Gastrolust

This week, Serious Eats posted my roundup of Vietnamese noodle soups in Seattle. An excerpt: I love the interactivity of Vietnamese soups, as most come with a side plate of herbs, vegetables, and lime wedges. It’s a must to taste the broth as presented, and then figure out how to spice it up, both with [...]

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Yesterday, Serious Eats posted my roundup of “10 Terrific Tofu Dishes in Seattle.” An excerpt: I probably wouldn’t have connected the words “tofu” and “terrific” twenty or thirty years ago. Before I’d been exposed to the wide array of Asian cuisine, tofu was merely a meat substitute that I considered bland and boring. Now I [...]

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Rainier Restaurant and BBQ had been on my wish-list for ages, but especially because of a possible bump after it appears on Anthony Bourdain’s The Layover this coming season, now was the time to go. My large group ordered many of the exotic meats on the menu (including cobra, deer, and frog), and soon the [...]

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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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Dish: Banh Hoi Thit Nuong Place: Huong Binh, International District Price: $7.50 On the tray: A plate with “intricate” bundles of thin rice noodles garnished with ground shrimp and scallions, along with a choice of meat–in this case, skewers of the “famous” grilled pork. On the side are lettuce and herbs, specifically cilantro and two [...]

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Dish: Bamboo Shoot Duck Noodle Soup Place: Sub Sand, International District Price: $7.99 In the bowl: Rice vermicelli noodles, bamboo shoots, fried shallots and peanuts, and Thai basil. Supporting cast/What to do: Along with your soup, you get a plate of cold duck pieces (on the bone), shredded cabbage, more fried shallots and peanuts, Thai [...]

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Dish: Pho Place: Pho So 1, Little Saigon Price: $6.99, large ($6.15, small) In the bowl: Pictured is #20: pho tai, nam, gau, gan, sach with rare beef, well-done flank, fatty flank, tendon and tripe along with banh pho rice noodles, onions, green onions, and beef broth Supporting cast/What to do: Before your bowl comes [...]

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Dish: Mi Vit Tiem (braised duck noodle soup with Chinese herbs and spices) Place: Hue Ky Mi Gia, Little Saigon Price: $7.00 In the bowl: Free-range chicken broth with a leg-thigh section of braised duck, noodles, shiitake mushrooms, baby bok choy, green onions, Chinese red dates (hong zao, or jujubes), and “five spice” seasoning. Supporting [...]

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Dish: Combo Vermicelli Place: Ba Bar, Capitol Hill Price: $12.00 In the bowl: From the menu: “Imperial roll, grilled white prawn, grass-fed beef bo mo chai, cucumber, rau thom.” This and more (see below) over cold rice vermicelli noodles. Supporting cast: A side of nuoc cham (made with nuoc mam, a.k.a. fish sauce). What to [...]

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Yesterday I posted pictures of pig-filled plates outside of Seattle, and promised you local options. Here they are. Most are Asian, with appreciation of the utilization of as much of the animal as possible. Pictured above is bopis, which is a spicy and vinegary saute of pork heart and lungs. I recently discovered bopis at [...]

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