The cilantro fix
It's hard to imagine anyone getting so incensed about a little green herb, especially one that doesn't transport you to another state of consciousness. But some people despise it so vehemently that they've created a website to document its vileness. At ihatecilantro.com , members recount personal tales of meals, and lives, ruined by a few green sprinkles. But cilantro is that way, like Barry Manilow or opera or chewing tobacco -- you're either repulsed or addicted. With cilantro, we fall happily into the latter camp.
Namaskar
234 Elm St., Somerville
617-623-9911
Some experts say cilantro is the world's most ubiquitous herb, since it shows up in both Asian and Latin American cooking. At Namaskar, Davis Square's other Indian restaurant -- Diva, with its new bubble lounge, tends to steal the spotlight -- many dishes are steeped in cilantro. Chicken kothmiri ($13) seems to have piles of it, although we know this more by sight than by taste. We recognize its welcome bite, though, in the spicy Boss Naan ($4), stuffed with garlic, green chilis, onions, mashed potatoes and peas. Owner Charlie Patel invented this untraditional version of Indian bread; its name came from his restaurant nickname: ``Charlie Boss."
Ba Le
1052 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester
617-265-7171
It's an odd combination: the smell of fresh French bread baking in a busy Vietnamese deli filled with spring rolls and stir-fried vegetables. But at lunchtime, it's the bahn mi sandwiches that are flying out the door. We're the only soul speaking English, but we follow the crowd in our order: the barbecued pork sandwich ($2.50). The woman behind the counter, assembling sandwiches with uncanny speed, paints the meat with a dark sauce and adds sliced cucumbers, carrots, and whole sprigs of cilantro. And although it is (happily) cilantro-free, the sweet iced coffee is heavenly on a steamy day.
Romano's Pizza
4249 Washington St.,Roslindale
617-325-2885
This fast-paced restaurant is more old Roslindale than new, with its plastic menu board and Formica tables. It may masquerade as a pizza joint, but the Mexican food has won undying devotion from burrito-philes. The tacos, made of soft corn tortillas, are served with heaps of cilantro. And the prices are definitely old Roslindale: $2 for most tacos, including steak, chorizo and grilled vegetables; a bean and cheese taco costs $1.90.
Teatro
177 Tremont St., Boston
617-778-6841
When we call to inquire about cilantro on the menu, we are told the chef will, on request, add the herb to any dish. So when we arrive a few days later, we order the spinach and mascarpone ravioli ($20) with cilantro instead of the parsley listed on the menu. A knowing smile appears on the waitress's face: Ah, the crazy cilantro people! But we are pleased with our tweaked, and tastier, ravioli. One of the night's specials -- a whole sea bass ($30) -- also arrives with cilantro sprinkled along its golden, grilled length.
Rangzen
24 Pearl St., Cambridge
617-354-8881
Cilantro is popular in Tibetan cuisine but, as in the dishes at Namaskar, the herb loses some of its tang when cooked. The shogo numtak ($4), fried mashed potato appetizers, are a bit bland but rescued by fresh ginger, which outshines the cilantro. The same holds true for the langsha momo ($11.55) -- perhaps the best-known Tibetan dish, featuring hefty steamed dumplings filled with beef, onions and scallions. Cilantro plays a stronger role in the chhu tsel deyngo ($12), fried rice with spinach and watercress, and bits of corn and carrots.
Orinoco
477 Shawmut Ave., Boston
617-369-7075
We hear that this inviting new Venezuelan restaurant in the South End is always crowded, so we arrive for a late weekday lunch to avoid the masses. We order a reina pepiada ($6), a hot corn arepa filled with shredded chicken, avocado and traces of cilantro. On a languid summer day, we could while away the afternoon in this little corner restaurant, gazing at the poor souls doomed to walk the blazing sidewalks.
KATHLEEN BURGE 
