Secret Congee

It has been awhile since we've been out to Secret Congee located in the Ballard area of Seattle.  One look at the menu and you will immediately ascertain that this is no ordinary congee joint.  Rather, they take the traditional Chinese congee base and top it with mostly non-traditional components.  I've heard some criticisms that it isn't authentic, but c'mon, where does it state it is trying to be anyways?  Some of the best eats I've ever had was due to some place taking chances and doing things differently.  Besides, where do you think we got the Vietnamese cuisine we have now - fusion of French and Vietnamese cuisines...

Anyways, we headed out on a Saturday morning and yes, the place was hopping.  Congee is a great brunch item that is nourishing and comforting.  I personally like the congee base as it is velvety and mildly seasoned.  We skipped the chicken congee this time as we feel the meat is too dry.  So instead, we tried something quite different in the Mala Pork.  This featured a large serving of sliced pork shoulder that was dressed in a considerably spicy mala sauce that had numbing spice and lots of earthy elements.  Unlike the other bowls that included ginger and green onion, this one also had cilantro.

On the side, we needed to get the obligatory Yaoutiao or Fried Salty Doughnut.  This was pretty good being lightly crispy with a chewy interior.  It was nicely salted and could be eaten by itself, but c'mon, this was for dipping into the congee!  We liked how it wasn't overly greasy too.  Also, we had the side of Taro Chips.  Again, this was fine to eat as is, since they were crunchy and well-salted.  But, if you wanted a textural and aromatic component to your congee, you could crumble the chips and sprinkle it on top!

One of our favorites is the Shrimp Tom Yum and there was no doubt we would get it this time as well.  The fragrance of the tom yum was was full of lemongrass, tanginess, sharpness from the galangal and also the slightest bit of spice.  This really brought the mild congee base alive as every spoonful was now impactful and aromatic.  The large shrimp were meaty and had a sweet briny snap.

We had 2 versions of the Thai Meatball with one featuring the addition of century egg.  I've always loved this bowl of congee as the medium-sized meatballs provide plenty of body.  Other than the classic chicken (which we didn't order this time), this is the least expensive at $15.00.  Meaty with just enough fat, the meatballs were tender with a pleasant chew.  They were lightly seasoned and acted as a textural component rather than adding flavor.  With the supplement of century egg for $2.00, this provided the umaminess for the bowl of congee.  For the other bowl, we added a soft-boiled egg for also $2.00.

Heading to some more delicate creations, we had the Hokkaido Scallop.  Once again, this featured the same components as the other bowls of congee.  As expected, this was a subtle affair with the sweet scallops blending into the mild flavor of the congee.  This was more about texture as the buttery scallops still had the mantle, which added chewiness and even more scallop essence.  The same could be said about the the Barramundi Bass where the fish was delicate and slightly sweet.  We loved how they were able to keep the fish buttery soft while being cooked through.  For both of these, I added more white pepper for some kick.

Our last bowl of congee was also subtle in the Garlic Blue Crab.  Sure, it ain't cheap at $24.00, but looking at the picture, they did not skimp on the chunks of crab.  Furthermore, the crab was fluffy and fresh-tasting.  Plenty of sweetness to go with the brininess.  The addition of fried garlic provided aroma and texture to the congee.  So this was another delicious visit to Secret Congee.  I understand how some people would like this interpreation of congee.  However, modernizing it while keeping some traditional elements work for me.  I love their creative approach to their toppings and willingness to take a risk.  Yah, the prices are higher than typical Cantonese restaurants of this ilk, but they aren't serving up premium toppings either.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Velvety congee base

- Generous with the toppings

- Lots of choice

The Bad:

- Limited seating inside, and sitting outside is fine, if the weather cooperates

- Sure, it costs more (and it is valid for some people), but I personally think it is worth it

Okonomiyaki Jiban-Ya

Located at the front of the restaurant where Steak Easy is located, we find Okonomiyaki Jiban-Ya.  This place is also run by the same people who brought us Secret Congee and Ginger & Scallion.  After a month-long stay in Japan during the Summer, I was quite interested how this place would compare to the Okonomiyaki I had in Osaka.  They definitely are taking things seriously by importing Okonomiyaki Teppans straight from Japan.  They served the Okonomiyaki right onto the teppan so it keeps things hot and sizzling.

We started with some appies first including the Wasabi Greens Tsukemono.  This was a pungent dish that wasn't just your usual pickles.  There was definitely a fermented hit at the very first bite that was strong and impactful.  Nice crunch from the greens.  We also had the Furikake Butter Corn that did its best impression of Mexican Elote.  Corn was plump and had pops of sweetness while having just a touch of smokiness.  Butter was creamy and added saltiness while the furikake did it's spiced thing.

Topped with a considerable amount of black tobiko, the Miso Butter Crab Dumplings were chock full of crab.  They were a bit on the fishier side, but texturally, the crab was fluffy.  The dumpling wrapper itself was pretty al dente and really needed the miso butter for moisture.  Thankfully there was plenty of it.  We found it to be velvety with a rich saltiness.  Some chili oil provided a little something something.  Lastly, we had the Mala Koji Duck Breast.  The duck itself was juicy and fairly tender.  Skin was a bit flabby though, yet had lots of flavor.  That mala koji was spicy and full of umami.  Really addictive and could be eaten with anything!

Onto the Okonomiyaki, we tried the Hiroshima-Style (with noodles) with scallops and cheese.  After we let the noodles sear on the teppan for a bit, they turned out to be fairly al dente and smoky.  The cheese crisped up on the teppan and added some texture and nuttiness.  On top, we found large whole scallops complete with the mantle.  For our Osaka-Style Okonomiyaki, we had the Panko Oyster.  This was made with cabbage and egg.  Tender, but with a crunch, the cabbage was mildly-seasoned.  Naturally, we added the okonomiyaki sauce provided at the table.  Although the oyster was fried up well with a crispy breading, it was on the fishier side.  Despite that, the okonomiyaki itself was pretty legit.  Maybe next time, I'll go with the basic versions, as I didn't really need the toppings.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Keeping it legit with the teppan at your table

- Okonomiyaki are large

- Cabbage and noodles were optimal texture

The Bad:

- Some of the seafood was fishy

Steak Easy

From the same people who brought you Secret Congee and Ginger & Scallion, we find a pop-up restaurant near UW.  Steak Easy is its name and Steak Frites is its game.  Yes, they only serve  a few variations of Steak Frites (with 5 sauce choices), salad and bread here.  They do have a bar though where you can pair the steak with your favorite beverage.  Now from the outside, it isn't obvious where the place is located as the only sign you will find is a 8.5 x 11 sized paper with handwritten "Steak Easy Pop Up" on the door.  It is actually located at the back of Okonomiyaki Jiban-Ya, so try finding their sign on the adjacent door.  You will find the old signage for Big Mario's sooner than the 2 aforementioned restaurants!

Once inside, the place was bustling and we headed to the back of the restaurant for some steak action.  But before that, we dove into some locally-sourced Bread that was chewy with a soft center.  It was served with a boatload of butter that was creamy and spreadable.  Only other item we could get was the House Salad with a house vinaigrette.  This was fresh and loaded with cheese on top.  The vinaigrette was tangy and a bit sweet.

Onto the main event, we had 2 versions of their Steak Frites including the large version of the Wagyu Flank for $45.00.  Half the amount of steak would've been only $25.00.  Each piece of steak was prepared a bit differently with one being rare and the other around medium.  Although the rare looked fabulous, the medium ate much better.  With fattier cuts of meat, it is always better to activate the fats by cooking it more.  As expected, there was a much meatier flavor with this steak.  A bright aji limo chimichurri topped the steaks and it was plenty garlicky and citrusy with slight spice.

Our second Steak Frites was the 100% Grass-Fed Picanha served as the large version for $30.00.  Single steak would be only $15.00.  A freakin' steal in my books.  This was cooked to medium and despite looking dry, it ate really well.  Nice meaty flavor with a coffee rub on the outside.  Steaks were seared up nicely.  We found a yuzu Hollandaise on this steak and it was creamy with just the slightest of tanginess.  Handcut frites were fried in beef tallow being crispy and lightly salted.  They didn't skimp on the portion size for this.

Trying to get a sense of the other sauces that were available, we got sides of the Mushroom Bordelaise and Sichuan au Poivre.  Loaded with mushrooms and shallots, this was a sauce that had plenty of umami and slight tanginess.  Maybe the wine could've been cooked down more, but if you like wine flavor, this would be it.  As for the Sichuan pepper sauce, it was creamy and had the slightest numbing spice at the end.  We liked this one the most.  Overall, we thought the Steak Frites at Steak Easy to be a great value.  Sure, they can't compete with an actual steakhouse, but for the price, I dare you to find something better.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Highly inexpensive for what you get
- Decent quality
- Large portions

The Bad:
- Cook on the steak could've been more consistent

Mambo Café (Aberdeen Food Court)

Here is an oldie but goodie located at the food court in Aberdeen Centre.  Mambo Café has been one of the most popular stalls here offering classic Hong Kong-style eats for a reasonable price.  Despite drinks not being included with your meal anymore, it is still a good deal.  Up until lately, I hadn't been back in quite some time.  Not that I haven't visited the Aderdeen Food Court though.  It is just I've been going to the other stalls.  But this was about time I actually do a post on the place!

When judging a HK-style café , one must order the Baked Pork Rice.  That we did and it was a substantial portion for $15.00.  Sporting a well-prepared egg fried rice base, this was a great start.  The rice was chewy and nutty while being just dry enough.  On top, they didn't skimp on the tomato sauce.  Viscosity was spot on with proper thickness where it was almost creamy.  There was a background tanginess, yet the amount of sugar and butter levelled if off.  We found 2 fried pork chops hidden within and they were tender with slightly crispy breading.

Another HK-style café  classic is the Baked Spaghetti Bolognese.  Once again, they filled the aluminum container to the brim with noodles and sauce.  Although not al dente, the spaghetti was still somewhat firm and not mushy at all.  Just like the pork chop rice, they were generous with the meat sauce.  Sure, it wasn't a traditional bolognese, but it was a good HK-style café version of it.  The meat was tender while the sauce had a mild tang with some fall flavours.

Completing the trifecta of standard items found on a typical HK-style café  menu would be the Baked Seafood Rice.  Again, this featured an egg fried rice base (which is the right way to do this dish).  There was a plethora flour-thickened white sauce (most likely a combination of milk and evaporated milk) that was aromatic and balanced.  Lots of seafood as the picture suggests including crab stick, fish, prawns, bay scallops and squid.

On another visit, we delved into more stir-fried dishes.   In the end, we settled on a family-favourite in the Singapore Fried Noodles.  For those who aren't familiar, this featured rice vermicelli stir-fried with onions, peppers, sprouts, BBQ pork and shrimp with plenty of yellow curry powder.  This particular version was quite good being only a bit greasy with plenty of components and exhibiting caramelization from the wok hei.  But for some reason, this took considerably longer than our other dishes.

We had a fried rice as well in the XO Seafood Fried Rice.  Loved this dish as the wok hei was on display here with smokiness and caramelized flavours.  Spice level could've been higher as the dish ate rather mild.  But the brininess from the XO was definitely there.  As you can clearly see above, the amount of seafood was balanced for the amount of rice.  With little corn niblets strewn around, we also had bursts of sweetness with random bites.

A visit to an HK-style café  isn't complete without some meat combo on rice or spaghetti.  Hence, we had the Mixed Steaks on Rice with a black pepper sauce.  This featured a minute beef steak, pork chop and chicken steak (deboned leg).  As you can tell from the picture above, the steaks were large.  I found them tender and yes, the beef steak was tenderized, but hey that is par for the course when it comes to HK-style café fare.  Peppercorn sauce was flavourful and this was a massive portion for the price.  In fact, with the lousy economy that we live it at the moment, Mambo Cafe (and all of the other food stalls at Aberdeen) is a good way to get a delicious and filling meal for a reasonable price.

The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Large portions
- Delicious

The Bad:
- Waits can be quite long and for one of our visits, they forgot one of our dishes 

 

Baba Chicken Dhaba

With "Home of the Best Butter Chicken" prominently plastered at the entrance of Baba Chicken, it elicits memories of Buddy the Elf congratulating a coffee shop for having the "World's best coffee".  Jokes aside, I really do like a good butter chicken and I was truly intrigued by that proclamation.  Formally Showsaa Modern Taproom, Baba Chicken now focuses on accessible food in a more casual atmosphere.  Jackie and I were invited to see what changes have been made and yes, the butter chicken.

I have to say their revamp of the interior makes the place a lot brighter and less formal.  There is this sports bar vibe that is also reflected in its menu.  Hence, we started with some share plates starting with the Kurkuri Gobi.  These fried cauliflower florets were crispy (thanks to the rice flour) and cooked through.  Yet, they still had some firmness so that there was no mushiness.  Best of all, the spices really came through with a bit of heat.  There was some balancing sweetness too.  

One of my favourite items here is their Paneer Til Tinka.  Essentially, we find paneer sticks coated with batter and 2 types of sesame seeds.  They are deep fried and served with a sweet and spicy dip.  These "fries" were crunchy and nutty on the outside with squishy and tender strips of fresh cheese.  Texturally, they were already on point, but we got some earthiness from the spices and the dip just brought things together with sweet heat.

You maybe wondering why we ordered Fish n Chips at an Indian restaurant...  Well, this wouldn't be the first time and really, I've yet to have a bad version.  In fact, most, if not all of the fish n chips I've had at Indian restaurants are on par or better than dedicated fish n chip restaurants.  This was no exception as the fish was super flaky and moist with a uniformly crispy batter on the outside.  Fries on the side were the typical starch-covered variety, but they were crispy.

We were surprised to be so excited about a typical-looking order of Tandoori Chicken.  Well, because it ate and tasted a lot better than it first appeared.  No fancy sizzling platter here, yet, the chicken was so impactfully smoky and well-seasoned.  More importantly, the chicken was really tender and moist.  That was true even for the breast meat.  They did this by par-cooking the chicken first and letting it rest, then finishing off on the grill before serving.  This kept the chicken from drying out.  Delicious. 

Okay, here we get to the regular-sized Baba Butter Chicken.  This was super rich and creamy that was not tomato-forward.  With that being said, there was a hint of tang at the finish.  Spices were prominent with pronounced earthiness.  Not much in the way of spiciness, yet it wasn't lacking flavour.  The big pieces of tandoori chicken nestled within were smoky and sweet while being juicy.  I have to say if you like your butter chicken this way, it is one of the better ones I've had.

Contrasting the Baba Butter Chicken, the Delhi Wala Butter Chicken was more tomato-forward with initial tanginess giving way to much more spiciness.  The tang was nicely balanced by the sweetness from the onion.  It was more velvety than creamy, being less rich where the spices were also not as prominent due to the stronger tomato notes.  The pieces of charred chicken were smoky, moist and tender.

To us, the Daryanganj Butter Chicken looked to be a hybrid between the Baba Butter Chicken and the Delhi Wala Butter Chicken.  It was definitely more tomatoey than the Baba chicken, but creamier than the Delhi chicken.  It was just as or more spicy than the Delhi chicken as well.  There was a pronounced tanginess that was balanced by the cream, yet the spices really came through.  This would be the most common butter chicken you would find at most Indian restaurants. 

We had a few more curries as well including the Paneer Angaara.  Wow, this one really packed a punch.  This was probably the spiciest curry that we had and it was a good kind of spicy.  Despite having a kick, it did not detract from the other components.  Hence, we could still pick out fall spices and of course, earthiness.  There was a hint of smokiness as well as tomato tang and sweetness.  Loved the texture of the paneer as it was at its squishy best.

Going a bit off the board, we went for something different in terms of flavour and protein in the Methi Prawn.  This was still rich and creamy with earthy and slightly bitter notes, thanks to the fenugreek.  Furthermore, we definitely got aromatics from the base of onions, ginger and garlic.  That offered sweetness, slight sharpness and nuttiness.  As for the prawns, they were both plentiful and texturally on point.  They had a nice rebound and natural sweetness.

As always, we complimented our orders of basmati rice with something more flavourful and could stand on its own - Chicken Biryani.  As you can see, the rice fully took on the marinade from chicken.  Hence, it was spicy, earthy, gingery and garlicky.  Texturally, the rice was moist yet still had a nice chew to it.  The ample pieces of chicken were tender and due to the marinade, the flavours had penetrated the meat.

To further compliment our curries, we went for a selection of breads.  We had the Garlic Naan which was fluffy with a crispy charred bottom and edges.  Nice chew on the inside too.  On top, there was a wealth of butter and garlic, which made it delicious to eat on its own.  We also had the Hari-Mirch Bullet Parantha which was topped with a considerable amount of chilis.  It was definitely spicy, but balanced, so it didn't blow our taste buds away.  Loved the texture of the bread as it was crispy and chewy.  Lastly, we tried the Stuffed Naan in onion and also chicken.  These were also fluffy with elasticity.  Edges and bottom were crispy and charred.  Both came with Baba Buttery Gravy and butter.  Suffice to say, they were delicious.

Instead of ordering a dessert, we went for the Mango Ice Cream Lassi instead.  So really, it was a creamy and refreshing mango lassi with a scoop of mango ice cream.  The lassi itself was creamy, yet light at the same time.  It wasn't overly sweet either.  However, the ice cream took care of that.  Considering all the heavy dishes we had, this was rather refreshing.  Overall, the food at Baba Chicken is solid and yes, the butter chicken (all 3 versions) was delicious.  Definitely a good choice if you were in the mood for the dish.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- All 3 versions of Butter Chicken
- Place is a lot brighter and casual now
- Other dishes were solid too

The Bad:
- Food can take some time

 

Moltaqa Moroccan Restaurant

A few years ago, I had a delicious meal at Moltaqa Moroccan out in Yaletown.  It was just shortly after they received Michelin-Recommended status in the guidebook.   It wasn't for this I wanted to dine there though, it was because I really wanted to try the place after so many years planning to do so.  In general, there aren't many Moroccan restaurants in town. Recently, I was invited for a return visit and I brought Ipanemagirl with me.   

What better way to get a taste of their appies than to get the Moroccan Sampler Platter.  My favourite item had to be the Lentils as they were tender with a pleasant bite.  They were sweet, earthy and aromatic.  Beets were great too with appealing sweetness and earthiness.  They had a brightness to them and were served at a good temperature.   I thought the White Bean Stew was quite tasty as well.  Tender beans that were savoury and slightly sweet while flavoured with warm spices.

Included with this platter, we found 2 soups.  The one on the left was a Traditional Bessara Soup.  This split pea soup was smooth and almost creamy.  It was not heavy though as the viscosity was just slightly thick.  Definitely got the natural sweetness to go along with some earthiness.  As for the other, it was the Classic Harria Soup made with tomato, lentils and chick peas.  This was tomato-forward without the edge of sourness.  Rather, it had the flavour, but was fairly mild with the richness of butter.  Lots of herbaceous hits, especially from the cilantro.

Even with the sampler, we wanted to some full-sized versions of their dips.  We tried the Chilled Eggplant Dip first and it was fantastic.  At the forefront, we got all of the smokiness due to the char on the eggplant.  That added considerable depth and impact.  In terms of texture, it was delicate and silky.  Hits from the garlic came through too as well as the smoothness of the EVOO.  Just a touch of acidity came in the form of lemon. 

Since we love hummus, we also had the appetizer version of the Moroccan Hummus.  Much like the eggplant dip, this was served with warm semolina bread.  The sturdiness of the bread fit well with the dips as we could get a lot of it onto one bite (and there was plenty on each plate).  About that hummus, it was thick, yet still creamy with earthy hits from the spices.  For me, I would've liked to see even more of the spices, but as a hummus, this was good.

Another classic small dish was the Lamb Merguez Sausages.  Due to the side of harissa on the side, we could customize the heat level to our liking.  I needed quite a bit of it since the sausages were default to a very mild flavour.  Definitely deliberate so that the spice level would be accessible to all.  I thought the texture was meaty, yet moist and tender.  Lots of earthiness and warmth from the spices.  With the addition of the harissa, it really brought the sausages to life.

Although the Beef Briwats weren't particularly interesting to look at, they were delicious and a textural delight.  Outside, the hand-rolled phyllo was uniformly crispy and a bit nutty.  Inside, the tender beef was nicely spiced and benefited from the natural sweetness of the onions.  Since they were mild (again, on purpose) where the harissa on the side was necessary (for me) to elevate the base flavours.

Something I had last time that I really wanted again was the Seafood Pastilla.  Sporting thin and flaky pastry, this had quite the healthy amount of seafood filling.  It was sweet and briny with textures that were appealing.  None of it was hard or overdone where the fish was still flaky and moist.  Loved the prawn on top as it had a natural aroma and essence.  Once again, this was served with harissa, but I didn't need it as I could get the flavours of the seafood better as is.

Once done with the smaller dishes, we moved onto the mains.  Naturally, we had to get the Lamb Shank Tagine.  As the lid of the tagine was lifted, we could get the aroma of lamb, saffron and spices.  The meat fell off the bone and was at its gelatinous succulent best.  For those who are concerned about lamb being gamy, for me at least, it wasn't.  Loved the saffron lemon braising jus as it was aromatic, bright and surprisingly light.

The show-stopper had to be the Rack of Lamb Flambé.  We decided on the half-rack and it was plenty of meat for us.  It was flambéed and carved tableside.  As you can see, the meat was about medium where it was juicy and extremely tender.  There was a spiced Dijon rub on the outside which was earthy and aromatic.  On the side, we found roast potatoes, tomatoes and rice.  Although a bit fatty, the lamb jus was full of umami and more of the spice from the lamb.

The biggest piece of meat we had was the Tagine of Lamb Shoulder.  Size wasn't the only great thing about this dish as the texture was on point too.  Fatty and tender, the meat had the classic velvety fall-off-the-bone quality.  It sat atop couscous that had soaked up all of the delicious juices including the accompanying veggies.  Naturally, the saffron and fall-flavoured spices was evident as well.

Finishing off our meal, we had a selection of Richbond Cookies, Walnut Cookies and Almond Briwat.  Yes, they were on the sweeter side, but really, not too bad.  Lots of textures here and aroma.  The Richbond was coconut forward, as it should be and the Walnut Cookies were nutty and floral.  Briwat were crispy due to the phyllo and had some almond paste inside.  Overall, we enjoyed our meal at Moltaqa where the lamb was prepared properly and the portion sizes were generous.  Loved the aromatics and hey, it is something different in a sea of Asian food (I love Asian food, but need a break sometimes!).

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Something different
- Proteins were properly prepared
- Love the Moroccan spices

The Bad:
- Things could be spiced more heavily, but we understand that it appeals to the average customer