Gastrolust

Dish: Bakmi Goreng Jawa Place: Indo Café, Northgate Price: $7.95 On the plate: From the menu: “Javanese style sweet stir-fry egg noodles with choice of chicken, beef, pork, tofu, or shrimp (+2.00).” In addition to meat (I chose shrimp), the noodles come with carrot, cabbage, bean sprouts, green onions, and scrambled egg. Supporting cast/What to [...]

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What happens when a food writer joins friends for dinner with no intention of a write-up or review? Well, apparently, it still turns into a photo shoot and report. How can I resist sharing images from a tantalizing Thai meal at Noodle Boat in Issaquah? I’ve consistently ranked Noodle Boat at the top of its [...]

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One can argue that pho and teriyaki are Seattle’s favorite fast foods. These restaurants are everywhere. As I point out in a current New York Magazine article about Seattle, teriyaki can range from the standby, like Toshi’s Grill in Renton (by the man who started the boom) to the splurge, like you can find at [...]

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Last week, Serious Eats posted my “A Sandwich a Day” article about Pan con Lechon at El Palacio de los Jugos in Miami. An excerpt: The menu says it comes with “pierna desmenuzada, mojo y cebolla”—what you’re getting is roast pork (shredded leg meat, specifically), mojo sauce, and diced onions on Cuban sandwich bread. The [...]

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Dish: Golden Noodles Place: Thaiger Room, University District Price: $7.28 ($2.00 more for prawns and $3.00 more for mixed seafood) On the plate: Per the menu: “Rice noodles stir-fried with your choice of meat and mixed vegetable. Topped with delicious peanut sauce.” I went with chicken, and the mixed vegetables included broccoli, cabbage, carrots, and [...]

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A stroll through last weekend’s Dragon Fest in the Chinatown-International District gave me a first opportunity to try the Tokyo Dog food truck. Recall that last year, Gourmet Dog Japon’s takoyaki-like Kabuki dog taught us a lesson about dressed wieners. At Tokyo Dog, the common feature on the three Japanese dogs is the butter teriyaki [...]

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Last week, Skillet Nation extended its reach with its opening of Skillet Counter in the Seattle Center Armory. In doing so, one of Seattle’s saddest food courts has become a good dining destination. And with Chihuly Garden and Glass just across the way (where Collections Cafe is quite a good place to eat as well), [...]

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Dish: Szechuan Cold Noodle Place: Szechuan Chef, Bellevue Price: $5.99 In the bowl: The menu says nothing beyond the dish name. So I asked my server, and she explained that the sauce is made with garlic, green onions, vinegar, chili oil, and soy sauce. Supporting cast/What to do: Eat before it gets cold? No such [...]

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Today, Serious Eats posted my round-up of 10 terrific pastries in Seattle. An excerpt: It’s 5,000 miles from Seattle to Paris as the crow flies. Despite the distance, the Emerald City is shining proudly in the area of pastries—good news for those who can’t quite cross the Atlantic for the real thing….These 10 pastries all [...]

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Recently, I stopped in for a sandwich at the Columbia City Ale House. The menu is full of superlatives, including the best Chicken Sandwich, Caesar Salad, and Reuben Sandwich in Seattle, as well as the best Gumbo “anywhere.” How can a restaurant live up to such hype? Thinking more humbly and with memories of childhood [...]

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