ramblings of a Seattle travel, food and photography hound
When chef Cheng Biao Yang, one of Seattle's luminaries of Chinese—and specifically Szechuan—cooking sold Szechuan Chef to pursue another restaurant opportunity, fans began to wonder the inevitable. Would there be a decline in quality? As the weeks went by, there began to be reports that, yes, things have started to go downhill. I used to go there... Continue Reading →
The recent run of good weather made it ideal for us to visit a local garden and admire the springtime displays. One of the small horticultural treasures in the Seattle area is the Bellevue Botanical Garden, a stone's throw away from the Bellevue commercial district. It's a resource for gardeners and a showcase for flowers, shrubs... Continue Reading →
We celebrated a friend's birthday by taking her out to a Salvadoran restaurant. El Comal has been in Bellevue for several years running now, having moved once from its location set back in a strip mall on the eastern edge of Crossroads Shopping area to one in the same mall but closer to 106th Ave... Continue Reading →
After a throat-parching, warm day of hiking in the Cougar Mountain Regional Park, we headed straight to a Mexican restaurant for a late lunch. There were no Cinco de Mayo specials, except for a few drinks and snacks for happy hour, somewhat of a disappointment since many area Mexican restaurants were offering specials (off-menu) just for... Continue Reading →
Soft tacos are such a popular snack in Mexico that it was inevitable that they should make an appearance across the border. This has been a relatively recent phenomenon because the Mexican restaurants of yesteryear—at least the ones I frequented in Southern California—usually served tacos with crispy, fried shells and ground beef fillings. I have to... Continue Reading →
All the times before that we've dined at Din Tai Fung, we were never able to get seated at a table right away. Always there was a wait. It is that popular. Tonight was an exception. We waltzed right in after seeing Amour at Lincoln Square Cinemas (a remarkable, unsettling, superbly acted movie, by the way).... Continue Reading →
In the sea of cookie-cutter Mexican restaurants in the Seattle area, one on the Eastside stands out for its great food and interior decor kitschiness. When you walk through La Cocina del Puerco's doors, it's refreshing to be surrounded by piñatas hanging from the ceiling, the turquoise- and pink-painted walls, rickety metal card tables doubling... Continue Reading →
While I was getting my Hawaiian meal at Island Grill (see below), my wife was ordering tonkotsu ramen from Ai Sushi, also located in the Crossroads Mall food court. Let me first start off by saying that I'm always wary when a restaurant that does not specialize in it offers tonkotsu, a ramen that requires... Continue Reading →
We were excited to learn that a Hawaiian restaurant opened on the Eastside recently. When she was running an errand at Crossroads Mall last week, my wife first noticed it, now in the space previously occupied by Jones' BBQ and then Burney's BBQ. So far, I haven't found a satisfactory Hawaiian restaurant in the Greater... Continue Reading →
I've reviewed Monsoon East in a previous post. Located in Old Bellevue on the Eastside, it (along with the original Monsoon) is the best Asian fusion restaurant in the Seattle area. If there is any single reason why we don't come here often, it is that the restaurant seems more appropriate for a special occasion or... Continue Reading →
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