#definitely ordering this again

[eatingtheave]

Chicken tatsuage, Village Sushi

We asked Joe what the difference between this and karaage was. He said, “not much but there are egg whites.” I’ll eat anything that basically comes down to two words: “fried” and “chicken.” 

I didn’t take pictures of everything, but we also ordered seaweed salad, edamame and tempura udon.

Next I want to try the sushi cone!

[eatingtheave]

Rainbow roll and caterpillar roll, Village Sushi

Do you see the look of pure happiness/insanity in Penny’s eyes? I love that my girl loves sushi so much!

The feel of the place was unbelievably cozy, making it the perfect refuge from the rainy weather. Van Morrison played on the stereo (have you ever realized how much of a “winter” artist Van is?), which was mounted to the walls alongside records and oil paintings that seemed to depict Joe, the owner and sushi chef who smiled at us from behind the counter.

The sushi was delicious, and the service was fast and efficient. A mix of the olds and the youngsters created a soft din to the restaurant - not too loud but enough to convey that this is a place where memories are being made. I love so many U District places for the feeling of warmth and simplicity. No frills and no pretensions.

Can you tell I love this place? It may become our regular sushi place. Price ain’t bad either.

Caterpillar roll: $10.50 Rainbow roll: $11.50

[eatingtheave]

Dumplings, Mr. Bian Dumplings

Some friends who moved to Kansas came back into town. We met for lunch, and they told me they had a craving for dumplings. Luckily, this place had just opened!

These are the laobian dumplings, the style of dumplings that this place specializes in. These dumplings originate from the oldest dumpling house in China and are distinctive for having precooked fillings. 

When you order your dumplings here, you can choose to get them as dumplings that are boiled or steamed, or as pot stickers, which are fried and have that lovely crispy brownness on one side.

Beef and celery dumplings (top) and pork and shrimp dumplings (below). The beef and celery dumplings were a huge hit, loved passionately by my littlest dining companions! We ordered a lot of them.

We also ordered xiao long bao (soup dumplings), but I was too busy catching up with my friends to get a picture of them! 

All the food was pretty good, although it didn’t blow me away. I’d still rate these dumplings as more intriguing than even Little Kitchen’s dumplings, which got a lot of press at the time.

On Yelp, this place got a ding for service, and later, I was talking about this place with another friend, and she did remind me that they failed to bring out the soup that they list as complimentary on the menu. The blips don’t interfere too much with my enjoyment of the place. I’ll be back! 

$5.99 for six dumplings

4311 University Way NE

[eatingtheave]

Beijing style crepe, BCZhang

There are a lot of crepe options at BCZhang, including crepes with beef, chicken and turkey. The duck crepe beckoned again, but the guy behind the counter was quick to tell us only limited options were available. It didn’t matter, because I knew walking in that I would order the most classic version of the crepe, which is this Beijing variety commonly eaten as breakfast.

You could choose from crepes made from different flours, including wheat, corn, red bean and green bean. I asked him what the most classic choice was, and he directed me toward the green bean flour. When he asked how spicy I wanted it, I asked him the awkward, “How spicy is your spicy,” and he answered, “American spicy.” Aha, so that’s the proper term to use! 

The first bite of this crepe, which was folded in a neat rectangle, had a pleasant spice from the red bean and soy bean paste. My friend and I traded looks and said, “Eh ok.” Then as the we dug further into the crepes we found onions, cabbage and wontons, which provided a surprise crunch. Egg is also folded into the crepe. The flavors deepened and reminded me of moo shu. I’m still thinking about it as I write 10 hours later. 

$8.99

4730 University Way NE

[eatingtheave]

Chili taco and braised bison taco, Off the Rez

It’s a match made in heaven for a Native American cafe to be inside the Burke Museum! The Burke is Washington’s oldest museum, and it celebrates our Native American heritage, natural history and other cultures in the state. It shows the power of food to act as a bridge to the past and present. These recipes and traditions were passed down from owner Mark McConnell’s mother, just as the artifacts in this museum have been passed down through the ages. Makes you a little misty, doesn’t it? 

When I try something new, I always want to try the most iconic dish, which brings me to the frybread tacos. Other options include a frybread breakfast burrito and braised bison rice bowl, which my friend Erik got today.

This picture doesn’t properly show the distinction between the two tacos, but one has a simple beef chili as its base and the other has braised bison, which was juicy, shredded and rich with flavor. Red meat lovers rejoice! The bread was soft and airy. This pair was the perfect amount of food for lunch. It feels substantial, but doesn’t leave a heaviness in my stomach.

Braised bison taco: $6.50 Chili taco: $5

[eatingtheave]

Chicken wings and chicken sandwich, Bok a Bok

Here we are at a community meeting. For sauce, I went with umami bbq, which tasted like gochujang - so so good. When I’m with Penny, I don’t order things spicy - just think about the word spicy, and Penny goes running, spits it out, or refuses to open her mouth. 

To be honest, my mind was preoccupied with people arguing about zoning, making sure Penny was okay, and trying not to make a mess. This time, the chicken did not make a huge impression. 

But then a week later, I went again. My friend and I got chicken sandwiches and sat at the park section of U Heights, much more conducive to eating and happiness than trying to decipher land use policy. The chicken was so crispy, tender and juicy. I’m sold. In the words of Oleta Adams, “I don’t care how you get here, get here if you can.”

10 chicken wings: $12.10 Umami BBQ chicken sandwich: $8

[eatingtheave]

Chef’s salad, My Favorite Deli

I’m on the hunt for more places to get good, fast salads. This one came from My Favorite Deli, right outside my office, and it was perfect. Chicken that was still warm (!), bacon, egg, cucumber, bleu cheese and a little avocado. Like Sally Albright, I like my dressing on the side. Perfect grab-and-go salad.

Do you have a favorite salad? If so, drop me a note or submit your own salad pic.

$9.31

[eatingtheave]

Chicken porridge, Bugis

I had plans to meet friends at Bugis, but I’m also trying to be more conscious of what I eat. Let’s just say all this food blogging has led me to pack on a few pounds. I walked up and saw my friend with this dish, which gave me the perfect lunch option - especially since I am a big congee fan. I didn’t know that congee or porridge was something Koreans did. Always learning more about the homeland.

This congee had two stewed chicken legs. Everybody who knows me well knows I love little else more than eating meat off a bone. As it ends up, this porridge needed a bit more flavor, but it’s still a good healthy alternative to rice bowls and Korean fried chicken. My friend also pointed out that the kimchi can be add directly to the porridge to add a little more zest.

When I ordered, I asked the girl at the counter how business was. She said it was going good and that was corroborated by the people who trickled in as we moved further into the lunch hour. I hope this place stays around, because I really like it!

$6.99