Taquitos at La Cocina del Puerco (Bellevue, WA)—CLOSED

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 →

Noodle Soups at Pestle Rock (Seattle, WA)

I've eaten at Pestle Rock twice before, having come away impressed both times. The occasion of having lunch with my daughter marked my third visit. What caught my eye was a noodle soup dish called Guay Tiow Lao, which I presumed from its name was Laotian in style. How it's Laotian in influence I have no... Continue Reading →

Dinner at Red Lantern (Seattle, WA)

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 →

Soon Dubu at Seoul Hot Pot (Redmond, WA)

The first time I had soon dubu jjigae was in Santa Clara in 2002. My daughter's roommate, when they were living in the San Jose area at the time, took us to So Gong Dong Tofu House. I recall what a revelation it was, a savory and spicy stew featuring soft dubu (tofu). Since then, I've... Continue Reading →

Tonkotsu Ramen at Ai Sushi (Bellevue, WA)

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 →

Lunch at Island Grill (Bellevue, WA)

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 →

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 →

The Bomb at Ton-Chan (San Gabriel, CA)—CLOSED

Before the crush of food preparation for osechi ryori, five of us headed over to Ton-Chan for lunch. A previous review of it is here. Instead of the usual Sapporo miso tonkotsu ramen that others ordered, I went for one appropriately called The Bomb, basically a miso tonkotsu ramen with spicy ground pork. As noted before,... Continue Reading →

Lunch at Ten Ten (West Covina, CA)

Recently, after completing our shopping at Marukai Market for osechi ryori ingredients, we'd typically have lunch at Rutt's, a restaurant inside the market near the southern entrance. This was the branch of Rutt's doing business in Culver City. For some reason, it shut down operation since I was here last December and has been replaced by... Continue Reading →

Dinner at Monsoon East (Bellevue, WA)

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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