Gastrolust

Dish: Sweet and Spicy Beef Noodles
Place: Lucky 8’s China House, Capitol Hill
Price: $9.95
On the plate: From the menu: “Thin egg noodles with beef, garlic, and sweet chili sauce.” You’ll also notice bamboo shoots, onions, carrots, water chestnuts, celery, and green onions on the plate.
Supporting cast/What to do: You’ll find soy sauce [...]

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It’s rare that I eat dinner alone in Seattle. But two weeks ago, my partner had gone to Tokyo ahead of me, and I had eaten everything perishable out of the refrigerator, leaving only condiments and beverages. It was my last night in town, I was by myself, and I was [...]

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I remember the first time I saw a blueberry bagel. “That’s a Christian bagel,” my dad bemoaned, adding, “Or a stale doughnut.” We both believed a bagel should be simple—either plain, seeded, or maybe onion. Me…I’m a sesame man.
And I’m a New York Jew, or at least was born that way. As such, I love [...]

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Dish: “Salted fish w/chicken in vermicelli & rice sticker”
Place: LA Café, International District
Price: $8.99
On the plate: Two types of noodles, which require a close inspection to see. Onions, green onions, carrots, bean sprouts. Shrimp, which are presumably not the intended salted fish, with the chicken missing in action.
Supporting cast/What to do: [...]

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Dish: Gourmet Chow Mein (Lo Mein)
Place: Bamboo Garden, Queen Anne
Price: $8.95
On the plate: Per the menu: “pan-fried thin noodles with mixed vegetables, sausage, and chicken.” That description will warrant further explanation.
Supporting cast/What to do: Dig in. There’s no option for spice level when ordering. You’ll find chili sauce on the [...]

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It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of the Seattle dim sum scene. Quality here pales in comparison to what you’ll find north of the border in Richmond. Going out for dim sum here seems like throwing away good money.
So when I saw the low prices at the International District’s Dim [...]

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Dish: Singapore Noodles
Place: Bako, Capitol Hill
Price: $13.00
On the plate: Per the menu: “Wild prawns, honey roasted (char siu) pork, bean sprouts, curry, rice noodles.” Note that the dish also includes red bell peppers, carrots, and egg, with corner garnishes of carrot and green onion, as well as pieces of cilantro (which [...]

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Dish: Black Bean Sauce Beef Chow Fun
Place: Regent Bakery and Cafe, Capitol Hill
Price: $8.95
On the plate: The menu doesn’t offer any further description of the dish, but you’re getting rice noodles with beef, red and green bell peppers, onions, and fermented black bean sauce.
Supporting cast/What to do: Same as with most of [...]

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Dish: “Noodles Combo”
Place: King Noodle, International District
Price: $6.99
In the bowl: Your choice of soup base, noodles, and toppings (including vegetables)
Supporting cast/What to do: Your server will give you a form (in Chinese and English) and a pen. If you’re having a noodle bowl, you’ll need to build it yourself from the ingredient list, [...]

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Dish: Chow Mein (with Hand-Shaved Noodles)
Place: Spicy Talk Bistro, Redmond
Price: $8.25
On the plate: Hand-shaved noodles with your choice of pork, chicken, beef, vegetables, tofu, or prawns. Pictured is pork. It’s just noodles and meat, along with some cabbage and green onions, plus chili pepper to your desired level of spice.
Supporting cast/What to [...]

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