oldest Chinese restaurant in the neighborhood”, James says. For the past 50 years, Bali Hai’s staff has not only performed what is expected of them but have also done their best to make customers feel welcome. All the core kitchen staff, from the line cooks to the head chef, have been with Bali Hai for at least ten years.

“It’s my pleasure to run the restaurant,” says James. “I am really grateful for all of the help and support I have received from family, friends, the local community, and my customers.”

Satisfying customers seems like an easy task. Yet, experienced veterans know placating patrons requires great patience and dedication. James believes that one must think what the customers think and provide them with what they want. Over these years, by taking into account the advice given to him by his staff and customers, along with his own attentive planning, he’s been able to not only maintain Bali Hai’s level of service but also improve upon it.

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Name: Bali Hai Restaurant
Location: 93 Moulton Dr. Lynnfield, MA 01940
Phone: 781-593-8600