East Fort Myers restaurant scene adds sophisticated Asian option

It's no secret that East Fort Myers has never been a place to find wellappointed restaurants serving fine cuisine. Barbecue and diner chow? Well, sure. Sushi and Thai? Not so much.

Well, that was then. With the development of Bonita Bay Group's upscale Veranda community, it's not a surprise that nearby dining options might tony up as well.

And so explains Rain, a bastion of stylishly executed Asian fare served in a lovely setting by a well-schooled staff.

The philosophy is simply and well stated on the restaurant's answering machine: "Welcome to Rain, where the forecast is always raining great sushi and Thai cuisine."

Finding Rain can be as challenging as locating an oasis in a desert. It's situated at the eastern end of The Shops at Veranda, a strip center dominated by Publix on the south side of Palm Beach Boulevard. The restaurant has a sign but it's not illuminated, which means you just about have to be on top of it before it's visible.

The search, however, will be well rewarded.

Rain recently underwent renovation and the result is a charming dining room with walls in shades of papaya and pumpkin. The exception is the back wall, which is decorated with a finely rendered mural depicting a woodsy Japanese scene with a waterfall, stands of bamboo, and a cottage alongside a pond complete with lily pads.

Tom kha gai is a classic Thai soup containing coconut milk, chicken, galangal and kaffir lime.

Except for the booths, the tables are smartly outfitted with white tablecloths and black linen napkins. Hanging lamps look like they are made of faux bamboo. Ample wooden boats perch on the shelves behind the immaculate sushi bar. The result is a harmonious room with nary a single jarring note.

Rain offers 16 wines by the glass, along with a lower-end house wine. That's unusual breadth for a small Asian restaurant, which offers those and a few more by the bottle as well.

The Martin Codax albarino proved a fine choice. It begins with a citrus and pear bouquet that broadens into a feast of fruits — apple, peach, pear and apricot with a zesty lemon edge. It's an excellent accompaniment to sushi as well as the zesty spices of Thai cuisine.

Gingerine talay features a wealth of vegetables and fresh seafood.

We enjoyed it with our soups — a mellow and balanced miso and my favorite Thai soup, tom kha gai, a magical potion containing coconut milk, chicken, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, galangal, mushrooms, cilantro and chili (adjusted to suit individual tastes, ranging from mild to ultra hot). Rain's version also had bits of tomato floating about and was at just the right level of heat — moderate — providing bite without obliterating all those wonderful seasonings.

Next, we shared one of the restaurant's signature sushi rolls, the Pleasure Island. Although it was $15.95, at the high end of the price range of rolls, it was a large and involved dish that began with a big smelt-roe-covered California roll that was sliced, then slathered in a creamy blend of shrimp, scallops and green onions. Adding a bit of soy sauce and wasabi gave it a little more zip, but the flavors were just fine on their own. We were glad we'd only ordered one roll since there was more food to come.

And just another few words on the sushi menu: It's extensive. There are all the usual items and quite a few specialty rolls, such as the Bahamian (conch, sesame oil, scallions and hot sauce with smelt roe), Heaven and Paradise (tempura shrimp, cucumber

Fried bananas with ice cream and chocolate sauce combine for a perfect end to a meal at Rain.

and cream cheese topped with chopped crab and scallops), and the Hurricane (tuna, salmon, white tuna and asparagus with smelt roe and spicy mayo). The only improvement I'd have made was to label them so that it would be easier to tell the cooked from the uncooked items.

From the Thai menu, we selected the gingerine talay and a cashew and vegetable dish with tofu. (As with most Thai menus, customers can select the protein for many of the dishes.)

The talay contained a mix of seafood — shrimp, scallops and squid — mixed with mushrooms, scallions, bell peppers, ginger and onions in a light plum sauce. The seafood and vegetables were all fresh, the seasonings lively and well balanced.

The cashew dish was milder without being bland, containing carrots, onions, snow peas, cashews and tofu, making for a colorful and multi-textured entrée that paired well with the talay.

We finished by sharing an order of fried bananas. It was beautifully presented, with slices of banana tucked into spring roll wrappers then, expertly fried, drizzled with a honeyed sauce and served with vanilla ice cream and a bit of chocolate sauce. Like the dishes before it, the dessert contained a satisfying mix of textures and flavors. It was a delicious finish to a well-executed meal.

Throughout dinner, our server did more than simply deliver new dishes and clear away old ones. He made sure we were happy with what he'd served (we were), kept our water glasses full (an always welcome touch) and checked in periodically to see if we needed anything else (we didn't).

Rain would be a great find anywhere, but considering its location, it's even more impressive. The management here clearly understands that food, service and ambience are all important elements of a pleasurable dining experience and delivers on all three.

Perhaps other culinary entrepreneurs will see the potential of this previously untapped market and join Rain in bringing interesting cuisines to the East Fort Myers mix. Given the current state of the economy, I wouldn't expect a deluge, but a light shower would be most welcome.