Bangkok Blvd

As if we didn't have enough Thai food already with all the great stops in Portland and also Bai Tong in Redmond.  However, our last food adventure brought us out to Edmonds and a little place called Bangkok Boulevard.  Located in a former Dim Sum spot, we were a bit skeptical when we first walked into the place.  However, our initial judgments would be a complete misnomer.  Just sitting there, we could smell the wok hay and the food being prepared for takeout orders.  I think we were going to be in for a treat!

To kick things off, we started with the Pad Kra Praw.  From this dish forward, we knew we were in for a fantastic meal.  The smell and aroma emanating from the dish was intoxicating.  There was caramelized sweetness, smokiness and umami.   Loved the tender bits of ground pork combined with bell peppers, onions, green bean and bail.  Naturally, this went well with the side of nutty and chewy rice with a fried egg added for another $2.00.  As you can tell, this was a generous portion.

Talking about going well with rice, the Eggplant Chili Sauce with shrimp was equally good.  Exhibiting the same wok hay that ensured smoky nuttiness as well as intense sweetness, this need a bowl of white rice.  The eggplant was cooked through yet still maintained a firm exterior texture while being soft inside.  As for the peppers, they were still firm and quite smoky from the wok-fry.  The properly deveined shrimp were buttery and had a sweet snap. 

It was pretty anti-climatic when the Pad See Ew hit the table.  The smell and aromas were intoxicating with brininess and smokiness wafting around us.  By looks alone, we could tell since there was some charring with the tofu and noodles.  This meant that each bite was caramelized and the intensity of the savoriness made us want to eat more and more of the dish.  The noodles were slippery and had an elasticity to them while the gai lan was still vibrant and crunchy.

Bringing the aromatic smells few notches, we moved onto the Pork Congee featuring meatballs, onsen egg, ginger, green onions and white pepper.  Even though this was supposedly less impactful due to it being rice porridge, it was absolutely delicious and on par with the rest of the dishes.  Thick, yet still drinkable, the congee base was sweet and savory with depth.  Those meatballs were tender, bouncy and full-flavored.  Adding an onsen egg, it afforded some extra silkiness.

Staying with soupy things, we had the Braised Chicken Noodle Soup.  This was a gigantic portion of braised chicken wings.  They were super plump with tender meat and buttery skin.  Personally, I'm not a huge fan of flabby skin, but in this instance, it worked for this bowl of noodles.  As for the broth, it was silky (like texturally) with the taste of duck for some reason.  I'm sure it was the chicken braising liquid, but it had duck vibes possibly due to the star anise.

Featuring a deep fried soft-shelled crab on top, the Pad Pong Karee sported a dry curry with chili paste, curry powder, half & half cream, egg, onions, bell peppers and celery.  As you can see, this wasn't completely dry, so another bowl of white rice would go well.  I found the flavors to be a bit more concentrated as such with creaminess.  The veggies were still crunchy while cooked through.  I really enjoyed the crunchy soft-shelled crab with a custardy interior texture.

We ended the meal with the Black Sticky Rice Pudding.  Sitting in sweet coconut cream, this was the perfect ending to a fabulous meal.  Sure, I would've liked some mango sticky rice too, but not really the season for it!  This black rice pudding was appealingly glutinous and semi-sweet.  It had great mouth-feel and the coconut cream added plenty of aromatics.  Interestingly, with all the excellent Thai food we had on this trip, the best one was the last one.  Didn't expect a little Thai restaurant in a strip mall in Edmonds would be so good.  Well it is and go check it out if you are in the area!

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

The Good:
- Really great wok hay that translate into some smoky and caramelized flavors
- Reasonably-priced
- Fair portions

The Bad:
- Parking lot can be rather full

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)

Bai Tong Thai (Southcenter)

For all the times I've visited Seattle, Bai Tong Thai has been on my radar yet it has never happened.  Finally, we got our chance at the Southcenter location.  Actually, this is near the original location at the North end of Sea-Tac where founder and former Thai Airways flight attendant, Chanpen Lapangkura wanted a place that would cater to the Thai Airways crew members.  Well, that was then and Bai Tong has expanded to many more locations.  It started with bringing in top Thai chefs from Bangkok and it still dishes up authentic Thai food to this day.

We were fortunate enough to do a menu tasting and this will be a comprehensive post about many of their most popular dishes.  We began with some appies in the Chicken Satay.  Since they used chicken breast, the meat was not as juicy as using leg meat.  Yet in reality, chicken is not even really a thing in Thailand itself when it comes to satay skewers.  It is usually pork and sometimes beef, due to the influence from Indonesia.  The use of chicken is mainly a North American thing, in particular, the breast meat.  In this case, the chicken was still moist with a slight char on the outside.  The marinade was aromatic but it really did need to be dipped into the creamy peanut sauce on the side. We also had the Gai Hor Bai Toey and Chicken Wings where the former is something I've never had before.  Bite-sized chicken wrapped in pandan leaves and deep-fried, these looked and smelled amazing.  After unwrapping them, we found pieces of chicken that were nicely browned and sightly crispy.  I wouldn't say the chicken was necessarily juicy, but it wasn't overly dry either.  The side of sweet sticky sauce was so rich and molasses-like that it added not only flavour, but moisture to compliment the meat.  As for the wings, they were pretty large and featured a crunchy exterior and fully-rendered skin.  There was good inherent flavour from the soy marinade, but the side of sweet & sour sauce helped add moisture to the meat.

Continuing with small plates, we had the Tod Mun Pla and the Grilled Beef.  The aggressively fried fish cakes were appealingly brown on the outside while being crispy.  Inside, the fish cake was medium-firm with plenty of crunchy long beans.  There was some inherent sweetness with the fish mousse and it did have a good rebound texture.  The cucumber plum sauce provided a slightly tangy sweetness.  As for the grilled beef, it was sliced New York strip, hence it was tender but maybe lacking in some moisture.  Despite not looking like it was grilled enough, I found the charred nuttiness really coming through.  This came with a soy and toasted rice sauce with crushed chilies.  Nice spice and aromatics.

We moved onto a pair of soups staring with the Tom Kha.  Consisting of the classic components of chicken, straw mush-rooms, lemongrass, green onions, cilantro and galangal, the Tom Kha was packed with flavour despite not appearing to be.  The big hits of bright tangy lemongrass and galangal were at the forefront while the kaffir lime leaves added even more citrusy notes.  This was balanced off by the creamy and aromatic coconut milk while the hits of fish sauce were apparent.  Of course we can't forget the sweetness provided by the palm sugar.  This was a flavour bomb and one of the more impactful Tom Kha I've had in quite some time.

Our next soup, the Tom Yum Coconut, was completely awesome.  Normally, a proper Tom Yum would be pretty flavourful already, but with the addition of coconut milk and ground pork, this soup turned into a study in umami.  With similar ingredients as the Tom Kha such as straw mushrooms, lemongrass, galangal, green onions and cilantro, we had the classic tangy aromatics going on.  However, the coconut milk with the pork created a richness to the soup that was robust and intoxicatingly delicious.  We literally could not stop eating this as it hit all of the notes including spiciness.

From here we went onto some salads including the colourful Corn Salad with shredded carrots, green beans, tomatoes, fresh chillies, coconut, dried shrimp, and peanuts tossed in a lime juice dressing.  Absolutely loved this dish as the fresh corn niblets straight off the cob were juicy and sweet with a light crunch.  It was complimented by the crunch from the rest of the veggies while the rest of the ingredients created a truly Thai flavour with spice, aromatics, fermented saltiness and nuttiness.  Of course the dressing brought it all together with fresh acidity.

The other salad was the Bai Tong Yum Salad featuring prawns tossed with cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, lettuce, green onion, cilantro and a chili-lime dressing for a distinctly spicy and citrusy Thai taste.  At first glance, this didn't look like much of anything but the impact was mostly in the aforementioned dressing.  Lots of acidity, sweetness and kick that complimentd the cold-water crunchy prawns and the crisp greens.

 

Onto some bigger plates, we had the Spicy Eggplant with peppers, basil, garlic and black bean sauce.  As you can see, the eggplant was cooked just enough so it was tender, but not mushy.  There was plenty of wok hei which ensured that there was very little residual moisture at the bottom of the plate.  The caramelization of flavors meant that it was a bit smoky and had a good balance between sweet, spicy and savory.

One of the under-the-radar items we had was the Thai Omelette with pork, green onions, cilantro and fish sauce.  It was both crispy and fluffy at the same time.  We had crispy and nutty edges while the center was fluffy and also meaty from the minced pork.  Naturally, the cilantro added Southeast Asian herbaceous notes while the fish sauce provided that fermented salty brininess.  Really great to eat on its own, but I liked it with rice.

In fact, we were moving into dishes that needed rice including the Stir-Fried Seafood with curry Powder.  This sported a bevy of seafood including Kiwi mussels, prawns, whole scallops and squid with celery, egg, bell peppers and onion. Sure, it wasn't the prettiest dish out there, but the seafood was prepared properly with the scallops being buttery soft and the squid still being tender.  The curry was on point with an aromatic earthiness that was nicely spiced.

One of our favorites was the Roast Duck Curry featuring half of a duck with grape tomatoes, bell peppers, basil and lychee in a red curry.  Let's talk about the curry first, it was coconutty and sweet with a good amount of spice.  The lychee added a different sweetness to the curry, but good thing they accounted for that and didn't overdo it with the palm sugar.  As for the duck, it featured roasted and rendered skin while the meat itself was tender and naturally flavorful.

The next dish was something that is familiar to most people in the Chicken Green Curry with bamboo shoots, bell peppers, basil, green chilies, coconut milk, kaffir lime peel and palm sugar.  This was a delicious rendition of this classic curry.  It was rich, but not too thick while filled with a good balance of spice, brininess, creaminess and sweetness.  lots of aromatics going on and also the bamboo shoots added their pungency.  The chicken was quite tender too.

The grandest dish of all was the Crispy Trout Curry featuring a whole fried fish bathed in Panang curry.  Although looking super fried, the fish was actually super flaky and moist.  Even with all that curry on top, the exterior was still crispy.  That contrast between textures was quite appealing.  As for the curry, it was sweet due to the palm sugar and creamy from the coconut milk.  There was equal parts savory and some tanginess as well.

So we had to get the classic Pad Thai right?   Of course we did and we selected chicken as the protein.  This was a good version where there was, once again, good wok hei.  That meant there was caramelization of the palm sugar and fish sauce while the smokiness of the sear came through.  The noodles were not clumpy and nicely al dente.  With legit tamarind, there was the unmistakable tangy sweetness that makes a Pad Thai appetizing.  Possibly this dish could've used just a bit more moisture.

Continuing on with another noodle dish, we had the Bai Tong Special Noodle.  Consisting of wide flat rice noodles, preserved cabbage, green onions and egg, the special noodles were also the beneficiary of a hot wok.  The egg was especially aromatic while the noodles were a bit soft.  In terms of flavor, the pickled cabbage came through with some salty sweetness and a touch of spice.  I could've done without all that lettuce as it interfered with the delicious noodles.

Another classic Thai stir-fried noodle was the Pad See Ew.  This one was made with beef and had some broccoli as well.  We also found the same wide flat rice noodles that were tossed in sweet soy in a hot wok.  There was obvious searing of the egg and noodles where we could taste the nuttiness.  I really liked how this dish wasn't too greasy, as it can be due to the noodles often sticking to the wok (hence more oil is needed).  I found this to be fairly mild-tasting. 

We ended this epic meal with 2 rice dishes starting with the Salted Egg Fried Rice with chicken.  This, like all the other dishes, was kissed by the hot wok, hence it was nutty and and a bit smoky.  Also, the grease was minimal, which meant the wok was indeed hot enough to not stick.  There was the unmistakable salty nuttiness of salted egg as well as enough seasoning to make each spoonful interesting.  There was some veggies in the mix that were not overcooked.

Lastly, we saved one of the best for last with the Crab Fried Rice with extra fried egg on top.  Not trying to sound like a broken record, but the same qualities in the salted egg fried rice applied here as well.  In addition to fluffy crab, we found dried shrimp as well which gave some salty brininess.  The fluffy egg on top added extra texture.  So after trying all these dishes, we came to the conclusion that Bai Tong is legit.  Portions are generous and the preparation of the stir-fries were on point.  We also found good heat with the curries and the soups were flavor bombs.  Really enjoyed this meal and would definitely come back!

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

The Good:
- When we asked for medium, it still came out flavorful and spicy (like it should be)
- Nice use of a hot wok with the stir-frying
- Generous portions

The Bad:
- Some meats were a bit dry

Gen Korean BBQ House

You'd think after dining on AYCE Korean BBQ for dinner the night before, we wouldn't be doing that again for lunch right?  If you know Jackie and I, then you would have guessed wrong!  LOL, we visited Gen Korean BBQ House less than 24 hours later for more grilled meats.  Hey we still had the hotel breaky before we made our way to Southcenter for some AYCE action!  Conveniently located on the North side of the mall, we parked and then entered the restaurant from their exterior doors.  Once inside, we were greeted to a modern and hip space.

To begin, we ordered some drinks in the form of Itaewon Punch Party Bowl, Royal Hawaiian and Miami Heat.  We had the electric blue version of the party bowl with a mix of sprite and a whole bottle of soju.  The Royal Hawaiian consisted of gin, agave syrup and pineapple.  Definitely tropical, sweet and light due to the use of gin.  With tequila, mango, pineapple and tajin, the Miami Heat was also fruity and tropical, but also had some kick.

Onto the food, we got the usual Banchan with some cucumbers, kimchi, potato salad, kimchi radish and pickled daikon & onions.  The grill was pretty even where all the meats got their grill marks and caramelization.  There was also good ventilation where we didn't smell like Korean BBQ afterwards.  Supplied sauces included sesame oil, gochujang and salt & pepper.  We ended up getting some of the cooked items to begin including the Cheese Katsu (bottom left) which was aggressively breaded (with panko) where it was super crunchy.  The meat itself was decently moist while the whole thing was filled with melty cheese.

Other cooked options included the Korean Fried Chicken (KFC) and the Japchae.  I thought the chicken was decent with a crispy batter, but the chicken itself could've been juicier.  It was sauced with a sweet and slightly spicy glaze.  Honestly, for a basic japchae with no meat and no veggies actually cooked with the potato starch noodles, I didn't mind it.  The noodles were chewy, not clumpy and well-seasoned.  I mean, it would've been even better if they had cooked it with the veggies instead of them being strewn on top though.

We got both of the available soups including the Dwenjang and Soondooboo.  The first one was fermented soybean paste with tofu and veggies.  Giving off miso vibes (due to the main ingredient), this was actually rather mild and slightly sweet.  The second soup was spicy with soft tofu and dried shrimp.  Naturally, this had more impact and was my choice of the 2.  We also ordered the Cheese Kimchi Fried Rice.  With melty cheese on top, the rice was decently flavorful with some spice and tang.  I found it a bit too soft though.

Starting with the beef options, we got the Premium Marinated Long Bone Short Rib, Premium Marbling Center Cut Short Rib and Premium Wagyu. These items belong to the Premium AYCE which costs $20.00 extra per person and everyone at the table must participate.  As grand as the long bone short rib looked, it was a bit hard to eat.  Don't get me wrong, when I cut the meat off the bone, it was plenty tasty and fatty.  It just required some effort.  Now that wasn't an issue with the center cut short rib.  Each piece was buttery with the unmistakable texture of short rib (meaty with some bite).  Nice flavor on those in terms of meatiness, but also a sweet savoriness due to the marinade.  Sliced thin, the Wagyu seared up nicely and were soft and fatty.

Also included in the Premium AYCE is the Premium Taco Sampler.  Yes, this is not a typo, they really do have Mexican fusion at Gen!  From left to right, we have Carne Asada, Pollo Asada, Al Pastor and Cajun Shrimp.  You know what?  This was rather tasty.  After grilling up the tender meats, we warmed up the tortillas on the grill as well, added the sauces, cilantro, onion and lime.  I found the beef particularly good being meaty, yet soft.

The Premium Ribeye is also available for the AYCE Premium, yet it is only limited to 1 per person.  With all of the other options on the menu, I would personally only order one anyways.  This was a good size, roughly 10 - 12 ounces and nicely marbled.  It seared up beautifully on the grill and obviously, you can cook it to your desired doneness.  We went for somewhere in between medium-rare and medium.  That turned out to be great as the meat was delicious albeit a touch chewy.

Onto the regular menu, we had the Spicy Pork Bulgogi where the slices were super thin, much like the Wagyu.  These were topped with a spicy and slightly sweet gochujang.  When cooked on the grill, this had some good caramelization and charring.  Being fatty, the meat was super tender.  Back to beef, we had the Beef Bulgogi which was on the leaner side, but it was still succulent after being BBQ'd.  It also charred well due to the sweet marinade.

For me, I do love Pork Belly, but really, I don't like it when it is all fat.  I prefer it to be well-marbled but predominantly meat.  This particular piece was exactly that.  It seared up crispy but still moist and juicy on the inside.  Now that slab of Humboldt Squid didn't look like much, but really, it was one of the best things I ate.  Cooking a slab like this ensured that it kept its moisture.  Hence, when I cut it up with the scissors, it was indeed moist and super tender with a light chew.

So they don't really have a selection of desserts on the AYCE menu, but they do have Hotteok, which are sweet pancakes.  Really enjoyed the glutinous rice on the outside as it was warm and pliable.  It was lightly crisp on the outside while the inside was pleasantly sweet.  In general, the meal as a whole was pleasant and there were many options.  Place is definitely modern with an energetic vibe.  Some good cocktails and interesting Mexican thing going on too.

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

The Good:
- Nice energetic vibe
- A decent amount of choice
- That taco thing shockingly worked

The Bad:
- The premium meats are good, but the steak could've been more marbled
- Some of the cooked dishes were average