Posts Tagged ‘vermicelli’
I’m a meticulous planner. I purchase theatre tickets as soon as they’re on sale and schedule weekend activities several weeks in advance. I’m fastidious about aligning our calendars and knowing where we’ll be when and with whom. I’ve relaxed since we moved here and less anxious about spontaneous gatherings.
On a wet and windy day, a group cozied up at Green Leaf for an impromptu but nourishing lunch. Near the corner of King and 8th, Green Leaf has a narrow street frontage with a green awning and a simple logo.
A stain glass panel of a nubile woman separates the entrance from the dining room. The faux bamboo and patterned wallpaper interior is sepia toned. Laminated media clippings and celebrity photos decorate the wall near the stairs.
We ordered several dishes to share. First were two servings of rice paper rolls (gỏi cuốn) artfully presented on a plate. Prawn, pork, Thai basil, vermicelli, peanuts, crispy wafer and lettuce were wrapped in fragile and translucent rice paper, and dipped in a sticky peanut sauce.
Three skewers of silky grilled lemongrass eggplant were topped with fried onions and peanuts with a side of pickled vegetables.
The combo was a large ceramic bowl of grilled chicken, pork, prawn skewer and spring roll covering a tangled mass of vermicelli.
Two steaming decagon bowls of beef phở were ladled out into smaller portions. Rare beef were swirled in the aromatic broth and a mound of bean sprouts and sprigs of Thai basil were crunchy and fresh. The thin rice noodles were politely slurped and the soup emptied.
Last were pork chop, shredded pork and ‘egg pie’ with steamed rice. Peppery and tender, we each ate bites of this slowly as we were just about full!
Fortune cookies accompanied the bill and mine stated ‘a routine will turn into an enchanting escapade’.
Green Leaf will open a second restaurant in Belltown, near the Olympic Sculpture Park, in early 2012.
- In: Capitol Hill | Eating | Seattle | USA | Washington
- 2 Comments
I suffered from a cold last week and my appetite was low. Drowsy from medication and hibernating at home, I craved for congee. Without the requisite Chinese ingredients of dried scallop, salted duck egg and preserved egg, I comforted myself with cups of tea instead. I knew congee is sometimes on the menu at Ba Bar so we walked up to Capitol Hill for a weekend lunch.
Sydney suburbs have clear boundaries defined by the government. Your address has your suburb and postcode. In Seattle there are neighbourhoods. Areas are referred to as Queen Anne and Ravenna but only Seattle is in your address. We thought Ba Bar is in Capitol Hill. We strolled to the intersection of 12th Avenue and Madison St, and checked the map. It was another five blocks south!
Located near the Seattle University campus, Ba Bar is in a converted building with floor to ceiling windows. In the entrance foyer, a bakery counter is on the right and adjacent is an open plan kitchen. Produce and spices line the ornate shelves and wooden benches.
A ladder leans against the liquor cabinet, copper mugs hang on hooks and a chalkboard displays an extensive beverages list.
A tumbler contained a pair of chopsticks and a serviette stamped with the Ba Bar logo, ‘street food, cold drinks’.
The lunch menu is categorised into salad and small plate, noodles in broth (phở), vermicelli bowl, rotisserie and Saigon French.
We shared a plate of Huế dumplings (bánh bột lọc chay). Made with tapioca flour, the slippery wrapper was thick and translucent. A curious mung bean paste was gritty and dry, remedied by spooning the spicy soy vinaigrette over the morsels.
Mr S ordered the special of Painted Hills beef stew. A steaming bowl of tender beef and carrots was served with bean sprouts and Thai basil. Egg noodles soaked in the aromatic broth and were gleefully slurped. It was a soothing dish and reminiscent of Chinese herbal soups.
Much to my disappointment, there was no congee on the menu. I consoled myself with a bowl of grilled chicken vermicelli. Piled on cold vermicelli were crispy imperial roll, grilled Draper Valley chicken, shredded lettuce, sliced cucumber, caramelised shallot and peanuts. A cup of chilli fish sauce (nước mắm) balanced precariously on the vermicelli and added a salty heat to the salad.
A bargain at ninety cents each, we nibbled on coconut chocolate macarons with an espresso and a cup of tea.
The return trip is always quicker when we know how far we’re going!
