It's funny to see this post, because I was going to ask the same thing - not the restaurant but if the pseudo bulb is edible. For some reason whenever I see a big fat juicy pb I feel like biting it :P

LOL at New Keiki! I bet its probably a Dendrobium like they serve on the plates in Thai restaurants.

-Ray-

Orchid ICE CREAM

"Orchid farmers in Singapore have recently began to conduct cooking classes using orchids, introducing stir-fried orchids and orchid sauces. Not only are orchids edible, but also gardeners say that it is a source of fiber and vitamin C. So what does it taste like? Opinions vary; some say it is somewhat sweet, others say it tastes like tannin or raw chives."

"People in Hawaii have been making salad dishes, cooking orchids and scallops together or have made sugar coated orchid candies since the 1960s. In reality, none of the orchids are poisonous, so all orchids are edible; but orchids grown as food is more desirable, and at least one month is necessary to completely wash off all the pesticides."

Here is a link that might be useful: About edible orchids

Of course, there are!
In the Middle East there's a winter pudding/thick hot drink (sahlep), originating in Turkey which is made from the dried, ground rhizomes of a native orchid (orchis anatolica). It is supposed to have medicinal value as a remedy for throat infections, apart from its repute as an aphrodisiac.
Nowadays, even in Turkey, it's hard to find the real thing.
In Israel, all native orchids are protected. You can get "sahlep" powder in the supermarket - made from cornflour, sugar and flavourings. You boil it up with milk and serve it hot, sprinkled with cinnamon and chopped almonds. I've heard that you can still find the real thing in some of the open- air markets, but it's very expensive.
There used to be a good link, but I think it doesn't exist any more. (there's one offering the Turkish SUBSTITUTE for sale)
Judy
Here's a look at the orchid:
http://www.wildflowers.co.il/english/plant.asp?ID=431

I'd hope they're not selling actual salep in NJ. Wild harvesting of Orchis tubers is sufficiently unsustainable in Turkey without actively encouraging the international market to jump on the band wagon. I'm inclined to think along the same lines as Ray - most likely Dendrobiums.

Corymbosa:
Rest assured that even in Turkey, the commercially available sahlep is the imitation. I'm pretty sure that you can get commercial sahlep powder in the Kosher section of supermarkets (although why would you want to get fat on the cornstarch substitute???) I remember, vaguely, the time when there was actually ground orchids listed as one of the ingredients in the commercial product. I also seem to remember reading somewhere that in traditional culture, women did not drink sahlep, for obvious reasons! However, most "kitchen" aphrodisiacs work mainly on the mind. We all used to love the drink and never noticed any change in our behaviour!
I did manage to find an interesting link, but not the one that I was looking for.
Judy
http://morselsandmusings.blogspot.com/2006/08/sahlep-salep-sahlab.html

Wow! Very interesting stuff! Thank you everyone for sharing! I'm going to pass these along to a friend of mine who loves cooking!

-Ray-

Don't forget the most famous edible orchid of all: vanilla!