Chinatown Eats: Sub Sand

First impressions can be misleading. When Shu texted me our lunch spot for the week, I thought "sub sand" had to be an abbreviation for the restaurant's full name. Then, when I arrived, I was a little weirded out by the tubs of cooked meats all lined at the ordering counter. 

Sub Sand is a tiny Asian-style Subway-inspired sandwich shop in the ID with more variations on the banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich) than I could ever imagined. Just like Subways (or Chipotle), they make your sandwich upon your order, in front of you. You can choose toppings for your sandwich- no thanks to the cilantro and jalepenos. And I rarely mention the service at restaurants, but Sub Sand's owner and staff were very friendly! 

Shu and I both ordered the Lemongrass Chicken Sandwich per raving Yelp reviews. Toasted, fresh baguette buns? Check. Crisp veggies? Check. Perfectly seasoned white radish/carrot mixture? Check. Sub Sand makes a delectable sandwich, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The price is slightly higher than your typical to-go Vietnamese pork sandwich- but in this case, I would be willing to pay a dollar more for the fresh ingredients. The only detraction: Both Shu and I noticed that the lemongrass chicken did not quite live-up to the "lemongrass" billing. Don't get me wrong, the chicken still tasted yummy, but the lemongrass was very... subtle. I'll try another sandwich next time... why not, when there's so many (more than 15) options? 

The final word: Sub sand is a place you should try if you're ever in the ID-area, but I would not go out of my way and drive down to the ID just for this little hidden-away restaurant. It definitely hits the spot for a quickie and cheap lunch. 

Ratings: 4 out of 5 stars 

Chinatown Eats: Tamarind Tree

Shu has been introducing me to the restaurants in the International District, and I have to say that I am very impressed. Yes, the ID is rather dirty, can be stinky, sometimes sketchy with unsavory characters- but the FOOD is darn good! Cheap, good eats is the criteria, and so far, the ID has been 3 out of 3.

First up, lunch this week was at Tamarind Tree in Little Saigon. A half-mile walk from Harborview, Tamarind Tree was absolutely worth it. A hidden-away restaurant in the back corner of some Asian plaza, I was slightly turned off by the stink and uncleanliness of the area before entering the restaurant. However, once inside, Tamarind Tree does not fail to impress. The decor reminded me of upscale Japanese sushi restaurants in Belltown, not something I expected from Little Saigon. The restaurant was polished and classy, definitely not your typical Vietnamese pho shop. Shu and I both ordered from the $5 lunch menu (apparently their "anniversary" menu that's been running for at least 2 years). Shu ordered the Shrimp Patty Noodles, and I requested Grilled Steamed Rolls. Considering the only Vietnamese food I am accustomed to is pho, I had no idea what to expect. In fact, Grilled Steamed Rolls made me think of wrapped spring rolls you get as appetizers, and I wasn't sure if I would be full from that single order.

I was blown away when the food arrived. I cannot adequately describe the dish, but here goes. On a bed of steamed rice "paper" (think: thick rice noodles) was heaping amounts of bean sprouts, fresh basil, and thinly sliced marinated grilled pork. On the side was a small bowl of flavorful sauce that I poured all over the dish. To my consternation, I wasn't quite sure how to eat all the delicious food in front of me at first. Still holding to my "spring roll" bias, I thought perhaps I was suppose to roll up the ingredients with the rice paper. Nope, after double-checking the rice noodles, I decided there was no way I could separate the sticky sheets into individual pieces. So, I simply dug in. The fish sauce with mixed herbs was amazing. So good sauce- I could probably drink it as soup if I could! The grilled pork was perfectly flavorful. The whole time I was chewing, I was trying to pinpoint the singular taste of the pork marinade. The unique underlying flavor was just out of reach... eventually, I gave up and just chalked it up to general "yumminess". I was completely stuffed at the end, but I couldn't bear to leave even a scrap of the delicious food uneaten.

You'll have to ask Shu how good her food was; I was a bit preoccupied with my own dish. If it was even half as good, I would be willing to try it in a heartbeat. Our lunch conversation was punctuated by exclamations of "Wow... yum...." and "This is really really really good." Even better, the $5 menu makes the meal completely affordable. There probably isn't a more delicious, cheaper option in the ID. No wonder Shu's coworkers go to Tamarind Tree at least 3 times a week! If you can try anywhere in the ID/Chinatown- go to Tamarind Tree! (This post is making me salivate in anticipation of my next visit already...)

Pardon the poor quality of the pics- the lighting of the restaurant was dim and I was too eager to start eating to waste time (I mean, focus) on taking a good picture!

Grilled Steamed Rolls

Shrimp Patty Noodles

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Seattle Adventures: Pike Place Market and The Confectional

After feasting at Henry's Taiwan, I dragged Kyle and Donnie to walk through Pike Place Market with me in the afternoon. We felt like tourists... pointing at the pig statue, taking pics of the grotesque monkfish, trying out every possible free sample there was- fruit, chocolate, honey, even chocolate spaghetti. We indulged on mini donuts (frosted with sprinkles, cinnamon/sugar dusted, plain, and chocolate), an absolute must when I trek all the way out to Pike Place. Along the way, we grabbed bags and bags of free samples of pita chips and hummus. Our mother lode was a sight to behold! Surprisingly, I had visited Pike Place more recently than either of the two Seattle-grown boys, and this made our trip even more fun, since visiting Pike Place isn't a common occurrence.

In actuality, our trip had a semi-purpose. I was determined to locate The Confectional. The bakery specializing in individual cheesecakes. I had my first experience of The Confectional's creations last Christmas, when a pharmacist brought a case of cheesecakes into work (for all of us poor hospital slaves who don't even get holidays off). I was instantly hooked. At the time, I remember the difficulty deciding between which flavor of cheesecake to choose. The pumpkin spice or the red velvet? Or the caramel? Then there was the triple berry... The store was much less remarkable than I had imagined it to be. Nothing at all like Willy Wonka's Amazing Chocolate Factory! Ah well, I guess those were unrealistic expectations. A very plain counter with a window displaying all the cheesecake flavors offered today. I finally settled on 4 different flavors with lots of help from the guys, luckily they were there or else my indecisiveness would have dragged on forever! Peanut Butter, Triple Berry, Caramel, and Raspberry White Chocolate. Of course, I brought them home for Ben and I to share. I got the Triple Berry and Caramel, and he chose the Raspberry White Chocolate and Peanut Butter. Dense, sweetened cream cheese on top of a graham cracker crust shaped into the perfect portion size. Absolutely heavenly! At $4 per cheesecake, it was definitely expensive, but worth splurging on once in a while (especially when you get holiday pay for working Christmas)!

Tourists! Haha...

Beautiful, colorful bouquets

Ugliest Fish in the World

This just might have been our favorite place that day... free samples!

The Mother Lode

Top Left: Peanut Butter
Top Right: Caramel
Bottom Left: Triple Berry
Bottom Right: Raspberry White Chocolate

Seattle Adventures: Henry's Taiwan

The past month has definitely lived up to the motto of "work hard, play hard." It's been a whirlwind of activities interspersed between work shifts. Almost no time to sleep, and even less time to catch up on my blogging. But, I feel obligated to blog. I started this blog as an outlet, a place for myself to vent and pour out my thoughts. While I have realized that blogs are too public to treat as a personal diary, that sense of selfishness hasn't changed. I blog for myself, no one else. I think of it as a way for me to look back someday (one year? five years? ten years from now?) and see how blessed my life truly is!

I celebrated the end of another school year with lunch at a Taiwanese eatery in the International District- Henry's Taiwan. Unfortunately, I was running late, then Kyle was also running late (which actually turned out to be a good thing, since Donnie could then come with us)- in the end, poor Shu had to rush through lunch to go back to work. Ah... work, bane of life. Fortunately, the food was quite delicious!

To borrow a Chinese idiom, "my eye was bigger than my stomach" (yan du da xiao) which meant every square inch of our small table was crammed with various dishes. For the 4 of us, we had the popcorn chicken, shaved beef noodles, purple fried rice with Chinese sausage, another dish that I don't remember, and of course, stinky tofu! I made the 2 boys try the infamous Taiwanese delicacy- stinky tofu. In fact, our waiter suggested that in order to date Chinese girls, they both had to learn to love stinky tofu. Unfortunately, they weren't a huge fan... but that just meant more for me! Yum yum! 

I especially liked the fried rice, which was made with purple rice and had chunks of Chinese sausage. It was quite flavorful and authentic (though, since I really am an ABC, who am I to judge authenticity?). Usually, I refrain from ordering fried rice at restaurants, since it's something I feel that I can cook at home; however, Henry's fried rice really is quite excellent and I would order it again and again. The other dishes were good in retrospect, but not memorable. For example, we devoured the popcorn chicken (who doesn't like fried chicken pieces dusted with salt and pepper???). And the stinky tofu was good (although, I thought Rocking Wok's was slightly better), especially with lots of Chinese kimchi! Perhaps, we over-ordered. Too many choices made us more picky and critical eaters. Our feast wasn't expensive- about $10 per person, including lots of leftovers for dinner or lunch the next day. Like most of the ID restaurants, it is a bit small, so seating is very limited. Another bonus: if the waiter happens to know you... free appetizers! Apparently the waiter recognized me from church... small world, eh? 

Henry's Taiwan is definitely another restaurant I would introduce my Taiwanese parents to! I just love taking my parents to Taiwanese restaurants, so they can taste memories from their childhood. It's the best compliment when Dad approves a restaurant's stinky tofu, or Mom comments that the food is quite genuine! 

Working those chopsticks skills!

Beef Shaved Noodles

Everyone's favorite: Popcorn Chicken

Stinky Tofu: See all that stinky sauce? nom nom nom

Tabla

Instead of dinner at Le Pid-ge-on (this is me speaking in an exaggerated, terrible French accent), I found myself and friends at Tabla Mediterranean Bistro this past Sunday.

Getting right to the point: I adored the Duck Confit I ordered, so all was good! It made me so happy I will barely whine about the small portion sizes, really salty olives, lack of bread (don't all fancy restaurants offer bread as an appetizer?!), and the gooey bean/vegetable mixture that came with my duck. The duck was perfectly salted, crispy on the outside, and wonderfully flavored. And surprisingly, there was enough to share!

Another standout was the Tajarin pasta, creamy with hints of woody truffle oil. However, as a main dish, the pasta could be rather carb-heavy, as the dish consisted of only cream and pasta. No veggies, no meat- simply pasta. And is that really worth $18 plus tax and tip?

Overall, Tabla was good, not great. It will probably make it onto my "Portland Restaurant Recommendations list," however, with so many other great restaurants (See: Bunk, Pok Pok) in Portland, Tabla needs to up its game (and portions)!

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Duck Confiiiiiit!

Bunk Sandwich

Rich is quite inspirational. In fact, his love for (good) food is highly contagious. Be warned, if you ever find yourself hanging out with him, you may be snacking on frozen yogurt, squeezing in a pit stop at a sandwich shop, visiting a coffee stand, and consuming a 3-course dinner all within a five hours... and all of it, DELICIOUS! Rich's nose for good food is quite extraordinary... quite like a pig hunting for precious truffles. NOT that I'm comparing Rich to a hog... :). 

I rarely venture out to the Portland food scene, usually sticking with Mom's home-cooked comfort food at home. Yet, my excursion this past weekend opened my eyes to why Portland is foodie capitol of America! 

First up, Bunk. On a dreary Sunday evening with clouds overcast and everything looking gray, we were treated to mind-blowing, perfect sandwich creations. Yummy is an understatement. 

Memories abound. Bites of a hot meatball sub smothered with tomato sauce that makes it impossible to not be a messy eater. A layer of salty pork belly intermingled with sweet fruit chutney makes the perfect combination. Warm tomato soup that makes me want to heat up a can of V8 to rekindle the amazing tomato taste.

Highly recommend. Not cheap, but worth it- sandwiches are priced around $8-10 each. Definitely not your typical banh mi! 

Meatball sub

Pork belly and apple chutney with tomato soup

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Yogurtland, Enough Said

Why I love Yogurtland: 

1. $0.35 per oz of yogurt!
2. Lots and lots of different flavors and toppings to try (you simply must try pistachio and toasted coconut!) 
3. Do-it-yourself style! Just grab a cup, go up to the row of yogurt machines, and get started! 
4. Super cute PINK spoons... just another perk! 
5. The water machine has fresh strawberries thrown in... just for good measure. 

Apparently the "yogurt by the ounce" phenomenon is huge in California, Hawaii, and even Portland. It took it's sweet time getting to Seattle though, but now that Yogurtland is here and now... watch out, Red Mango, you're about to be passed over for something better and cheaper (albeit, farther away)!   

Rock n' Wok

Well, the restaurant is really called Rocking Wok... but isn't my spelling more fanciful and memorable? I tried out this Taiwanese restaurant in Wallingford with my pharmacy school ladies this week. It was an incredible find! Who knew a legit Taiwanese restaurant was so close to UW? I definitely consider this a gem discovered.

The 4 of us ordered 1 or 2 dishes each, and got to taste test each other's choices. All the dishes were quite delicious, and cheap! Most of the dishes ranged from $4 to $8.

I ordered the Thousand Layer Pancakes, which was very flaky, melt-in-your-mouth bread, and Beef Shaved Noodle Soup. Yum! The soup was the perfect dish on a cold, rainy, very Seattle day. The noodle soup was about $6, and was a 1 person portion with chunks of beef, generous bok choy, and slightly chewy homemade noodles. Wendy ordered the Stinky Tofu with Chinese Kimchee (yes!) and Ground Pork with Egg over Noodles. Both very Taiwanese dishes. The stinky fried tofu was quite good... it had adequate "stinkyness" that is requisite, and the kimchee was a wonderful pairing. Wendy also quite enjoyed her noodle dish, and I will take her word for it considering how rapidly she devoured it! (I love you, Wendy!) Theresa had the Herbal Chicken (literal translation from Chinese is "Three Cup Chicken" because it takes 3 cups of sauce to make the dish). It smelled and looked delicious! Mel ordered Wontons in Chili Sauce and the Oyster Omelet. You can never go wrong with wontons in delicious, slightly spicy sauce! The oyster pancake, according to my 3 epicureans, was good. I was a bit too full and a bit of a wimp to try it.

I had a lovely experience at Rocking Wok, and would definitely go back soon! The menu is quite extensive, and there are many more dishes I want to try (their Popcorn Chicken heads the list). Though be warned, one dish may not satisfy. I think ordering 2 dishes per person was a great choice (unless you're Eric, then you may need to order 3-4 dishes), and it doesn't break the bank. I can't wait to take Shu and Kyle and my undergrad crowd there. It's almost a second Utopia!

Check out the food pictures (I really love the convenience of having a high-quality camera on my phone! I take pictures everywhere now!), and then scroll to the bottom for my rating of Rocking Wok.

Lovely Wendy with Ground Pork over Noodles and Stinky Tofu

Beef Shaved Noodle Soup

Wontons in Chili Sauce

Theresa's wonderful choice: Herbal Chicken

Oyster Omelet with Sweet Chili Sauce

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Capitol Hill Adventure @ Joe Bar

They say that pictures speak a thousand words. I'll let the pictures describe my Friday afternoon Capitol Hill escapade with Annie and Cassie! 

Idyllic courtyard with gate slightly ajar.
I snuck in to take a quick peek.
Only on my way out did I noticed the "PRIVATE NO TRESPASSING" sign. 

Upstairs seating and menu. 

Afternoon mocha

Sweet crepe filled with Nutella
and fresh strawberries and bananas.

Savory crepe: tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella

Joe Bar was very charming, in an antiquated, hole-in-the-wall way. The narrow staircase fascinated me, and I so wanted to sit in on the upstairs tables! Alas, seating was few and we barely managed to snag a small table right by the door as it was.

Verdict on the food: My morning glory chai was not as creamy and filling as I had expected. It was truly more "tea" than "chai." It was quite thin, and not frothy as I prefer it. My savory crepe (not pictured) was also not too appetizing. I don't know what possessed me, someone with a ho-hum attitude to blue cheese, to order a crepe filled with blue cheese, spinach, and red bell peppers. Must've been the attraction of the spinach and roasted red peppers... However, as you know, blue cheese is quite overpowering. While I managed to finish the crepe, I would not order it again. Cassie's sweet crepe with Nutella and fresh fruit was quite good, but she and I both agreed the crepe is also very doable at home and probably not worth the price. Annie had a much better savory crepe with a milder cheese. Yet, as I sat there at Joe Bar, my mind drifted to the decadent crepes we had at Jewel Box just a few weeks ago... If I am going to eat crepes at a restaurant, I expect rich sauces and beautiful presentation. Joe Bar, as much as I wanted to like it, fell short. 

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Varlamos? Yes, Please!

Varlamos is a SCA tradition. If you haven't heard of it or been there yet, I have failed you as a friend. Perfect for group gatherings, Varlamos on Monday nights has half-off prices on their calzones. Must expound on the calzones... Varlamos is renowned for their calzones that are as big as a football (not an overexaggeration!), filled with whatever your little heart desires! The salad that comes with the calzone is pretty darn tasty too... with generous amounts of shredded mozzarella cheese and a delicious honey mustard dressing (or whatever dressing you prefer instead). Tip: If you don't like olives, let the waiter know or ask to have it on the side.

I have pretty much only tried the calzone and salad at Varlamos, and I don't intend to change that anytime soon. I always go for the make-your-own calzone, which allows me the flexibility to choose my own toppings. Pineapple is yummy (and will make your calzone sauce runny), BBQ chicken, and mushrooms. Or maybe red bell peppers, sausage, and spinach. That might be your hardest decision of the week... what to include in your calzone! Sometimes the waiter does mess up the orders, especially if there's a big group and everyone gets a calzone. Check your calzone to make sure you got what you ordered, and not your neighbor's calzone!

Eating calzones can be messy, so be warned! You're better off just deciding to be messy and eating with your hands. Pick up the calzone and chow down! Usually, I know I won't be able to finish the whole thing, so I slice my calzone in half- eat half at dinner and save the other half for lunch tomorrow. Don't be too greedy and go for 2 calzones in a sitting... you will have negative consequences! (Ask Michael if you don't believe me... heroic guy finished 2 calzones within probably an hour, and barely lived to tell the tale.)

The food is great. The price is right. The location is right by UW, so super convenient for students. What's there NOT to like? Book a date with me to Varlamos, and I (probably) won't turn you down!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Recent dinner with not-so-small small group of girls!

Leftovers- this was half of the football calzone!

Sichuanese Cuisine Restaurant, Plus Funfetti Cake

We had to make up for all the past years when never celebrated Kyle's birthday (the downside of having a birthday right in the middle of spring break), so Shu organized a birthday dinner at Sichuanese Cuisine Restaurant in the International District. The guys gave rave reviews from their last experience there... so how could we not go? :)

The staff was friendly, especially once Shu started speaking in fluent Mandarin. While the restaurant wasn't large, it still managed to seat the 9 of us without too long of a wait. We decided to do family-style, with each of us ordering a dish. Best idea ever! You really have to go the "everyone sharing food" route at Chinese restaurants. Or else, you just get stuck eating pepper chicken or garlic eggplant for the whole meal, all by yourself. This way we all got to try the full repetoire of the menu.

Some of the standouts:

• Steamed Fish, while not a whole, fresh fish, it was delicious! Or I just may be partial, because I love seafood and don't get to eat it very often.
• Even eggplant haters seemed to find the Garlic Eggplant quite palatable. Although, anything covered in a thick soy sauce is probably good. Another vegetable dish, the Green Beans, was also very good. Delicious, but not the best I've had.
• Spicy Boiled Fish was not as spicy as it looked. The soup was bright red with dried chili peppers floating. You had to "fish" for chunks of fish and napa cabbage. For true "spicy fish" lovers, the dish probably isn't spicy enough, but it was good for wimps like me!

The other dishes we ordered included pepper chicken (fried chunks of chicken covered in pepper), ma po tofu, mongolian beef, and green onion pancakes. The dishes definitely hit the spot in terms of comfort food. Everything smelled and tasted great, and I really don't think we went wrong in any of the dishes we ordered. However, there is a line between "good" and "truly special."

The pepper chicken was a bit of a letdown, especially in comparison to Utopia's version. In retrospect, I can't pinpoint exactly what I didn't like, but it just wasn't as addictive as pepper chicken can be. Maybe the ratio of fried batter to chicken was off. It did seem like the chicken pieces were smaller, and hence too much fried coating, so each bite was too oily and too much friedness (I just made this word up). Also, there wasn't variety in terms of taste between dishes. Even though we ordered some fish, some chicken, some vegetables... every dish almost had the same taste. Lots of soy sauce, probably MSG, and mucho oil. That probably sums up Chinese cooking in general. Lastly, all of the dishes on the menu you can probably find at every other Chinese or Sichuanese restaurant. There wasn't anything particularly special to THIS Chinese restaurant. And while I did list the standouts (in my humble, probably non-authentic ABC opinion), I can't say that there was one dish that was truly amazing and out-of-this-world.

Overall, Sichuanese Cuisine Restaurant served delicious comfort food, however, falls quite short of amazingness. One last note, the prices were also typical, not overly expensive, everything ranging from $8-$15 per dish.

I bumped up the rating to 3.5 stars, due to the service. The people running the restaurant were very nice, especially with a large group of us! They refilled our waters (and rice), and split our check 9 ways.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

And what is a birthday without cake?! The birthday boy requested... funfetti, so funfetti he got! While I personally think funfetti is a kids' birthday cake, I guess some people never outgrow it! Before, I had derided funfetti as "bland vanilla cake with sprinkles inside." Plus, it's "made out of a box!" The horror! Yet, somehow Kyle's Funfetti Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting tasted delicious! I stand corrected.

Happy Birthday, Kyle!

Thai. Curry. Simple.

Had a lovely lunch with friend at Thai Curry Simple recenly... courtesy of Shu's raves! So glad I had a good friend to share a spontaneous plus delicious lunch with!

Where to begin?! I had great expectations going in, after the amazing Yelp reviewers' comments. I was definitely looking forward cheap, GOOD eats, and I was not disappointed. First off, there are $5 curries (noodle dishes are not much more expensive at $6). Let me repeat: $5 CURRY! Even cheaper than any run-of-the-mill Thai place along the Ave. around UW! And I haven't even began to describe the Roti!

Service was fast and friendly. The lady working chatted me up about Thai Curry Simple's packaged Pad Thai meals that you can buy, take home, cook, enjoy. She assured me it was "very easy, noodles and sauce included!" I may need to take her up on her word next time and try making Pad Thai at home. I've had a couple of failed experiences at making Pad See Ew at home, so I'll be interested in how this compares. Another sign of great service: our waters were refilled very frequently, and I saw the owner talking to many of the customers who seemed to be regulars!

Simple is the key word. The menu is not extensive, focusing on curries and a few noodles dishes (I saw Pad Kee Mao and Pad Thai, and that was about it). The menu is written on blackboards hanging on the wall, you order as you come in, and then find a spot to sit in the tiny restaurant. Luckily, there were plenty of tables available on Friday around 1pm, but I imagine seating could be a problem during a busy lunch rush. I ordered Green Chicken Curry and friend ordered Massamun Chicken Curry. There are also Tofu Curry specials for each day of the week that seem very popular. Curries came out quickly, hot and served over rice (you have a choice of white or brown rice when you order). While the Green Curry was labelled "spicy", I fared quite well! I loved the plentiful bamboo and eggplant chunks in the curry and it wasn't too spicy for me! I was very close to finishing my dish... but I had to save some room for the dessert roti, so ended up packing away a couple of bites to take home (which ended up being dinner).

ROTI! Yummy! Imagine fried flaky dough filled with sugar and condensed milk. We had to order one of the famous roti's for dessert. There are quite a few variations on fillings (banana, strawberry, etc.) that you can try. I was a bit surprised when our roti arrived: it was different from the picture, because the dough was all rolled up rather than flat and open like a pancake. So, think crepe instead of pancake. The two of us each got 3 pieces of heavenly goodness! Almost like a donut, but more delicate. It had the perfect amount of sweetness. Next time, I may need my own roti (no sharing!).

This was the perfect TGIF, end-of-finals, lunch with a friend. Cheap, infinitely satisfying, completely enjoyable. I truly can't think of a single complaint about Thai Curry Simple! I am looking forward to trying one of their noodle dishes in the near future! Next week, anyone?

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

A Week of Indian Cuisine

I should know better. Know better than to go outside without an umbrella in Seattle that is! Got caught in the downpour this afternoon on my way home from work. As soon as I got home I ran into a hot shower. Teaches me a lesson in not being always prepared for Seattle weather; even if it's dry and clear in the morning, by afternoon it can be cold, rainy, and dismal.

This past week was an immersion into Indian food. Indian food for dinners and then leftovers the next day for lunch, yum! Monday was Taste of India for Maggie's birthday and on Wednesday, we had church girls' night at Cedars. Different places, different friends, but both times were delicious!

It was my first time at Taste of India; however, I've already heard tons of hype about the place. "Waaaay better than Cedars!" "Unbelievable service (in a good way)!" Gotta say, the place lived up to its reputation! From the moment we entered the restaurant, the staff was extremely welcoming! While we were waiting for our table (really, not much of a "wait"- 3 minutes? and while the rest of our party was still arriving), the waitress brought out cups of chai. Perfect since it was freezing that evening! Then while we were still deciding on what to order, free (yes, FREE!) appetizers were brought out. We were able to taste an assortment of Indian fried goodness, that we probably would not usually order. And of course, the staff continually refilled waters and chai with seemingly every sip. I am not exaggerating! I felt that every time I put down my glass, and someone was there to refill my water to the brim once again. Such attentive service!

I order Mango Curry every single time I go to Indian food- I don't sway much from my loyalties! I love how the mango adds sweetness to the coconut-rich curry. Taste of India did not disappoint, the curry was delicious- smooth, rich, creamy. There was a bit of mix-up with my order- I received shrimp instead of paneer. I guess I got upgraded :D. When I informed our waiter, he graciously brought out another mango curry with paneer this time, and left the shrimp curry with me. So in the end, I suppose I got 2 meals for the price of one! One complaint is that the curry had no hint of spice at all- I ordered mild, expecting just a touch of spiciness, yet the curry was completely unspicy! Coming from me, who doesn't generally like spicy foods, that's saying a lot! Next time, I will probably be a little more daring and order 2 out of 4 stars (I'm assuming "mild" = 0 or 1 star). Also, while the curry had the sweetness characteristics of mango curry, I wasn't sure if there were any mango chunks at all in the curry. The curry seemed to comprise of just creamy sauce and your choice of meat or veggies. There was not much substance to the curry. This is just a minor complaint, since the curry still tasted absolutely delicious! Overall, I really enjoyed my experience at Taste of India- it did not disappoint! Plus, free appetizers, free chai, and free dessert at the end (an assortment of baklava, cheesecake with mango sauce, some type of fried donut with creamy sauce, and a rice pudding) made the experience definitely worth it! I loved the generosity of the restaurant and owner, and I think it pays off- the restaurant was definitely quite busy on a weekday night!

Then, 2 days later I found myself at Cedars ordering Mango Curry with Paneer once more. Our waiter was quite nice and funny- he even tried to learn some Chinese while chatting with us ("xia xia" = thank you)! We ordered a few naans (Indian bread) to start, and they were yummy! I love the chutney and green sauce that you dip the bread in! My mango curry with paneer was slightly different from what I had on Monday at Taste of India. While there were mango chunks, however, I'm not sure if I enjoyed the taste of the mangoes in the curry. Call me picky, but the mangoes seemed to be canned or preserved in some way, having a distinctive taste that I didn't particularly enjoy. However, the rest of the curry (sauce and paneer) was excellent! Plus, I like how at Cedars the paneer is cut into equal-sized chunks, whereas at Taste of India, the paneer was haphazardly shaped. Also, I learned from my mistake and ordered 2 stars in terms of spice level, and the added spice elevated the dish, combining sweetness and saltiness and spiciness! The further dimension of spicy was undoubtedly a plus. I also loved the butter chicken that I tried (Cynthia's dish)! I may have to order that next time! While the service was not quite as attentive and there were not as many waiters/waitresses running around, we still had an enjoyable experience. Really, the benchmark of good service for me now is how low your water glass level goes down to before it gets filled up! Taste of India excelled in that aspect!

There you have it, 2 Indian restaurants in the U-district side-by-side. I think the bottom line is, you really can't go wrong with either place! But if you are the typical college kid looking for free stuff and free food, Taste of India is quite generous with appetizers and desserts, albeit a bit further away! As for my choice... next time, I will have to go with Taste of India and probably try their butter chicken!

Taste of India: 5 out of 5 stars
Cedars: 4 out of 5 stars 


P.S. Don't forget to bring coupons when you try either Indian restaurant! Cedars have a coupon found quarterly in the Survival Guide, while Taste of India has a continual coupon on their website!

Pok Pok

My fam and I usually don't try out new restaurants. We stick with the tried-and-true... which usually translates into dim sum. Not that dim sum isn't good, I love dim sum and Portland dim sum >>> Seattle dim sum, but we are not an adventurous family. Which made today even more fun and enjoyable. Today my parents and I ventured to Pok Pok, a highly-rated, hole-in-the-wall Thai restaurant in an area of Portland we probably have never been to. I heard about Pok Pok last spring; a few friends and I had planned on trying it out, but were shocked and turned away by a 2 hour dinner wait. So this time around, I was prepared. Went for lunch rather than dinner, went on weekday instead of a weekend, went at a time past the usual lunch hour, AND called ahead to get an estimate on the wait. Even with all that forethought, we still had to sit in the outdoor patio (with outdoor heaters surrounding us). I took a glance inside at the indoor seating, and there were not more than 10 tables each seating 2-4 people, so be warned, Pok Pok is tiny and busy all the time!

Onto the food! Pok Pok isn't your usual Thai restaurant. The dishes are all quite unique, and different from what I have ordered at Thai places in the past. Rather than the build-your-own dish with choices of curry or noodles, chicken or beef, spiciness scale of 1 to 5 stars, Pok Pok has a limited menu. Each dish was accompanied by a short blurb, describing the contents of the dish and what inspired the chef to create the dish. We ordered the Pok Pok Special, Ike's Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings, Khao Soi Kai, and Pomegranate Drinking Vinegar as a beverage. Our waiter was quite helpful; since it was our first time at Pok Pok, he described the most popular items (Fish Sauce Wings) and original items on the menu (the Pok Pok Special). Most of the items on the menu are "shared" items, enough for several people. I especially liked how our waiter was friendly, without pressuring us to order more dishes or beverages. He even told us that because of the fast turnaround time from ordering to serving the dish, we could order more food if needed to later.

The Fish Sauce Wings were simply delicious... and spicy! We tried the spicy version, where the wings was rolled with a chili-type sauce. Being a spice-wimp as usual, I could only finish one wing. It's the kind of spicy where at first you don't think it's so bad, but it just gets hotter and hotter! I will order the non-spicy version next time, which comes with the spicy sauce on the side for the more daring among us. But my dad liked it (typical, he loves spicy), and I did too until my mouth start burning up! Besides spicy, the wings also had a perfect sweet and salty yin yang blend going on.

Pok Pok became famous due to its roasted game hen and papaya salad. The Pok Pok Special serves up its 2 signature dishes, half a game hen and papaya salad on the side. The salad was a bit puny, it looked like it could be finished off in a couple of bites. The game hen was really good, and it comes with 2 dipping sauces. One sauce was more spicy and salty, and the other a bit sweeter. The game hen almost reminded of Peking duck, with the crispy outside skin... yummy! I would get the game hen, and perhaps pass on the salad next time.

Khao Soi Kai is a coconut curry noodle soup. The soup came with delicate noodles, big pieces of chicken, and wontons on top. I loved the soup base, sweet due to the coconut infusion. It was a much needed rest for my taste buds after all the spice from the other dishes! The noodles were special, it almost seemed like hand-pulled noodles, with a slight chewiness to them.

The Pomegranate Drinking Vinegar combined fruit vinegar with soda. It wasn't nearly as bad as it sounds! It was plenty sweet with added sugar, but you could still taste the sourness of the vinegar. There were also other fruit flavors for the drinking vinegars (apple, Asian pear, lychee, etc.), but we couldn't taste the pomegranate too distinctly. Good to try, but I'm not sure if I would spend the $4 for it next time.

We had a lot of fun, despite having to sit outside on a winter day in Portland. Pok Pok is very chill, not formal at all. It was enjoyable to try new foods (Pok Pok isn't your average Thai restaurant!). The prices were reasonable, for the three of us we spent $48, including tip. I highly recommend Pok Pok next time you're in the Portland area... if you can put up with the wait time! I'm sad that I don't have pictures to post, since I didn't bring my camera... but that opens the door for a next visit!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Din Tai Fung @ Bellevue

The anticipation for Din Tai Fung in the Seattle area was... off-the-charts. The only way to understand it is if you're Asian, and know how much Asian people like their food! The news of the opening of the restaurant spread by word-of-mouth like wildfire. You weren't quite Asian if you didn't have a countdown for DTF's opening day! Case in point: one of my friends tried several times to see if the restaurant was open yet, luckily she succeeded the 4th time!

DTF finally opened, quietly, last Saturday. By Sunday, the lines to get a table at the restaurant were 2 hours long. I visited on Wednesday afternoon. Arriving at 4pm, I still had to wait 30 minutes for a table during non-dinner hours. However, the wait was due to short staffing rather than too many customers. When my friends and I finally were seated, I looked around, and barely half the tables were filled. It took 20 minutes and me flagging down a waitress before we got waters and some attention. Quite strange, since there seemed to be plenty of servers and waiters and waitresses bustling around. The menu looked delicious- literally! Each dish had an accompanying picture, probably for the sake of the non-Chinese who might wonder at "juicy pork dumplings" or "vermicelli soup with fried tofu."

Not sure on the quantities, or how much the 3 of us girls could eat, we aimed conservatively first. Soon after we ordered, 2.... trays (for the lack of a better word) of xiao long baos arrived. Each were bite-sized, and filled with warm (not hot) meat juices. We carefully peeled the little dumplings off the plate, gingerly to avoid break the thin outer layer and risk spilling the precious soup. The pork dumplings were as anticipated, absolutely delicious! Each order came with 10 dumplings, and I was pretty sure I had more than 10 that evening! The shrimp and pork wontons were amazing, definitely vying with the soup dumplings for a place in my heart! The tiny bit of spiciness in the sauce was perfect. The outer skin was chewy with... bounciness. Next came the hot and sour soup and pork chop. I was not too impressed with the soup, despite my friend raving about it. I thought it was decent, a little too sour and not enough spiciness. And this is coming from me, an absolute wimp about spiciness! (I order "mild" or 1-2 stars at Thai restaurants, for reference.) I would probably pass on the soup next time. The pork chop order was one battered piece of pork, fried golden. I only had a taste of it (my mouth was too busy stuffed with XLB), and it was good. "Good" meaning: "I think I can do better than that!" My mom's pork chop is definitely just as good, if not better than DTF's. By the time our 4th person arrived, the 3 of us girls had polished off 2 trays of XLB, a medium order of hot and sour soup, a pork chop, and an order of wontons (9 pieces). We were more than game to order again. More XLB soon arrived, as well as shumai. The pork and shrimp shumai was decent, but I preferred the XLB. We also indulged in dessert. We were told the restaurant was out of red bean, which made up almost the entire dessert menu, so we opted for taro dumplings. At first, I wasn't too sure about the dessert menu at a Chinese restaurant, but DTF surprised me. Each dumpling was filled with sweet taro filling, and the outer skin was thin and chewy. I loved it! I would definitely order it again next time!

However, for all of the awesomeness of DTF, I also had some complaints. The slowness of getting seats (during off-hours) and slowness of the staff were detractions, especially since I was already salivating at the thought of XLB in class 3 hours ago! Also, the restaurant seemed to be "out" of every other thing on the menu! We were told at least 3 items we had planned to order was not available. For a restaurant with a pretty small menu list, this definitely limits the options. Lastly, prepare to open your wallet if you go to DTF! The damage for the 4 of us was collectively $100+. Plus tip and tax, I easily spent over $30 for the meal. I was pretty full when we left, but probably could have had a couple more XLB, especially since they're so tiny! DTF is well-worth it for special occasions, but I probably can't go as much as I would like to! I can't wait to take my brother there!

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Juicy Pork Dumplings aka Xiao Long Bao

Wontons

Hot and Sour Soup

Shrimp and Pork Shumai

Taro Dumplings