Dej

yes this is exactly right. sorry for the mixup!

There's a little grocery store that has goat on the same block as the complex that has Huong Binh and 7 Stars Pepper Szechuan Restaurant, but around the corner on 12th and whatever street is one block south of Jackson. They also have really cheap pork. Alex

Has anyone tried buying live shrimp? I've seen them at various times at various asian seafood markets but never got any myself. I don't know where they come from, when they're in season, or even if they're any good. thanks Alex

I don't know if this was already mentioned elsewhere in this forum or not, but just in case any of you didn't know it, taqueria el rinconsito opened a new location in NE bellevue on 140th ave ne just south of ne 24th st (same strip mall as wibbley's and taj palace). I haven't been to any of the other locations so I can't compare, but I've been really happy with it, especially as an alternative to the taco truck over on 148th (and especially for carnitas tacos). alex

Wow thanks for the link. That's awesome.

Anyone else see this? It's been flying around work. I didn't see it on TV but just read the article online. So now I know why they started putting the little sausage thingies in the fridge at Saigon Deli! Restaurants Rack Up Health Code Violations Alex

Dave, thanks for the info on verpas. Maybe I'll try them next year (the ones we're finding now are a bit past their prime). Alex

I should clarify.. (from my field guide, David Arora's Mushrooms Demystified, on V. bohemica): So on second thought maybe they wouldn't be a problem at Lark! I assume you've eaten them before? How are they? Those warnings always scared me off so I've never actually bothered to collect or try them (I could have brought home a full basket of them today if I did). Alex

you gave lark verpas to serve to customers?

Wow what a meal.. six of us hit Lark last night for almost 3 hours. I don't know if I can recommend splitting each dish six ways like we did (probably better to order some dupes and/or sit out a few if you can stand it) but on the other hand we did get to try 20+ dishes. One of the group wrote up the list of dishes we tried on some other site. Every dish was excellent, though a few really stood out: the squab was perfectly rare, delicious. I loved the seared (but otherwise raw) albacore tuna with preserved lemon. The mussels were fabulous as promised here and indeed we liked them so much I copied the dish today for lunch (turned out very nicely, thank you, even when served in a normal bowl). I'll definitely be back for the short ribs. The cheeses were excellent: a perfectly ripe french blue, garottxa from catalonia, and a corsican sheeps-milk cheese (not labeled as corsu vecchiu on the menu but it could have been). Picking wines was a bit difficult given how many flavors we were going through. We ended up starting with individual glasses, then moving to bottles of Oregon Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir and finishing with glasses of tawny port. It might be nice to see a more flexible offering with carafes or half bottles. Overall I really liked the experience -- good, informal service and great food. alex

Two of the dishes had little brown buds that made my lips and tongue tingle/numb. It was strange and unlike any other spice-related experience I've had (it wasn't just "spicy/hot"). After my first time with them I researched them on this site and found a thread discussing the ban. Someone posted a picture of a bag of them and they looked like what I had. So it's a sort of amateur identification. Maybe someone else can confirm. The Chongqing chicken, crab, and mapo tofu all had them. They were most apparent (visually) in the fried dishes where they were whole and in some quantity. alex

I particularly recommend trying the shredded potatoes with vinegar -- the one with chiles is a little boring (they actually mixed up our order on Sunday). I last went to Shanghai Garden like 10 years ago. I had a bad service experience and haven't gone back. Now that I think about it that's sort of stupid. I should try that place again. Particularly if they serve Shanghainese "juicy" dumplings. My girlfriend and I spent 2 weeks in the Shanghai area last spring and the dumplings/pot stickers/buns/other stuffed thingys there were the key takeaways. The pot stickers were actually dangerous -- because of the crispy exterior, they take some work to bite into and when you finally do you might end up wearing the 2 tbsps of juice inside. I did this not just once but twice in a row standing on a street corner ("mmm... pot sticker.. damnit! well, let's go back to the hotel to change. mmm... pot sticker... damnit to hell!!) alex

I grew up using full carbon knives (my parents had an old set). They actually performed really well given the heaping doses of neglect they got (provided you took a steel to them on every use). Maybe if I get my parents some shiny new stainless knives for Christmas they'll give me those. Anyone have any experience with these newish knives designed by Porsche? I held a 7" or 8" chef's knife at a store this weekend. It's got great balance (heavy handle) and is quite comfortable in a pinch grip (of course I didn't actually *use* it for anything, just held it). No bolster (which, I'm starting to learn as my Henckels ages, is a plus). Mostly, though, it's hot looking. Of course, it's marketed mainstream, so it wouldn't appeal to this crowd. alex

Ha! I saw you last night, then! I too was in a group of 5, but we didn't have the luxury of a nice large table. We arrived a little after 6 and had to push two tables together because some trio was holding up the last round one in the joint waiting for some deadbeat friends. Of course, I'm kidding. it was fine. really. Anyway, your excellent review and this strange coincidence has inspired me to emerge from egullet lurkdom and make my first post in reply to yours. It turns out my parents are regulars at 7 star so we got good service (I should have guessed when that was my mom's first choice for her birthday dinner). I've only been there a few times but have really liked it. In fact I had my very first szechuan peppercorn there, just a month ago. (did you have any? two of our dishes were loaded). here's what we had: fish in spicy bean paste sauce house special chow mein (with hand-shaven noodles) Szechuan chile/pepper crab Smoked pork or something (with leeks and bacon) shredded potatoes with chiles "chongqing" chicken The handmade noodles are definitely worth trying, should you go back (and I think you should). Our crab was actually very good -- deep fried with chiles, peanuts, and a pile of peppercorns, and garnished with green onions (which are probably safe, right?). I'm still new to the szechuan peppercorn thing so i had a good time with them ("I can't feel my tongue"). The fish was steamed or baked and drowned in a thick sauce of bean paste, black vinegar, and chiles (among other things, I'm sure). The smoked pork/bacon/leek dish was my favorite, though beware -- combined with those shredded potatoes, you might wish you had a cup of coffee and a fried egg or two. The Chongqing chicken was just deep fried chicken bits (they should just be honest about it and call it szechuan-style popcorn chicken). I'm not sure how, but it's my mom's favorite dish there. I'm a little worried. I also noticed a surprising amount of oil in the stir-fried dishes (though our two deep-fried dishes weren't oily at all -- go figure). I'm not sure what was up with that but it didn't really bother me at all. I also prefer the other szechuanese place you mentioned for certain dishes (the green beans, dumplings, mapo tofu), though now I'm a szechuan peppercorn addict (and I've never had them at that other place) so I guess I'll be spending more time at 7star. Anyone know any other restaurants where they use it? A lot? alex