Gastrolust

It was one year ago that I was craving eastern European dumplings known as pelmeni, giving them a try at Café Yarmarka. The menu listed beef, pork, chicken, turkey and lamb options, but while I liked the many options, I found the pelmeni a little mushy and bland, and the sauce lacking in kick. I [...]

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Still lamenting Seattle’s lack of quality xiao long bao, Seattlest picked up a copy of A World of Dumplings and decided we’d start making them on our own. (Refining the recipe will take time, so don’t hold your breath on a restaurant opening anytime soon.). While thumbing through the book, we stumbled upon a recipe [...]

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After a few visits to Flushing, I’ve grown fond of the food in its various Chinatown eateries. As time allows, I’ll have to post photos and description of some dishes from Waterfront International Enterprises (some name, huh?), Spicy & Tasty, and a little bing place I found.
Just before this trip ended, we noticed a place [...]

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We normally run from a restaurant that’s advertised as Chinese and American. Common sense, but it also dates back to a day in New Hampshire when we walked into “Judy’s (or whatever her name was) Chinese Restaurant” and were given dinner rolls and butter along with our menus.
Shi’An Restaurant (12534 Lake City [...]

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It’s been 27 years since leaving Long Island after high school graduation, and while I don’t miss the area, I do miss New York-style bagels and pizza.  So on my rare trips back to the Big Apple, it’s critical I consume some to tide me over until the next trip. Two years ago we decided [...]

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I’ve long lamented the lack of good dim sum in Seattle, but with a dim sum–loving friend moving soon to China, we decided to have one last Chinese meal for the foreseeable future. Of course, he’ll soon be having great Chinese food daily, and perhaps I’ll have to sneak a visit over there for the [...]

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As I write, an email sits in my inbox, inviting me out for dim sum on Sunday. There’s just one problem: I don’t do Seattle dim sum.
I confess that I’ve been one of those obnoxious people on Chowhound who replies to endless inquiries like the current “Where has the great dim sum gone?” with advice [...]

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I’m distracted. I’m realizing it’s been far too long since I’ve had some good dumplings—especially xiao long bao.
Xiao long bao are delicious soup dumplings that are, sadly, hard to find in Seattle. Oh, we’ve got a few places that try to make them, but they’re terrible. The wrappers are too tough, the soup leaks out, [...]

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