PerfectCircle

I was just up visiting Vancouver over the weekend, and wandered Commercial Drive until the right breakfast place beckoned. My friend and I ended up at Havana's, and I can't wait to visit again to re-experience the Latin Breakfast (eggs scrambled with coconut rice, topped with beans, chorizo, house-made salsa, and served with flour tortillas). There were several other things on the menu that were hard to choose between. Anyone else have any words about this place? Other good experiences? Any not-so-good experiences? Is lunch as good as breakfast?

(answering some earlier questions; I haven't been online lately) - Suvir, I'm embarrassed to tell you what I eat my bhaturas with! I cheat drastically and use Patak's curry out of a jar. I prepare it with potatoes and lots of cauliflower. My sweetheart is vegetarian and it's one of his favorite winter meals (for two days in a row, usually; plenty of leftovers). We have several kinds of pickle on hand (different brands of lime, mango, and garlic) and the curry acts as a vehicle for the pickle as well as being delicious in its own right (despite its pre-packaged origins). Indira always prepared channa masala to accompany her bhaturas, and while we made it once together, my schedule generally doesn't allow for such detailed cooking. Plus I could never make it as well as Indira! Her recipe is in the molecules of her fingers; they know exactly how to do it right. My fingers are mere interlopers. - Shiewie, I didn't try murtabak when I was in Malaysia, but it is on the menu of the Malay Satay Hut here in the Seattle area, and I'm planning on ordering it next time. It's hard to forego the roti canai to try something unknown, so thank you for the recommendation! Over and out- PerfectCircle (a shape my bhaturas never achieve)

This thread makes me so happy; thank you for sharing recipes with so much detail, and for the terms and definitions! My friend Indira (originally from the area that is now part of Pakistan) taught me to make bhaturas, but hers are quite basic: flour, yogurt, and baking soda, and the rise and "rest" times are very short. My sweetheart and I make them as a team; we have our timing down and impress the hell out of our dinner guests when they puff up like magic (the bhaturas, not the guests). I'm looking forward to trying the more complex recipe above. I have lottery fantasies about opening a little place serving only roti and tea, modeled after a stall in the Camaronian Highlands in Malaysia. They had versions of roti that I hadn't encountered down in KL (not like I was able to try every roti stall), such as stuffed with honey and peanuts, or spiced potatoes. The ones stuffed with the little sweet bananas were my favorite. I loved that I could have a meal of the sweet and the savory. The Malay Satay Hut here in Seattle (soon to re-open, thank god), and their Bellevue/Redmond location, serve a wonderful roti canai, but only with curry. If anyone knows of restaurants in the US which make use of different fillings, I'd be happy to plan my future vacations around them. I think it will be awhile before I make it back to Malaysia or Singapore. Shiewie, where are you posting from?

Finally made it out to the Bellevue/Redmond/Overlake area last weekend and thought I'd report. This place gets enough well-earned praise that my $.02 seems hardly necessary, but I wanted to confirm that the roti canai appetizer is not to be missed, and that the string beans with shrimp paste are truly truly delicious. I have to admit a moment's hesitation when ordering them, because I've been out-shrimped in the past (at other establishments), but the flavors were perfectly balanced and weren't excessively fishy in the least. We tried one of the noodle dishes, the one with the slightly thicker, rounder noodles (sorry I forgot the name already!), and it was very good as well, with an interesting faintly bitter aftertaste. The lime drink was delicious, the people were friendly, and I can't wait to go back. I really can't wait until the rumor that they plan to reopen down on Jackson & 12th is made fact......

I'm so happy to read others' enthusiasm about this outfit! A couple summers ago, I was down in Burien every other week, completely addicted to El Rinconsito's ham torta. They cut the ham thick and grilled it, and all the ingredients were spread evenly throughout the bread, so that there were no skimpy bites, if you know what I mean. The avocado and pickled jalepeno filled the sandwich with as much flavor as I remembered from the tortas I had in Mexico. And I loved their hot pickled carrots and the sides of radishes. Then they moved (from the location on 152nd to their new location on Ambaum at roughly 151st) and I never made it back to try again until last Wednesday night. I had the ham torta and, in Mamster's honor, the taco al pastor. Mmmm, that was a perfect little soft taco. The torta didn't fare as well; I think the quality will go up and down depending on who's in the kitchen, so I'm still willing to go back for more, but my mouth didn't get all happy like it had in the past. Where have you all found the best tortas, and why? What made them the best?

Ah, but saving a sandwich for dinner would require a level of self-control which I am sadly lacking! I keep meaning to check hours at my fave spots because I've cruised down to that intersection for dinner more than once only to be foiled by relatively early closing times. I think all the sandwich/deli places are open until 6:00, so you should be safe if you're going right after work. Col Klink, haven't you been going before the baseball games on weeknights? Has it been after 6:00? Oh, and this is off-topic, but evidence of the board at work: I passed along eGullet posts to my vegetarian sweetheart about the meatless options at the Safe. It's his first baseball game in Seattle (maybe ever, actually, if you don't count Little League) and he was wondering if he'd have to get by with only beer for dinner (which wouldn't bother him too much, truth be told, except for the price), so he was glad to hear about the garlic fries.

Wow. The guy at Banh Mi 88 is dedicated to his craft. Today I asked him about the sauce he uses on the barbeque pork. At first, he merely said "fish sauce" and left it at that. Then, for some reason, he decided to divulge his secret. He takes fish sauce and dilutes it with water and rice vinegar ("too strong, too salty" otherwise), then adds garlic and sugar. Not only does he conjure up his own secret sauce, he showed me his large pan of his own mayonaise made from scratch (which adorns only the combo, by the way). I was so impressed. Another success today at Saigon Deli with my first try of their Grilled Pork banh mi. Nice big chunks of delicious pork, evenly distributed throughout the sandwich. I almost ordered the sliced barbeque pork by way of comparison, but three sandwiches for lunch borders on extreme....

Ending up at the food court is a good idea. Especially with the volatile weather we've been having lately. Count me in. Howdy tsquare! Here are some places that are up north a bit. I haven't been to any of them myself, though. A co-worker said the sandwiches were "decent" at My's Restaurant in the U-District (4220 University Way NE). Thanh Vi also has an outpost on the Ave... maybe they make their sandwiches to order at that location. This place is also supposed to have banh mi: University Noodle Shop (4235 University Wy NE).

Oh I am redfaced with shame that I didn't credit you, Mamster! I've at least gotten better about citing my sources, but I've stolen snippets of so many reviews over the past few years that I'm just waiting for someone to call me on it. Please accept my apologies. If it's any consolation, what you wrote piqued my interest in a place that would have fallen outside my radar otherwise. And that's what a well-written review is all about! I do love Thai salads (and have enjoyed Saigon Gourmet's version of jerky/green papaya on a couple occasions), but they inspire their own cravings, apart from my craving for a "traditional" salad. I'll have to give the Caesar at Kingfish a try. I, too, have Issues with people monkeying with the formula, but have learned to be tolerant in the face of adversity. The Botanical at the 5 Spot sounds promising. Thanks MsRamsey, and welcome, by the way. I have a feeling I'll be seeing more of you over on the banh mi thread...

Where do you get a great salad in Seattle? One which comes to the table already tossed, large enough for an entree, interesting enough to keep one's attention, yet not so full of disparate flavors that it lacks an essential backbone. I love a good Caesar but they are so often disappointing. I love a good insalata mista but they are so often insubstantial and imperfectly dressed (gee, am I describing a salad or Gwyneth Paltrow?). Here's where I currently find my fixes: Greek Salad at Pegasus Pizza in West Seattle; Brown Rice Salad (with delicious Lemon Tahini dressing though it is on the side) at Sunlight Cafe in Roosevelt; Insalata Mista at the Beach Cafe in West Seattle (though last time it was over-dressed). Here's where I need to try: Madrona Eatery & Ale House (Seattle Times had a review praising their salads), Elliott's (they supposedly know their way around a Caesar), La Panzanella (their bread salad sounds so good!). Anybody tried any of these? Where do you go to indulge in a heap of lettuce you didn't have to wash and dry yourself?

On Monday I returned to Saigon Deli for a repeat performance of the tofu bahn mi; it was even better than I remembered. I intended to get a combo from Bahn Mi 88, but they weren't offering any food that day (the main guy didn't come in for some reason) so I decided to give Thanh Vi a try and picked up one of their combos. It wasn't bad; more on the dry side than I like, but they used the good 5-spice chicken (at least I THINK that's what that one great flavor was) which improved the experience. Could have had a heavier hand with the pate, in my opinion. And it means something to me to have someone making it fresh for my order, so I don't think I'll bother with them again. I also picked up a chicken bahn mi at Seattle Deli to take back to the office; it is the hands-down favorite of my cube-mate. I'm glad to hear that the sardine sandwich is still available at Buu Dien. I'm craving one now... Monday I kept looking for folks who somehow "looked" as though they were fellow eGullet-ers (eGulletonians?); did any of our paths cross, perhaps? We need lapel pins or something. From your last entry, Col Klink, I guess you weren't in the vicinity. Mamster, did you end up going last Friday?

Hello Bon! Yes, four of us from work descended upon Tsukushinbo a week ago last Thursday. I'm sorry to say that we were not merely underwhelmed but anti-whelmed. The broth had no depth; it tasted like canned chicken stock with added soy sauce. One of our party had the broiled mackeral and was very very happy with her meal, however. I'm curious to try their sushi, which I've heard good things about (via the latest Weekly with their 100 fave restaurants, I think). While I don't believe that a good restaurant is good because every single dish they prepare is superb, I do hope for particular signature dishes (especially if offered as the daily special!) to be lovingly undertaken, because that often reflects well upon the rest of the menu. So I'm not rushing back to this spot when there are so many other places I want to try. Like Koraku! Thanks for the tip! I found a link to a review in ColorsNW magazine (scroll down the page): http://www.colorsnw.com/inside/0501tastebuds.htm

Howdy Blue Heron, thanks for the welcome, hope to hear you're up and around soon. I'll check out Lee's. So glad to have the rec! I won't be able to join Friday's foray, but I look forward to hearing all about it. Fresh spring rolls (has anyone else heard these referred to as "salad rolls" to differentiate them from fried spring rolls?): mmm, Saigon Bistro, up the hill to your left as you're heading east on Jackson, after you go under the freeway, before you hit 12th. They do a very very good job. (They also have a very good Duck Noodle soup.) Probably my favorite fresh spring rolls are at the Moonlight (keep following Jackson east to 20th, across the street from the Wonderbread/Hostess outlet). One reason I love them so much is that they offer a mouth-watering meat-free version so that I can share with my vegetarian sweetheart. Moonlight is the Vietnamese full-on restaurant I frequent the most often, which would probably be the case even if they didn't have a complete faux-meat menu (everything I've ever had there, meat or non-meat, has been delicious). In the past, Viet My would also have been included in that list for fresh spring rolls, but since they were forced out of their Prefontaine location and reduced to a stall in the Columbia Tower food court, their rolls are prepared in advance and the quality of them has suffered to the point where I don't bother with them at all. Anybody remember a place down on Rainier called Khan's Garden? It was across from Borrachini's and it was the first place I tried most Vietnamese dishes. That was my full-scale Vietnamese restaurant destination for years (late 80's to mid-90's), and I haven't found anyone who makes broken rice to compare to theirs. A bunch of us here in the office try to keep all our Vietnamese tasting notes together here: http://www.geocities.com/perfectcircle_99/...vietnamese.html And here's that ColorsNW article on Vietnam's Pearl (thank you for pointing it out Mamster; makes me want to give the place another try): http://www.iseattle.com/colorsnw/taste_buds.shtml

Thanks for the welcome Col Klink. Curious to hear how Saigon Deli treated you. I ordered two of their banh mi yesterday for lunch: a repeat performance of their wonderful barbeque pork (sliced version), and a first-try for the tofu, which I also recommend (but I'm a tofu-loving freak). It escaped my notice before that they have a skewer-grilled pork banh mi option. That'll be my next try. Their drinks look really good, too. And their sandwiches are only $1.25 each. A big container of delicious marinated tofu will only set you back $2.00. I really think that place is awesome. I had a very disappointing dinner experience at Thanh Vi a couple years ago so they weren't on my radar to try their banh mi. Based on your detailed account, and in the face of so many other worthy spots, it sounds as though they deserve a pass. Seattle Deli is on the same city-block as Saigon Deli (NE block of the 12th/Jackson intersection), but it's around the corner (from the front of Saigon Deli, head north, then east and it's in its own little shopping strip, facing Main St and Boren). I think Seattle Deli has my favorite pork so far, with Banh Mi 88 favored when I'm definitely in the mood for onions (i.e. no afternoon meetings), and Saigon Deli for the tofu. And then of course there's my first love, Saigon Gourmet, in the International District. All of them have their own strengths, and elicit their own cravings. It's awfully fun comparing notes with y'all!

Feeling chatty about food this morning, and I'm so thankful to have egullet as an outlet! I went to Banh Mi 88 last week and I agree that their barbeque pork is really really good. I loved the sauce they used on it; it considerably upped the succulence factor. The onions were a bit disconcerting; it's the first place I've tried that uses them, and while I love onions, I found that the sheer quantity of them overpowered the other vegetables, so I picked the bigger pieces off. This isn't a complaint so much as an observation, however. I'll definitely be going back. It's interesting how the different shops have their own style of making each sandwich, so much so that comparisons are often not applicable. Saigon Deli uses sliced pork in their version of the barbeque pork banh mi, which has a very different texture and flavor than either Seattle Deli or Banh Mi 88. But I like all three versions, and don't feel compelled to pit one against the other. One day I'll be in the mood for one variety; the next day for a different variety. I just feel blessed to have so many options to choose from. By the way, my sources tell me that Buu Dien no longer serves the sardine version, and that they have a different person altogether staffing the sandwich station, so the quality is not as it was....