Dinner
Bamboo Garden
We weren't planning to go out to eat tonight, but as I started considering what to have for dinner I realized that Szechuan was absolutely imperative to my continued well-being. I then very quickly convinced Maika that Bamboo Garden in Bellevue was our only choice, primarily on the strength of the fact that they have Dan Dan Mein, labeled as Cheng Dun Dan Dan Noodles (With Pork) on their menu. We ordered, that, a spicy cold sliced beef appetizer, Chong Qing Spicy Chicken, and Lamb with Scallions. I had heard mixed reviews of this place, but after this meal I can safely say it is above average when it comes to traditional Szechuan favorites. The spicy beef was excellent. It had a hint of sweetness to it, and the meat was sliced a little on the thin side without too much chewy tendon. It was also very spicy. The Spicy chicken was a little different from other place as it had a slightly sweeter (but still spicy) taste and it was sprinkled with sesame seeds. I thought it was on par with some of the best we've had elsewhere. The lamb was good, but nothing spectacular. It was surprisingly tender though. Of course the most important thing was the Dan Dan, which was quite good. There was plenty of very finely ground pork and a nice spicy nutty broth. The noodles were thick hand-shaven noodles that were cooked perfectly. I have occasionally had examples of these noodles that were still a little bit chalky in the middle. These were not. There was no bok choy in the dish, unlike 7 Stars Pepper, but other than that they were pretty similar. Now I need to go try Szechuan Bistro again I guess.
One question was how we would decide in the future whether to eat here or at Szechuan Chef when we're on the east side. The answer is simple. Bamboo Garden does not have Ants Climbing a Tree on the menu.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Jan 21 2009
Breakfast
Mecca Cafe
M. needed to run an errand somewhere on Lower QA and my friend and I wanted breakfast, so this is what we chose. I had pancakes. They were thick and fluffy and quite good.
Mecca Cafe
M. needed to run an errand somewhere on Lower QA and my friend and I wanted breakfast, so this is what we chose. I had pancakes. They were thick and fluffy and quite good.
Jan 20 2009
Brunch
Coastal Kitchen
I am routinely let down by dinner here, but I have had more than adequate brunch/lunch here on a couple of occasions. This was one of them. I had a "Sweet and Savory Crepe" which was served with apples, ham, and gruyere. There was some honey and a side of very thin and crisp pommes frites. It was all good.
Dinner
Queen City Grill
This place has been on my list for a long time. A friend was in town so we decided to go check it out. We started with two appetizers. We had a tuna "carpaccio" served with some lightly pickled onions and cucumbers and some wasabi (which we ignored), and we had a saute of wild mushrooms served over a very nice and creamy risotto. Both were good, but the tuna lacked a little something. It was a little bit bland. For an entree I had a very good bouillabaisse that was packed with lots of different types of fish, a small crab leg, and plenty of little clams. The broth was flavorful and light. My friend had halibut cheeks, which were excellent. This ended up being a very good meal in a really pleasant laid back atmosphere. I like this place.
We skipped dessert and went to Spur and had a couple of cocktails instead. They were very good, as were the homemade corn nuts.
Coastal Kitchen
I am routinely let down by dinner here, but I have had more than adequate brunch/lunch here on a couple of occasions. This was one of them. I had a "Sweet and Savory Crepe" which was served with apples, ham, and gruyere. There was some honey and a side of very thin and crisp pommes frites. It was all good.
Dinner
Queen City Grill
This place has been on my list for a long time. A friend was in town so we decided to go check it out. We started with two appetizers. We had a tuna "carpaccio" served with some lightly pickled onions and cucumbers and some wasabi (which we ignored), and we had a saute of wild mushrooms served over a very nice and creamy risotto. Both were good, but the tuna lacked a little something. It was a little bit bland. For an entree I had a very good bouillabaisse that was packed with lots of different types of fish, a small crab leg, and plenty of little clams. The broth was flavorful and light. My friend had halibut cheeks, which were excellent. This ended up being a very good meal in a really pleasant laid back atmosphere. I like this place.
We skipped dessert and went to Spur and had a couple of cocktails instead. They were very good, as were the homemade corn nuts.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Jan 19 2009
Lunch
Rice N Spice
Today I had something I'd never ordered before; Sukiyaki with beef. Thai sukiyaki is sort of sweet and sour and spicy. It's quite rich. The noodles are thin glass noodles. I have seen it with beef (it's listed here with seafood) on one other menu in Seattle, but it's not listed with beef here. They're happy to make it though.
Rice N Spice
Today I had something I'd never ordered before; Sukiyaki with beef. Thai sukiyaki is sort of sweet and sour and spicy. It's quite rich. The noodles are thin glass noodles. I have seen it with beef (it's listed here with seafood) on one other menu in Seattle, but it's not listed with beef here. They're happy to make it though.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Jan 18 2009
Lunch
Roti
Their buffet is slightly above average, and readily accessible from work. This is nothing remarkable, just competently prepared and occasionally interesting Indian food. They claim to grind all their own spices on a daily basis. I can appreciate that, having just ground a bunch of spices last week for some curry powder.
Dinner
El Camion
It was once again Taco Sunday. To celebrate this holy hour we had carnitas (not as good as El Asadero, but still very good) and cochinita pibil. The cochinita pibil is really terrific. I haven't seen it on the menu at any other taco stands. We also had a pretty good chicken mole tamal. I like their pork in red sauce tamales better. The chicken was slightly dry in this example and the mole was a little bit bland. The pork on the other hand is very moist and quite spicy. The tamales here are very large and wrapped in a banana leaf. I think this means that the food is Yucatecan, actually. Anyway it's all really quite good. I think it's a sad reflection on Mexican food in Seattle that the best examples are all from taco buses and stands.
Roti
Their buffet is slightly above average, and readily accessible from work. This is nothing remarkable, just competently prepared and occasionally interesting Indian food. They claim to grind all their own spices on a daily basis. I can appreciate that, having just ground a bunch of spices last week for some curry powder.
Dinner
El Camion
It was once again Taco Sunday. To celebrate this holy hour we had carnitas (not as good as El Asadero, but still very good) and cochinita pibil. The cochinita pibil is really terrific. I haven't seen it on the menu at any other taco stands. We also had a pretty good chicken mole tamal. I like their pork in red sauce tamales better. The chicken was slightly dry in this example and the mole was a little bit bland. The pork on the other hand is very moist and quite spicy. The tamales here are very large and wrapped in a banana leaf. I think this means that the food is Yucatecan, actually. Anyway it's all really quite good. I think it's a sad reflection on Mexican food in Seattle that the best examples are all from taco buses and stands.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Jan 15 2009
Lunch
Shiki
I had Unagi Donburi. It was fair. The unagi was bonier than usual for some reason. I often get their bento special, which is a pretty amazing deal, but they were sold out by the time we got there. Next time!
Shiki
I had Unagi Donburi. It was fair. The unagi was bonier than usual for some reason. I often get their bento special, which is a pretty amazing deal, but they were sold out by the time we got there. Next time!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Jan 14 2009
Lunch
Metropolitan Market
I had a baguette with prosciutto, butter, spinach, and one of those mild deli cheeses that I can never identify. I always like this sandwich. I also had some Odwalla Tangerine! juice, which I just noticed is not actually 100% tangerine juice. Lame! Anyway, a good quick lunch.
Metropolitan Market
I had a baguette with prosciutto, butter, spinach, and one of those mild deli cheeses that I can never identify. I always like this sandwich. I also had some Odwalla Tangerine! juice, which I just noticed is not actually 100% tangerine juice. Lame! Anyway, a good quick lunch.
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