Billiard Hoang

I've been wanting to check out Billiard Hoang for many years now.  However, it just never worked out every time we've been in Seattle.  It wasn't only because we couldn't fit it into our schedule.  Rather, the place gets pretty busy during dinner time.  To combat this, we arrived at 5:00pm on a Sunday.  In turn, we had our pick of seats and also there was plenty of parking.  Our plan was to order lots, and then after our meal, play some pool!

We ordered a few appetizers including the Duck Salad.  With a bed of greens including herbs, cabbage, onion and pickled carrot & daikon, there was no shortage of crunch, tang and aromatics.  On top, there was a chopped duck leg which was super tender with the classic gelatinous texture.  It was well-salted where the meat was flavorful without being too salty.

Next we tried something I don't see very often - Roasted Quails.  These had some passing similarity to roasted squab, but just smaller.  Seasoning was supplied by some five-spice, soy and sugar.  There was a beautiful lacquered appearance where the skin was rendered and flavorful.  We found the meat to be succulent where we picked all of it clean from the bones.  This came with a salt & pepper lime sauce that helped brighten things up.

Those first 2 appies were solid, but we were really here for the Fish Sauce Chicken Wings!  Sporting only the flats, the wings were aggressively fried.  It resulted in fully-rendered skin that was crispy with no flabby portions.  This also meant the rest of the wing was a bit drier than expected.  However, that didn't result in overly dry meat though.  It just wasn't as juicy as other Asian-style wings I've had.  These were tossed in a fish sauce glaze that was sweet, salty and plenty briny.

For me, I have to order a Banh Mi whenever it is available.  Generally, ordering it at a full-service Vietnamese restaurant can be hit or miss though (I like dedicated Banh Mi shops more).  The one here was a hit since they loaded up with meats.  Hence, it was fulfilling and increased the flavor quotient.  That was further elevated by the generous portion of pâté and buttery mayo.  It added moisture and creaminess.  The bread itself was airy and crunchy on the outside.

Off to the bigger plates, we went for the Bò Lúc Lắc or Shaking Beef.  At first glance, this was not any different than most versions of this dish.  However, the smells emanating from the wok fry was pretty fragrant and exhibiting wok hei.  Our noses were correct as one taste of the beef and there was caramelization as well as umami from the fish sauce.  The beef itself was super tender and juicy.  Veggies were still crisp and vibrant.

Onto the requisite Phở Đặc Biệt, we found the broth to be a bit murky-looking, but it was fairly clean to the taste.  Flavors were definitely there with strong star anise and the sweetness of daikon as well as charred onion.  Cinnamon came through too.  With that being said, the broth was not overly salty though.  Noodles were plentiful and al dente.  They didn't skimp with the meats either as there was enough to go around with every bite.

We also got the Bún Riêu and it has to be one of the best we've had in awhile.  The tomato-based broth was rich and silky with moderate tang.  Crab brininess was apparent too and some sweetness a well.  Nice aroma from the soup.  Those meatballs were fluffy and light with plenty of brininess and only limited porkiness (which is a good thing in my mind).  Noodles were slippery and not overdone.

Out last item was the Mì Thập Cẩm or dry noodles with BBQ pork, shrimp, fish ball, imitation crab and squid.  Pretty solid version here with al dente noodles mixed with sweetened soy along with plenty of toppings.  When we were done eating, we sauntered over to the pool tables and played a few games.  Yes, a Vietnamese restaurant in a pool hall seems strange, but Billiard Hoang deserves all of their accolades.  Food is delicious, well-portioned and decently-priced.  The people there were super-friendly too.  Would come back!

The Good:

- Delicious eats

- Large portions

- Nice people

The Bad:

- Can get busy and you might have to wait, parking lot can fill up too

Rooster & Rice

This Asian chicken & rice thing is a fairly simple concept.  Poach some chicken in seasoned fragrant water.  Use that broth in addition to the rendered chicken fat to make some flavored oil rice.  Ensure there are the requisite dipping sauces and don't waste that chicken broth as it can be served as a soup on the side.  There are distinct, yet similar, versions all across Asia including Thai, Singaporean, Malaysian, Vietnamese and of course Chinese (Hainanese Chicken).  Now I'm not here to dispute where it originated, rather, I blogging about my latest food adventure at Rooster & Rice.  This chain has locations across several states in the West and serves up the Thai version (Khao Man Gai).  I recently checked out the Bellevue location.

Their menu is pretty simple with only 3 items on the menu.  We started with The Original, that featured boneless breast and thigh meat with skin.  I found the chicken breast to be sufficiently moist, but it wasn't juicy though.  On the other hand, the thigh meat was plenty tender and juicy.  Chicken was fragrant, but really, it had to be dipped into the KMG sauce.  This combination of soy, vinegar, sugar, garlic and ginger was reminiscent of the one found at Nong's Khao Man Gai, except being a bit more vinegary.  

With the same deboned breast and thigh atop chicken oil rice, The Bellevue, featured the classic ginger & scallion condiment.  This would be more like the Chinese version of the dish.  We really enjoyed the condiment as it was predominantly ginger with just a bit of scallion for effect.  It was seasoned nicely and brought the chicken alive with brightness and a bit of sharpness.  The chicken rice was quite good being flavorful, nutty and plenty al dente.  There was some crunchy cucumbers on the side as well as chicken broth.

Last item was the Hat Yai Chicken with crispy shallots on top.  We found the skin plenty crispy and flavorful while completely rendered.  I wouldn't say the chicken was moist inside as the deep-fry was pretty aggressive.  It was delicious though especially dipped into the sweet chili sauce.  We sampled their alternative sauces too including Habanero, Thai Sriracha and Pineapple Habanero sauces.  They were all spicy, with the habanero being the hottest.  There was background sweetness but the one with the pineapple had the most.  Definitely a great alternative or addition to the standard sauces.  Overall, the food at Rooster & Rice is good and the sauces are killer.  I do think that the chicken breast and the Hat Yai chicken could benefit from a bit more moisture though.

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

The Good:

- Well-portioned

- Okay pricing

- Delicious sauces

The Bad:

- White meat could be juicier

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

 

Puchkaman Street Food Cafe

I'm sure you are aware that there is no shortage of Indian eats along Scott Road along the Surrey/North Delta border.  However, most are Northern Indian restaurants.  In addition, we have the massive buffet in Tandoori Flame, some chaat houses, sweets shops and also Happy Singh's which dishes up street eats.  We now have more street eats at Puchkamen that, like its namesake, features Puchka (from Eastern India).  We dropped by to try some of their dishes.

Of course we had to start with the Puchkas with a variety consisting of Kolkata Special Aloo, Ghugni, Dahi and Paneer Szechuan.  My favourite of the bunch was the dahi as it was tangy and zesty.  I also enjoyed the Szechuan as it was spicy and since it was filled with paneer, the shell remained crunchy.  The Special Aloo had tender nuggets of spiced potatoes while the shell was also quite crispy.  To compliment, we tried all of their waters including Pudina, Khatta, Jeera and Meetha Panis.  

The next 2 dishes comprised of the Corn Chaat and the Mumbai Pav Bahji.  Refreshing with pops of sweetness and some bite from the onions, the corn was a nice compliment to the Pav.  Really enjoyed the Pav Bahji as the mashed veggies were almost creamy with nice heat and background earthiness.  The melting butter on top added more nutty richness.  Loved the soft buttered and toasted buns.

We got a selection of Momos including Tandoori, Pan Fried, Kurkure and Classic Steamed.  We also got the dipping sauces including Momo Chutney, Coriander Mint and Tandoori Mayo.  Even though I thought the Kurkure would be heavy, it really wasn't.  The crispy coating was great while the momo inside had a chewy, yet moist texture.  The Tandoori were nicely spice and had an appealing chewiness.  For each of these, the filling was vegetarian where it was nicely spiced and delicate without being mushy.

As for the Sandwich selection, we went for the Corn Cheese, Paneer Szechuan, Chicken Blast and Mushroom Blast.  Really loved how they used the sandwich press to achieve some smoky crispiness.  My favourite of the bunch was the Corn Cheese since it was super cheesy and sweet.  All of the other sammies had heat due to the spicy mayo drizzle.  The Szechuan was even more so in the heat department.  Loved that kick.

Trying some items from the other sections of the menu, we had the Aloo Tikki Chaat.  On the bottom, we found a bed of tender potatoes that had some crispiness while bathed in a tangy tamarind chutney.  On top, there was a combination of yogurt, mint coriander chutney, pomegranate seeds and crispy sev.  This was a textural delight with appetizing sweet and sour notes.
 

Something that was new to me was the Pan-Fried Maggi.  Yes, these are the instant noodles under the Maggi brand name!  I found the noodles a touch on the softer side, but since they were pan-fried, some parts had dried out and were still chewy (in a good way).  The combination of spices added earthy, tangy and slightly spicy notes.  With some cilantro, we had some herbaceousness.

 

 

If you are wondering why the Butter Chicken Fries was so light in colour, it is because the dish isn't native to Eastern Indian.  However, their version is thicker and generally has cashew paste added.  Hence this one resembled a Korma more than the Delhi-style's tangier tomato-forward dish.  Despite being coated with the sauce, the fries were crispy and the right type for this dish.  There was no starch coating which meant the fries were more naturally-textured.

 

They have one rice bowl available in the Tandoori Mint Bowl.  This featured chewy seasoned basmati rice topped with chicken and tandoori sauce.  This was quite a saucy affair with tang, sweetness and earthiness.  With the addition of mint, there was the usual brightness and herbaceousness.  Pretty solid bowl if you like it saucy.

 

The last item was the Chicken Kathi Roll that featured a really flaky paratha.  It was a considerably buttery and the chewy texture of the flatbread was fantastic.  Inside, there was plenty of tender chicken bathed in yogurt and spice.  A bit of heat and noted earthiness.  Overall, the street food at Puchkamen is quite good with the Puchkas and Sandwiches being the highlights for me.  Lots of options for takeout and dine in.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

 

The Good:

- Lots of options

- Good spice level

- Loved the paratha

 

The Bad:

- The limited staff there work hard and are friendly, but also means you need to be patient 

 

Kona Kitchen (Lynnwood)

Not trying to be overly complicated for our dinner plans, we merely made our way to the Lynnwood location of Kona Kitchen for some Hawaiian eats.  For those who not familiar, Hawaiian cuisine is highly influenced by the different nationalities that have moved there.  These include Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Filipino, Portuguese and many others.  Hence, there is a mish mash of things and they even have plates of mixed cuisine since workers would share their lunches with each other.

We started with the classic Spam Musubi where the influences were definitely Japanese with American injection of Spam.  Normally, the Spam would be seared with some sweet soy glaze to cut some of the saltiness.  Then it would be placed on a fairly thick block of sushi rice and then crispy nori wrapped around it.  Such a simple concoction, but ultimately super delicious.  The sushi rice is critical as it cuts the Spam's saltiness.  This particular version had a balance amount of components, but I wished there was more glaze on the Spam to cut the saltiness.  The rice was quite good being chewy yet still moist.

Viv went big with the Waimea Plate with thinly-sliced teriyaki beef, katsu pork, spring rolls, mac salad and 2 scoops of rice.  Loved the beef as it was full-flavored and tender.  Katsu was a bit thin and hence not as moist as it could've been.  Panko coating was crispy and not greasy.  Spring rolls were crunchy and some would call them lumpia (Filipino influence).  Mac salad was a bit too soft for me, but the amount of mayo was right and the seasoning was on point.

I went for the Hamburger Steak complete with gravy, grilled onions, 2 scoops of rice and mac salad.  Yes, this has elements of the Japanese Hamburg steak which itself is already a fusion dish of a Salisbury steak.  This one was excellent with large and thin rectangular patty.  It was moist and juicy while completely seared on both sides.  Gravy had a nice viscosity and was plenty savoury while being influenced by the sweetness of the onions.

I ended up adding a small Saimin to go with my main dish and it really did bring back memories of having it at Hamura on the island of Kauai.  This simple bowl of chewy thin noodles fuses mainly Chinese and Japanese cuisine together that features a clean dashi, half a hard-boiled egg and char siu.  Nothing mind-blowing, but comforting and satisfying.  This particular version was exactly that but I wished the char siu was less dry.  Overall, Kona Kitchen did do the trick and satisfied our Hawaiian food cravings.

The Good:

- Fairly generous portions

- Decent eats

- Good service

The Bad:

- Although it did the job, I was wanting a bit more with some items