There has been a lot of buzz lately about Red Lantern, a Chinese restaurant that also serves some Korean dishes, located along the edge of the International District. Unlike most restaurants in the area, the prices are on the high side and the ambience more upscale than one typically finds in the ID. In 2011,... Continue Reading →
Noodle Soups at Din Tai Fung (Bellevue, WA)
Beyond the pleasures of eating very well prepared xiao long bao (XLB) which established its reputation in Taiwan, Din Tai Fung does offer other things on its menu. Sandwiched between two movies at Lincoln Square Cinemas today, we were able to squeeze in an early dinner here. Sitting in the bar area is a way to avoid sometimes... Continue Reading →
Dinner at Shanghai Café (Bellevue, WA)
We'd been going to Shanghai Café for a long time, shortly after it first opened in (I believe) 1998. So that's almost fifteen years that we've patronized what has become our go-to Chinese restaurant. Over the years, we've brought friends here. Almost without exception, they too have enjoyed the food. My daughter and son-in-law, both... Continue Reading →
Dinner at Homeworld BBQ Restaurant (Auckland, NZ)
After visiting the Sky Tower, we decided to have dinner on our way back to the hotel. While walking along Wellesley, we came across Homeworld BBQ Restaurant. The menu posted outside seemed interesting, so we ventured inside. At around 5pm, there weren't any other customers. We decided to stay and eat. The experience was good.... Continue Reading →
Lunch at Kiwi Country Fast Food (Auckland, NZ)
We could easily have passed by Kiwi Country, a Chinese-Malay restaurant in the basement of a building near Albert Park. Wide stairs from street level pointed us down to the front door. Once inside, we were faced with a very extensive menu on the wall with pictures to help us decide. Next to each item... Continue Reading →
Dinner at Mongolie Grill (Whistler, BC)
Dinner was at Mongolie Grill, a variation on the typical Mongolian grill where they charge you by weight ($3.75 CDN per 100 grams). The sauce options were above average. Our total for the grill came out to about $34 CDN, rather pricey compared to what you can get in non-captive areas. Mongolie Grill 201-4295 Blackcomb... Continue Reading →
Din Tai Fung (Bellevue, WA)
Among xiao long bao (XLB) fanatics, Din Tai Fung has a cult-like following. After having been highly successful in Taiwan, it opened branches in other parts of the world, most notably in Asia and the South Pacific. Then in 1993, the New York Times voted it one of the ten best restaurants in the world. The... Continue Reading →
Dinner at Spicy Talk Bistro (Redmond, WA)
After chef Cheng Biao Yang sold Szechwan Chef, foodies in these parts wondered if he was officially retired or would eventually open another restaurant. For whatever reasons, he seems to start new ventures periodically, having started Szechwan Chef in Bellevue after selling the highly-regarded Seven Stars Pepper in Seattle's Little Saigon district. Luckily for his followers, he opened Spicy... Continue Reading →
Sweet Home Cafe (Honolulu, HI)
Sweet Home Cafe is another restaurant that specializes in one thing, and one thing only–Taiwanese hot pot. There is no shortage of patrons. By the time we arrived at the restaurant at 5:30pm, there was already a waiting list. We didn’t get seated until after 6:30, and I’ll say it right now, the wait was... Continue Reading →
Dinner at Spiced (Bellevue, WA)
Health Department closure several months ago notwithstanding, there was buzz about the new restaurant that served authentic Szechwan dishes. By authentic, I'm referring to the very liberal dose of Szechwan peppercorns that can leave your mouth numb for hours, a trait that is integral to Szechwan cooking, and to the equally liberal dose of dried red chiles.... Continue Reading →
zoomeboshi 