Bag O' Crab

I haven't done a seafood boil in quite some time.  In fact, it was about a year ago at Pier 88 in Lynnwood.  This time around, I was in the Seattle area once again and we made our way out to Kent for Bag o' Crab.  Not sure why we didn't go to Shoreline, as it was closer to where we were staying.  Oh well!  So, this place is much smaller in size than Pier 88 but upon looking at the menu, the pricing seems rather reasonable.  We ended getting a few combos in addition to some sides.

To start off we had the Cajun Fries as well as the Cajun Wings.  Crispy with plenty of seasoning on the outside, the fries were salty and spicy.  Inside, the potato was a bit on the firmer side, but still plenty of natural texture.  As for the wings, they were pretty large and fried until crunchy on the outside.  The skin was somewhat rendered, partially affected by the batter.  As for the meat, it was super juicy and tender.  Wings were well seasoned with some spice.

We ended up with 2 combos but before that, we had an a la carte plate of 1lb of Crawfish, Mussels and Clams each.  For this plate, we added sides of corn, potatoes and sausages.  The choice of sauce for the seafood was garlic butter and hence was non-spicy.  Naturally, the crawfish was a lot of work for just a bit of tail meat.  It wasn't particularly muddy-tasting, so that was a bonus.  The clams and mussels were fresh and all open.  They were cooked properly being buttery.

Onto Combo #3 with a whole Dungeness Crab accompanied by 1lb of shrimp, corn, potatoes and sausage.  As you can probably tell, this was in a completely different sauce than the first plate.  We chose Atomic Sauce (which is a combination of garlic butter, Cajun and lemon pepper) in medium.  This was plenty spicy for us and offered up layers of spice, garlickiness and aromatics.  The crab was fresh with bouncy meat while the shrimp had a snap texture.

We also had Combo #3 with 1lb of King Crab Legs that came with the same items as with the Dungeness Crab.  Really enjoyed the King Crab Legs as they were large and full of fluffy briny and sweet meat.  We had this in Louisiana Flavor in medium.  This was spicy enough with the smokiness and garlickiness.  Loved that the corn wasn't overdone as they were plump, while the potatoes were soft and creamy inside.  Slices of sausages were tender with some rebound.  Overall, the seafood boil at Bag O' Crab was satisfying and reasonably-priced.  Seafood was texturally on point and the sauces were impactful.  Would do this again if I was in the area.

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

The Good:
- Seafood (especially the crab) is texturally on point
- Sauces are impactful
- Pricing is fair

The Bad:
- Place is a bit more bare bones, but it is reflected in the pricing
- We found it a bit cold inside

Bai Tong Thai (Redmond)

The last time I was at Bai Tong, it was at their "original" location near Southcenter.  I put that in quotations because their actual first location was near the SeaTac (but no longer there).  For those who don't know, Bai Tong got its start due to the lack of Thai food available for the flight crews laying over in Seattle.  A former flight attendance for Thai Airways started Bai Tong for that purpose.  Now it has grown to multiple locations dishing up authentic and delicious Thai cuisine.  This time around we made it to the spacious Redmond location which was bustling during lunch service.

We decided to get a few  different items than last time starting with the Moo Dade Deaw (Thai Pork Jerky).  I've had this somewhat recently in Vancouver at Zab Bite and the one at Bai Tong was miles better.  Although each slice of pork was crispy and somewhat chewy on the outside, it was ultimately tender and almost juicy in the middle.  This made for easy chew while still retaining the essence of what pork jerky is supposed to be.  It was also well-seasoned with earthy, sweet and briny notes.  Of course the side of nam jim jaew added spice, sweetness, more brininess and tanginess.

The most photogenic item we had was the Meang Kum. I've had this a few times and usually it comes on a chaphlu leaves with all of the components already on top.  Meang Kum translate to "eating many things in one bite" and this is true here with shallots, peanuts, toasted coconut, lime, chilies, ginger and dried shrimp.  The version here was DIY and instead of chaphlu leaves, we had small spears of romaine lettuce.  We also found house-made Meang Kum sauce in the last square on the plate..  This was a fun way to eat and the flavors were intense with sweetness, brininess, tanginess, aromatics and spiciness.  This was a dish best shared and was great at whetting our appetites.

With our appetites completely ready for the dishes that were arriving next, we had an equally appetizing Tom Kha.  This was a particularly spicy and full-bodied version of the soup.  With the addition of coconut milk, Tom Kha is usually more mild-tasting and naturally creamy.  Hence, any spice involved is somewhat muted.  Not in this case, we got all of the good things in Tom Yum (like the galangal, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves) but with creaminess and plenty of heat.

Something that caught our eye on the menu was the Crispy Garlic Chicken.  The menu promised us juicy chicken with a crispy exterior.  Well, I am happy to report that they followed through with that promise as the chicken was indeed juicy and tender.  The relatively thin and crispy batter was seasoned with a sweet and garlicky glaze that took on the aroma from the fried basil.  They added some chopped red peppers mainly for color as I didn't get much in the way of impact from them.

We did end up doing a repeat dish because it was so darn good.  This was the Roast Duck Curry.  Just like last time, there was a half duck sitting in the red curry.  It featured tender cooked down duck that had rendered skin.  The red curry itself was rich and creamy (from the coconut milk) while exhibiting impactful heat and sweetness.  Adding lychees into the mix provided an extra burst of sweetness but the grape tomatoes help bring it back down with tanginess.

One dish that was a study in textures was the Garlic Fish Fry.  The fish was fried pretty crispy but in turn, the meat was a dry in most spots.  At the thickest portion, it was flaky and moist though.  This was to be expected as different thickness would cook at different rates.  Therefore, for those who like it crunchy, they can eat the belly and tail portions while the ones who want it tender, go for the main body portions.  As for the sauce, it was plenty garlicky with some peppery notes.

One of the tastiest dishes was the Thai Sukiyaki.  All I know is that Sukiyaki is a Japanese dish that is served in a shallow hot pot with meats, veggies and sometimes noodles.  This Thai version served at Bai Tong did not sit in a broth per se, but was stir-fried glass noodles with veggies and prawns with Thai Sukiyaki sauce on the side.  This was tangy, sweet, garlicky and full of umami.  This could've been due to the red fermented bean curd which also added rich saltiness.  Loved this dish, so much impact and the texture of the noodles were perfect.

Along with the duck curry, we had to order another repeat in the Crab Fried Rice.  The version they serve here was on point with chewy grains of Jasmine rice that were nutty and smoky from the intense wok hay.  Flavors were caramelized and despite this, the fried rice wasn't greasy (as they use a lot of oil generally to make fried rice).  There was ample fluffy crab to give texture and the mild pops of briny sweetness.  The rice itself was also well-seasoned.

Our last dish was also a repeat in the Pad See Ew.  Instead of tofu (our default choice during this trip), we asked for beef.  The result was a more robust-tasting version with lots of smokiness from the stir-fry.  The intense caramelized sweetness came through as well as the rich saltiness of the soy.  Noodles were not clumpy and al dente.  Beef was fairly tender for a lean cut.  Overall, this was another delicious visit to Bai Tong.  Food is prepared properly and their menu is diverse. The Redmond location is pretty busy, so best to come early or make a reservation.

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

The Good:
- Wok hay (the wok's breath) is on point here, providing smokiness and caramelization
- Generous portions
- Diverse menu

The Bad:
- Place is quite dark, mood lighting perhaps?
- One of the busier locations due to the lunch crowd, best to avoid peak times

Musubi Kai

Whenever I'm in Hawaii, it is more about the food than anything for me.  Yes, that doesn't seem like a revelation, given that I absolutely love to eat!  Okay, I do enjoy the scenery and the sights in Hawaii too.  So whenever I'm back at home or anywhere on the mainland, I am excited to see anything related to Hawaiian cuisine.  How about a place called Musubi Kai in Seattle?  A restaurant dedicated to Musubis?  Just like the one in Honolulu???  Well I'm game!

So let's get right to it shall we?  We got a selection of Musubis including the classic Spam Musubi.  The slice of meat was thick and evenly-seared.  There was a certain sweetness to it from the glaze.  Sushi rice was moist but still had a great chewiness.  Perfect ratio between meat and rice.  Delicious.  We also had the Spam, Egg and Avocado which made things a bit heartier but not heavier.  Again, it started with the base classic musubi with a thin slice of fluffy egg omelet and ripe avocado.  More of a breakfast item here that cut down the saltiness with the other ingredients.  The next one we had was the Spam, Egg and Eel which was extra savory and more robust due to the buttery eel.  It added more sweet saltiness and this would be great for those who like it hearty.

Onto the next 3 options, we had the BBB Eel and Pickled Daikon.  Okay, no Spam here, so it was a bit less heavy and considerably less salty.  This was all unagi with its soft texture and accompanying sweet sauce.  The crunch from the pickles added texture and also tanginess.  With a whole halved wiener, the Beef Frank & Egg was just as filling as the Spam versions.  It had a different saltiness and naturally a more bouncy texture compared to the Spam.  Lastly, we had the Shrimp Katsu with 2 ebi.  This was the most different since it had a crunchy texture to it.  Combined that with some katsu sauce and it was sweet and tangy.

They also have other items to supplement the large Musubi menu.  What better to represent Hawaii than some Poke?  We had the Salmon & Tuna Poke Bowl with all the fixins' including seaweed salad, edamame, imitation crab and corn on top of a mix of rice and mesclun greens.  This was a good poke that wasn't over-the-top.  There was enough fish to match the amount of rice and this was plenty for a meal.

Sticking with Hawaiian favorites, we found the Curry Loco Moco.  This was a hearty portion of chewy rice that was bathed in a curry sauce.  It was only mildly spicy with sweetness and equal parts savoriness.  I actually preferred this sauce over the usual gravy.  The burger patties were more like cutlets being soft and a bit bouncy.  With the addition of pickled ginger, furikake, crispy onion flakes and scallions, it kept things from getting too heavy with acidity and brightness.  Of course, there was a fried egg to offer up its yolky goodness.

Now for the overseas influence where they offered Nong Shim Cup Noodles as well as Udon.  You would find these in Korea and Japan where people happily eat them in store.  We did so too and although it wasn't anything they made or "cooked", it was satisfying nonetheless (especially on a cold day).  Overall, the Musubis were good and filling.  We liked how they had some other Hawaiian options to compliment.  Also, no joke, the instant noodles were great too!

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

The Good:
- Even ratio of rice-to-Spam
- Other Hawaiian dishes other than Musubis
- Loved the instant noodles!

The Bad:
- Parking in the area is limited (could park in the adjacent parking lot though and buy something from Staples)

Sumo All You Can Eat (Kent)

So you've heard me talk about the comeback or revival of AYCE (All-You-Can-Eat) in the past few years right?  Well, there are a few reasons for that, but the biggest is to do with the prevailing shape of the economy.  People just want good value when they go out to eat.  Hence, restaurants are adapting to consumer behavior.  More often than not, these AYCE spots will be Asian (in particular, Japanese, Indian and Chinese Hot Pot).  So that has brought us to Sumo All-You-Can-Eat in Kent.  Unlike many other AYCE Japanese joints, Sumo has some pretty good reviews.

To order food, you scan the QR code and then select items off your phone.  Dishes are brought to you by robots, so in reality, you could have very little interaction with the staff.  We started off with some smaller dishes in the Sushi Bomb, Tuna Tataki and Yellowtail Jalapenoa.  On a cube of crispy rice, the Sushi Bombs featured spicy salmon on top.  This was a crispy bite that wasn't as heavy as it looked.  As for the Tuna Tataki, it was somewhat spicy due to the dusting of togarashi on the outside.  The Yellowtail was buttery and had a kick from the jalapeno and spicy sauce.

They also have some torched sushi on the menu as well, so we got the Aburi Salmon Nigiri as well as the Aburi Scallops.  I gotta say that these were fantastic, especially for AYCE.  The salmon was buttery and the sushi rice was quite decent being chewy and not dry.  The scallops were buttery and fresh (and we weren't forced to eat any rice with it!).  We got a selection of their sushi rolls including the Rainbow, Dragon, Pink Lady and Sweet Heart Rolls.  They were neatly-constructed and that was surprising for AYCE.  In the end, they were also quite good where the rice was just right and the amount of components exceeded the amount of rice.  I especially enjoyed the heart-shaped Sweet Heart Roll since it was wrapped in soy paper, which made it easy to eat.  The spiced imitation crab filling tasted great too.

Moving onto some fried appies, we had the Chicken Karaage, Tempura Shrimp, Coconut Shrimp and Fried Oysters.  The Chicken Karaage was okay, maybe a little dry, but crispy.  The Tempura Shrimp was a bit overbattered, but the shrimp was buttery.  Oysters were crunchy on the outside and buttery soft with brininess inside.  The star of the show was the Coconut Shrimp as there was a crunchy breading while the shrimp had a moist snap.

Our next set of dishes including Seaweed Salad, Imitation Crab Salad, Takoyaki, Nigiri and Unagi Don.  Strangely, I really enjoyed the crab salad even though it was drenched in kewpie mayo.  The crunch from the veggies did add texture.  As you can see, the Nigiri was pretty legit looking and it also ate well with a proper fish-to-rice ratio.  The Unagi Don was serviceable with buttery pieces atop chewy rice.  Takoyaki and seaweed salad were typical and decent.

In addition to ordering from your phone, there is a small section with serve-yourself dishes including Sesame Glutinous Balls, Calamari, Spring Rolls, Korean Spicy Wings, Edamame Salad, Jellyfish Salad, Bamboo Shoot Salad, Shrimp and a host of fruit and small cake desserts.  Of note, the Salads were actually quite good and well-seasoned.  Nice texture on them too.  Wings were okay, but a bit dry.  There was also Miso Soup in this section too.

Normally, AYCE restaurants serve crappy Ramen.  But believe it or not, the one at Sumo was passable.  Sure, the broth wasn't really that great, but the rest of it was.  The noodles were al dente while the chashu was buttery and torched.  It has legit soft eggs, scallion, wood ear, fried garlic and nori.  Also, the selection of Sashimi was decent as well.  Fish quality was acceptable and you can order as much as you want from a variety that included red tuna, tuna, tamago, ebi, tako, unagi, hokkigai and amaebi.

So far, the meal was great and I wasn't even taking into account that it was AYCE.  However, nothing is ever perfect and the cooked meats were a bit hit and miss.  Although the Grilled Beef looked fantastic, it was actually quite chewy.  The same could be said about the Grilled New York Steak.  Although prepared nicely medium, it was also not tender.  Both were seared well and had good flavor though.  As for the Beef Short Ribs, they were the best of the bunch, being fairly tender for non-tenderized short rib.  Once again, good sear and properly seasoned.

To end the meal, we had the aforementioned sliced fruit and sheet cakes in the self-serve station, but there was also a freezer near the front entrance.  In it, we found various Popsicles and Ice Cream Cups.  Nothing amazing, but satisfying and refreshing after a filling meal.  In fact, if you wanted to take it to go instead of eating it, you could do so!  Considering the quality and variety of food on the menu, the AYCE at Sumo has to be one of the better ones I've had in recent memory.  Of course we always need to have reasonable expectations for AYCE, but even with that, most of the food was "regular menu" quality (except for the grilled meats).  In that case, I do recommend you try this if you are hangry and don't want to sacrifice all the quality for quantity.

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

The Good:

- Reasonably-priced

- AYCE menu is extensive

- Overall food quality is good

The Bad:

- Avoid the grilled meats

- Was funny watching the robots get stuck sometimes

Mee Sen Thai Eatery

Right next to Churn Cafe and their fabulous fusion brunch, you will find an authentic Thai eatery in Mee Sen Thai.  We took the opportunity to hop on over for a meal since we were in the neighbourhood already.  I've already mentioned that the Thai food game is strong in Portland compared to where I come from (Vancouver, B.C.).  In addition, what I've noticed is that the Thai food is also more diverse with an array of dishes I've never seen before.  This would also apply with our visit to Mee Sen Thai Eatery.

An example of such a dish is the Kang Jued.  This was a refreshing and comforting dish featuring a clear soup, egg tofu and minced chicken meatballs with glass noodles, carrots, shiitake mushroom, napa cabbage and bak choy.  The broth was light and a bit sweet while taking on the flavors of the ingredients.  The noodles were slippery and not overdone while the veggies were still vibrant.  Loved the soft egg tofu and the meatballs were moist.

Now 2 dishes that were more typical and I've definitely had before - Moo Ping (Pork Skewers) and Tod Mon (Fish Cakes).  Beautifully charred, the pork skewers were tender with an appealing meatiness.  They were properly marinated where there was some aromatics and sweetness.  As for the fish cakes, they had an incredible bounce texture that was great.  They were lightly sweet and moist.  On the side, we found a sweet & sour sauce with crushed peanuts.

Another dish I've yet to try before was the Larb Gai Tod.  Sure, I've had Larb before, but not with fried chicken breast.  So texturally, this was completely different than the ground meat that I'm used to having.  There was a robust quality to the dish where the usual larb flavors (sweet, spicy and tangy) were still there.  However, the pieces of chicken were not as crispy anymore due to the addition of wet ingredients.  The chicken was tender though.

One dish that I was strangely in love with was the Hoy Tod.  These crunchy pancakes had mussels and scallion hidden inside.  This provided a seafoody chewiness beyond the crunchy exterior and somewhat fluffy interior.  Not complex by any means, yet the textural contrast and the brininess was really up my alley.  I couldn't stop eating these!  This also came with a sweet & spicy sriracha sauce.

Back to the more typical dishes in the Peek Gai Tod (Fried Chicken Wings), we had them sauced in spicy basil.  These wings were ginormous and hence with the modest deep fry, they were also juicy and tender.  Personally, I would've preferred a more aggressive deep fry since the skin wasn't all that rendered.  It was still lightly crispy though and the spicy basil glaze was delicious.  There was aromatics, spice and garlickiness.

Another form of fried chicken arrived with our next dish in the Hat Yai Fried Chicken.  Unlike the North American type of fried chicken, this one featured a barely-there batter.  It was thin and allowed the skin to completely render.  By virtue of using rice flour, it was also very crispy.  Inside, the dark meat chicken was juicy and nicely brined.  I could definitely taste the sweetness as well as the brininess of the fish sauce.

Another dish I've never had before was the Goong Ob Woon Sen featuring prawns with glass noodles.  Albeit, I've had something similar in Cantonese cuisine (just like the Kang Jued), so this was familiar to me.  With plenty of aromatics from the garlic, ginger and cilantro, the slippery and chewy glass noodles were tasty.  There was some pepperiness to the dish and the addition of pork provided depth.  The shrimp were buttery with a snap.

Onto a classic Northern Thai dish in the Khao Soi Gai.  This was a good version featuring a creamy and rich red curry broth.  The egg noodles were still chewy and not clumpy.  They soaked up some of the broth and the aromatics and slight spiciness (nutty smokiness from the chili condiment) made me want to keep eating it.  The chicken leg was fall-off-the-bone tender.  Also, the crispy fried egg noodles helped soak up even more of the delicious broth.

For me at least, a Thai meal isn't complete without both the Pad See Ew and the Pad Thai.  Yes, a bit defaultish, but at the same time, when done right, delicious.  I'm happy to report that the both exhibited good wok hay which meant there was smokiness, nuttiness and caramelization.  For the Pad See Ew, the noodles were not clumpy and had elasticity.  We choose tofu instead of meat and that enabled the flavors from the stir-fry to stand out including a bit of spice (we chose medium) and balanced saltiness with sweetness.  The Pad Thai was tangy from the tamarind and also sweet from the palm sugar.  There was some brininess and of course some spice too.

Saving the best for last, we had the Khao Pad Puu (Crab Fried Rice).  We've already had some great versions on this trip to Portland and I was glad we ended off with another great dish.  The discernible grains of rice were chewy, nutty and caramelized.  There was plenty of other aromatics from the garlic, onions, scallions and sesame seeds as well.  Add in the on point seasoning and plenty of fluffy crab, the fried rice was really good!

For dessert, we were served a Thai Tea Cake that was reminiscent of cheesecake in texture.  Specifically, a Basque cheesecake where it was fairly dense and creamy.  It wasn't as sweet as it appeared but definitely wasn't flavorless either.  In the end, the meal at Mee Sen Thai was satisfying with some real highlights.  The wok hay was evident, especially with the noodle dishes and also the fried rice.  Also had some unique items we've never had before as well.  Portions are large, so bring some people to help share!

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

The Good:

- Dishes had wok hay (good caramelization and smokiness)

- Large portions

- Cute decor

The Bad:

- Maybe the wings could've been fried more golden brown and crispy