Tag: seattle

Restaurant Review: Din Tai Fung University Village – Seattle

resreviewLove me some dumplings! Especially when I’m with friends like @saraheward and @timothyfunk

pork dumplings, vegetable dumplings, shrimp pork dumplings, marinated cucumber, pork buns, red bean buns, rice cake noodles with vegetables, spicy dumplings, boy choy with garlic… Basically a Chinese feast of goodness!

Restaurant Review: Donuts – Seattle

One of the oldest vendors in Pikes Place Market, the Doughnut shop is quite a charming little place. Klint said that the doughnuts were amazing… warm, crispy on the outside, moist on the inside.

While I didn’t eat the doughnuts, I loved the smell… ahhhhhh. Plus it was really fun to watch them make the doughnuts. I wonder how old that equipment is?!

Restaurant Review: Boat Shed – Bremerton

boat shedTaking the ferry from Seattle to Bremerton is divine on a sunny afternoon. Classic way to start a dinner date in the Puget for sure! Destination: Boat Shed. A local hot spot.

Dinner started off with the customary calamari. Delicate squid battered but not fried long enough… bummer. The aoili was pretty authentic and the wasabi mayo had the right amount of kick.

Clam chowder was categorical for the restaurant’s location. Creamy. Chunky. Texture. Clam bite surprises in all the right places.

Coleslaw contained some of its own surprises. Napa cabbage added to the traditional green and purple cabbage with carrots. Instead of a heavy mayo medium, the rice vinegar-ish sweet Asian tang had a mild bite… Black sesame seeds for added crunch.

Though the beer batter was more doughy than flakey, the halibut was moist and bursting with natural flavor.

Cobb salad was piled high with tomatoes, cucumber, egg, bacon, and blue cheese crumbles. A healthy serving of grilled chicken and an added serving of chilled bay shrimp. Voila! A perfect cobb salad, Seattle style.

Service was great. Our server was funny and scarce. The water-bearer was on the ball and didn’t let the randomly angled umbrellas stop him. Definitely take advantage of outdoor seating if a nice day. Great views and elegant boats whisping by.

Do differently: Request calamari be cooked for 60 seconds longer. Not get fish and chips, rather get grilled salmon or halibut, etc. Ask for the bread earlier… very tasty.

Overall rating: 3.5/5
Food: 3/5
Service: 4.5/5
Price: $25 per person

Restaurant Review: Red Mill Burgers – Ballard

red millIngredients for one of the best burgers, ever:

  • Juicy burger patty
  • Flame broiled Anaheim chile
  • Red Mill mayo sauce
  • Tomato
  • Lettuce
  • Jack cheese
  • Kaiser bun.

Fries were so-so. But, what a tasty burger! The Verde Burger at Red Mill Burger is a must eat if you find yourself in Ballard, north of Seattle. Plus if Oprah says it’s one the 20 burgers to eat before you die, then you know it’s good!

Do differently? Keep the red onion, which is standard issue. We usually request to have onion removed because of the overpowering taste, but seems like this Verde Burger would be even better with the onion.

Another point: Even though they’re screaming busy ALL the time, service is great. Small place has enough tables because they’re turning fast. Tables outside for sunny days.

Overall rating: 4/5 stars
Food rating: 4.5/5
Service: 4.5/5
Price: $8

Restaurant Review: Crepe De France – Seattle

crepe1If you want to knock your socks off, head over to Crepe De France in Pikes Market, Seattle. The most amazing crepes!

Jen had a savory Crepe du Jour with mozzarella, ham, and spinach. A dollop of dijon mustard for dipping –  perfection!

Naturally, Klint is interested in the sweeter crepes, so he went for the Crepe Aux Peaches. Filled with vanilla cream and fresh Washington peaches. Topped off with piles of whipped cream. Stop the press! This baby is ah-maze-ing.

Eating in their restaurant is cramped and noisy with many patrons coming and going. We opted to step outside and eat downstairs in a public seating space.

crepe2The wait is a little long, but totally worth it. Go hungry – bon appétit!

Overall: 4/5
Food: 4.5/5
Service: 3/5 Don’t expect them to chit-chat. Busy kitchen and these guys have a groove to their work that doesn’t include entertaining a long line of tourists.
Price: About $13 per crêpe. Totally worth the steep price.

Restaurant Review: Thai Ginger – Seattle

thaigingerFor fabulous Thai, always ask a local for a recommendation. Talked to my friend, Mike Whitmore, for a good recommendation. He didn’t let us down!

Apparently, Thai Ginger has a couple of locations. We went to the one in the multi-story mall downtown. At first, we were a little dubious because it WAS in a mall. But, sure am glad that we carried on with the recommendation.

The meat was tender. The veggies fresh and crisp. The sauces flavorful. The ambiance easy-going, welcoming and well-lit.

This picture is of the appetizer sample platter. The cucumber vinegar sauce at the top of the picture was ah-maze-ing. Gotta reverse engineer that recipe for sure!

Yep, we’ll go back to Thai Ginger when in Seattle again.

How do you say “bon appétit” in Thai?

Restaurant Review: Cafe Olga – Orcas Island

Upon the recommendation of a friend, we took the ferry to out to Orcas Island for the day. I wish that we had more time on the island to explore, but we’ll go back another time!

We did find a great spot to stop for lunch. Cafe Olga looks like an old barn. A relaxed atmosphere, great staff and fabulous food. I had an amazing Thai pasta dish with spicy prawns. Divine!

The hubby enjoyed a turkey sandwich that was an explosion of flavor with every bite. He’ll be talking about that sandwich for a long time, I bet.

For a treat to-go, the hubby grabbed a cinnamon roll. Enormous, cinnamony goodness. Bring on the sugar coma!

The restaurant was full of local art work, trinkets, jewelry, ceramics and more to buy.  Complete with a nice detail of lavender at the door. Quaint. Charming. Highly recommend to check it out if you’re going to Orcas Island. I’ll be back…

Restaurant Review: Pancake Chef – Seattle

pancake1First stop after landing in Seattle, breakfast.

Jen had the Buen Sabor omelette. Overall, pretty tasty. Would’ve like to have more chorizo for flavor and jalapeno for kick. The hash browns weren’t very flavorful, even with a healthy dose of Tabasco.

Klint had the bacon and eggs. Pretty much THE best bacon ever. Managed to get a hair in the eggs… of course. The pancakes were dense and spongy, but the raspberry and boysenberry syrup were excellent.

Truly the best part of breakfast was the people. Our darling waitress proudly told us she’s the owners daughter, so to her everything is great on the menu. The guy sitting next to us over heard that we were new in town, so he offered up advice and loaned us a pen.

pancake2In the end, an okay spot. Only reason why we’d go back would be because of not knowing about other options.

Overall rating: 3/5 stars
Food rating: 2/5
Service: 4/5
Price: $21 including the tip