Destination Bangor – the 2nd course

Editor’s note: In last Wednesday’s Style section, Panda Garden and Taste of India restaurants were accidentally left out of Alicia Anstead and Kristen Andresen’s joint story about the downtown Bangor dining scene. The omission occurred during the merging of two computer files. Also, incorrect hours were given for the new Bangor restaurant Opus. Opus is open 5-9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, and 5-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Taste of India

68 Main St.

11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5-8:30 p.m. Sunday-Saturday

945-6865

Indian music and sequined tapestries depicting the Taj Mahal and intimate lovers set the tone for this Main Street eatery. But the food – curries, biriyani, meat, fish and vegetable dishes – is reliably flavorful whether you eat in or take out. Chef Rakesh Kumar comes from Punjab, India, where he worked in family restaurants preparing food that he says is “low-fat and not too spicy.” Start with coconut soup, and then have mango chutney and yogurt with saag paneer, lamb saag with spinach or chicken tikka masala – hot or mild, at your request – followed by a sweet mango lassi. These dishes keep customers going back time and time again. For vegetarians, the menu is, compared with most places, long and satisfying. The servers are friendly, the food arrives quickly, is steaming hot and plentiful enough for a doggie bag. Appetizers start at $2.95 and entrees cost up to $13. Convenient to Penobscot Theatre, it’s not unusual to see pre- and post-show diners filling the tables.

Panda Garden

123 Franklin St.

11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday

942-2704

“We work magic here,” is how Jonathan Yao described downtown’s oldest Chinese restaurant. He was referring to the romance of the place, but he was quick to add a description of the popular banquet-style menu, including kung pao chicken with peanuts and the Peking duck. His father, Mike, who is in the kitchen, trained as an imperial chef in China. His mother, Josephine, who is from Hong Kong, is the manager. Mike makes all the sauces and condiments, including the chili paste from Szechuan peppers and chilis. “It has a unique, nutty flavor,” said Jonathan, who is working at the restaurant while taking a year off from medical school. They have Chinese specialty items shipped from Boston’s Chinatown so they can make, for instance, the dough for the dumplings on site. The restaurant, which the Yaos have managed since 1989, features both Szechuan and Hunan styles as well as meat, seafood and vegetarian dishes served in a cheery and colorful dining room. The appetizers go for as little as $5.50, and the most expensive item on the menu is $24.95 (the duck). It’s not that uncommon to see Xiao-Lu Li, the Chinese-American conductor for the Bangor Symphony Orchestra eating here. What more is there to say?