ramblings of a Seattle travel, food and photography hound
Jonathan Gold knows a thing or two about Southern California food. (He no longer is with us, though his legacy and influence remain.) The Pulitzer Prize-winning food writer once named Golden Deli one of L.A. area’s 99 essential restaurants. Located in a strip mall in the food mecca of San Gabriel Valley (SGV), doing business... Continue Reading →
It takes only one sip to judge soup broth. Any more, then it hasn't made a good enough impression. It took me a single one to become wowed. My friend who sat across from me and who ordered the same hủ tiếu hoặc mì dặc biệt at Green Leaf Bellevue Vietnamese Restaurant had the same sentiment. The broth was that good. Green Leaf... Continue Reading →
Nestled against the hills of Lincoln Heights, my wife's old stomping grounds, is Mom's Tamales, considered one of the best tamalerias in Los Angeles. Recipe handed down from grandmother, to mother and and now to current owner, the tamales are so popular that any of the six on the menu may be unavailable at any time because customers may have... Continue Reading →
While in San Jose (CA) at a Vietnamese restaurant, friends KirkJ and his wife ordered and loved a specialty that I had never heard of—bánh khọt, that he points out is difficult to find in the Seattle area. It's apparently equally scarce elsewhere, not as common as its cousin, bánh xèo, whose batter is made from the... Continue Reading →
If phở hadn't become Vietnam's most popular dish here in the States, the vermicelli noodle salad known as bún might have taken its place. At least, that's what I like to think because I love them both and sometimes it's hard to pick between the two. For me, the choice might come down to the weather. Served at room temperature,... Continue Reading →
My lunch excursion started out as a drive to I Love Sushi for a bowl of their terrific nabeyaki udon, but alas the restaurant (and every other place in the lot) was gone—demolished because of new construction, presumably another high-rise project, having met the same fate as other strip malls in the valuable downtown Bellevue real estate market. (I later... Continue Reading →
It was the Spring run of Restaurant Week again earlier this month. Over 130 Seattle area restaurants offered three dinner courses (a starter, main and dessert) for $30. Some restaurants also had a lunch menu for $15. Monsoon East in Bellevue (and its sister restaurant, Monsoon, in Seattle) always seems to participate in this and the similar October festivities,... Continue Reading →
Is it possible that Tamarind Tree is the best Vietnamese restaurant in Seattle? One might be tempted to say so after patronizing it. And why is it that it doesn't come up in culinary conversations as much as, say, Green Leaf, which many do regard as without equal in these parts? One reason could be... Continue Reading →
Tucked in one corner of an Issaquah parking lot that shares space with PCC, Michael's, Office Depot and Aaron Brothers is Jenny Phở. While the name suggests specialization in the popular Vietnamese noodle soup, the menu is a lot more extensive with headings for wonton soup, stir-fried noodles, fried rice, rice dishes, curries and vermicelli... Continue Reading →
Celebrating our birthdays at Monsoon East may be becoming a tradition. Granted, two years in a row hardly qualifies as an annual observance, but truthfully we couldn't think of any better special place to be that was within a short driving distance of home. Along the two-block distance on Main Street in Old Bellevue can... Continue Reading →
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