Fish sauce is unpleasant stuff, smelly and weird, but without it, you can’t really get the right flavor to your home made Thai or Vietnamese food. We bought one bottle of the stuff which we threw out immediately upon opening it – it was beyond weird and smelly, it was downright nasty and there was no way I was putting it in my food. The next bottle we got proved more palatable, if you can call fish sauce palatable on its own.… continued…
Ping Chow set a bottle of red wine on our table. He smiled broadly and nodded at us. “Happy Birthday!” we all said, reaching across the table to shake his 94 year old hand. Our friend N. kissed him on the cheek and Mr. Chow brightened up. “You see why my mother told him ‘No more women!’ before she died?” said Mr. Chow’s only daughter.
She’d noticed we were paying attention. It was hard not to.… continued…
Hing Loon has hand written placards taped to almost every available bit of wall space. “Deep fried tofu hot pot,” they say, and “Country style pancake with shrimp” and “Radish with fish ball.” You can order your dinner without opening a menu, if you like, and you won’t miss out. The food arrives fast and furious from the kitchen, which you can see through a fish tank like window. The waitresses are sturdy with suspicious haircuts and they’re super efficient with a cheerful edge.… continued…
I absolutely adore Seattle’s International District. It smells funny, it’s crowded, the streets are unforgiveably dirty. The supermarkets are chaotic, the restaurant menus are mysterious and sometimes risky. The alleys smell bad, there are sketchy people everywhere. Parking can be a complete trial and walking can have its own challenges. But I love the I District and was happy to find myself wandering there in good company for today’s New Year celebration.
The Wing Luke Asian Museum was free today and that was our first stop.… continued…
