Review - Nettletown - Seattle, WA

Nettletown

Almost hidden in a tiny strip mall along Eastlake Ave is Nettletown - It's in the old Sitka & Spruce location and next to Eastlake Teriyaki. After meeting a friend in Capitol Hill we decided to try lunch at Nettletown. 

Recipe - Chawanmushi (Japanese Savory Egg Custard)

Japanese Savory Egg Custard (Chawanmushi)

Chawanmushi is a savory custard unlike any dessert custard, and one of my favorite traditional Japanese dishes.  It's typically served as an appetizer, and it uses special cups, designed just for making Chawanmushi.  This recipe uses ingredients that my family enjoys, but you can get creative and use so many different fillings.  Chicken, spinach, bok choy, asparagus and peas. are also great in this dish!

Review - Fresh Bistro - Seattle, WA

Fresh Bistro

Despite living only about 20 minutes away, I rarely make it over to West Seattle.  But the occasional stroll along California Avenue is great!   For a friend's birthday dinner, we went to Fresh Bistro.   We were with a group of about 20, and unfortunately we didn't get to sit together.  So good to note, this place isn't great for groups.  We were seated in an area with our tables near each other, but were turning our chair around to be able to talk to people at other tables.  

Review - Ting Momo - Seattle, WA

Ting Momo

The most recent opening of Tom Douglas's empire is Ting Momo, a Tibetan dumpling house.  I imagine this restaurant is a bit swankier than a traditional Tibetan dumpling house, although the ambiance is unique and warming.  

Review - Wann Izakaya - Seattle, WA

Wann Izakaya

I just love Izakaya style dining.  It's like Japanese Tapas, small plates meant for sharing, and lots of drinks to go around.  We've been going to Wann for quite some time and the food is consistently good!  I love the ambiance of the restaurant, and almost every time we are there, Japanese hipsters are there, boisterously speaking in their native tongue and having what appears to be a great time!

Recipe - Burmese Tea Leaf Salad

Burmese Tea Leaf Salad (Lahpet Thoke)

During a recent trip to San Francisco, we finally dined at the much raved about Burma Superstar.  One dish we knew to try was the Tea Leaf Salad.  According to their website they actually go to Burma to get the tea leaves (Lahpet) for their salad.

Review - Tamarind Tree - Seattle, WA

Tamarind Tree

Hidden in the back of a sketchy strip mall on Jackson St in the International District is a small but swanky Vietnamese restaurant - Tamarind Tree.

The menu is vast and at first I wasn't sure what to order. So I decided to stick with one of my favorite Vietnamese dishes - Bánh xèo Cây Me, or Vietnamese Crepes. These crepes are nothing like a French style crepe. Rice flour and coconut milk are combined to form a shell of sorts around various fillings. The crepe is super crispy almost like a cracker. It sizzles and lightly pops while it's frying.

Review - Root Table - Ballard - Seattle, WA

Root Table

Entering into Root Table is how I imagine it feels to be transported to a treehouse in Thailand.  Everything is made from raw cuts of wood, some intricately carved into sculptures.  Each chair and table is unique.

Review - Revel - Fremont - Seattle, WA

Revel

I've been wanting to try Revel for a while now, so when some friends and I decided to get together for dinner I suggested we try Revel in Fremont.  It's located in the middle of the shopping and bar scene in Fremont and can easily be missed if you're not looking for it.  The restaurant is super small but attached to the swanky Quoin bar.  

Review - Shiku Sushi

Shiku Menu

Shiku

It seems like Ballard has a sushi place on every corner lately.  Moshi Moshi (yuck, I got food poisoning there..), O'shan, the list goes on.  We finally decided to try Shiku.  

Review - A Piece Of Cake

A Piece Of Cake

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After Dim Sum at Jade Garden in the International District, we needed to pick up a last minute birthday cake.  My friend suggested we go to A Piece Of Cake.  I have driven by this place before but never stopped in to check it out.  But what a great hidden spot!

Review - Citrus

Citrus

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I have been trying to decide how to review this place. Do I review just the food? Do I criticize the ambiance of this place, solely because of the clientele? I guess I just need to be honest.

We recently dined/"partied" at Citrus for a friend's birthday.  I don't think this is a place I would have picked for myself, but it was my friend's birthday.  Of course we will go!  Plus, we were able to get coupons through Dealswarm, $20 for $40 of food and drinks, and there wasn't a limit on how many could be used for the group, so everyone was able to use a coupon!

Review - Burma Superstar

Burma Superstar

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The first thing I had to figure out, what is Burmese food?  I mean, I understand it's from Burma, but I have never been exposed to this kind of cuisine.  This place gets amazing reviews, so we decided to give it a try, not knowing what to expect.  The only tip we'd had to was to try some tea leaf salad.  hmm...

Review - Jade Garden

Jade Garden

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I miss when Dim Sum were truly bite sized delicacies.  Now, it seems that most if not all Chinese Dim Sum restaurants have given in to what America wants.  Oversize Siu Mai, giant Hum Bow and portions so large they have to use sketchy kitchen scissors to cut the food up when they serve it.  ARGH!  If anyone knows of a place that serves what Dim Sum used to be, please, let me know.   Not to bag on Dim Sum, I love it, and I am not holding Jade Garden accountable for my rant, Jade Garden is actually pretty good for Dim Sum, if you are willing to battle the crowd.

Review - Nishino

Nishino

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A friend and I decided to go to Nishino during the Dine Around Seattle promo, a 3 course meal for $30. Neither of us have dined here before so we weren't exactly sure what to expect. We have made our way to several Japanese restaurants in Seattle, so I was looking forward to Nishino!

Review - Aloha Ramen

Aloha Ramen

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When the weather is this cold, I crave noodle soups.  Whether it be a big bowl of Pho, or Udon, I love them all!  Today, we decided to give Aloha Ramen a try! 

Kimchi Ramen with Chicken $8

Review - Din Tai Fung

Din Tai Fung

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I don't dine out in Bellevue often, but when a friend and I heard that Din Tai Fung was open, and serving soup dumplings, it went on our list of places to try! We went on a Saturday night around 8pm, and we only had to wait for about 10 minutes, so that was nice! It was fun to wait and look into the windows of the area where the dumplings were being prepared. One chef rolled perfectly round pieces of dough, and the others stuffed the dumpling with meat and weighed each one. The restaurant was bigger than I expected, modern decor, not really cozy, but I did feel as if I was transported to some "swanky" restaurant in Taiwan.