Food & Drink

Top 5 Things I Ate Last Week

A week of eating summed up in 5 snapshots

By Seattle Mag September 15, 2014

99park-tacos-frog

It was another week of marathon eating and most of it was good.  Here are some of the highlights of my last 7 days of feeding:  

Fried chicken at 99 Park
This new restaurant just off Bellevue’s Main St. is not even a month old, yet they’ve already come to the astute conclusion that a Sunday chicken dinner of some sort would probably do just fine on the menu here. Pictured: Korean-style fried chicken swathed in a sweet chili sauce. I ordered it with a group of friends on Sunday as a special. Chef Quinton Stewart told us he’s considering making these family-style fried chicken dinners a weekly thing (with weekly preparations). This six-piece platter feeds about three people for $30.

“Sexy Tofu” tacos at Marination Ma Kai
I can’t help but to order these every time I go to Ma Kai. I don’t order them to be healthy, I order them because the Kalbi marinade on the tofu brings me immense joy. Topped with pickled jalapenos, slaw and the highly secretive Nunya Sauce (Q: “What’s this sauce made of?” A: “Nunya business.”), these tacos ($2.50/ea.) taste even better with a drizzle of Marination’s homemade malt ponzu vinegar.

Pan-seared halibut at Barking Frog
Served over buckwheat soba noodles and sautéed vegetables (bok choy, red and yellow peppers, wild mushrooms) swimming in red coconut curry sauce, this spicy number, which was running as a special, was the best lunch I had all week. I’d drive to wine country to eat it again. Especially if someone else was paying. 

Roasted carrot and fennel salad at The Whale Wins
Now that the roasted cauliflower is currently off the menu, this may be my favorite thing here. And apparently I’m not the only one; these carrots ($14) have been on the menu since day one, assumingly because people love it. Carrots and fennel may seem like a “meh” thing to order, but the veggies are so plump and the harissa so intense, that this is actually a decent substitute for a heartier meat dish, especially if you’re looking for a light lunch.

Roulade au chocolate at Cafe Pettirosso
This time last Monday I was stuffing my face with just about one of everything from Café Pettirosso’s bake sale, which—God bless them—they offer at the beginning of every week, clearly understanding the importance of going back to work in a sugar coma. Everything was good, but the moment I tasted the roulade au chocolate ($3), which is  basically a Danish filled with chocolate and pastry cream, I knew I would be back. Why I’m not there right now is beyond me.

Wild Card: Falafel at The Burgundian
The only reason I’m not really counting this in my Top 5 is because the Burgundian showed up last week on my list. Until I tasted the chicken and waffles, the falafel ($12) was my go-to order here. Dense, chickpea fritters on fluffy housemade lavash (flatbread), drizzled with tzatziki sauce and topped with the usual trimmings (tomato, lettuce, onions). Served with a side of fries and aioli, this is one of those lunches that will keep you satiated all day. (I don’t recommend ordering it with a side of poutine like I did. Major appetite awareness fail). 

 

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