Quick trip to Seattle Foodz.

Please be prepared to wash your face upon viewing this post, it's a greasy one.  I have my new apricot facial scrub ready.

I gloriously admit that when I go to Seattle, I have Chinese food on my brain.  Portland has Vegetarian House and Bay Leaf, but neither fulfill my basic greasy Chinese take out habit that developed growing up on Long Island and going to college in Boston. In fact, going to P.F. Chang's while out of town on business usually hits that more!  Shhh.

Portland has an immense amount of Thai restaurants (Veganshizzle and I share the same favorite - Pad Thai Kitchen), yes, but they don't meet my liking for great chow mein or crispy gluten - that's what Seattle is for.  I've had the most reliably hit-the-spot meals at Bamboo Garden, but the fondest in my memory was a single meal at Teapot Vegetarian House over two years ago.  Last week, with dear visiting friend at my side, it was time to return.  

The meal then was actually a mixture of East Asian cuisines, as was my most recent one.

From Teapot Vegetarian House:

Veggie Dumplings - the first and best part of the meal.  Granted, we were super hungry and chomping down after a couple martinis and a long day...

Singapore Noodles with tofu - not the type of dish I typically order, but I was feeling adventurous.  It was tasty and curry noodle-icious, but the tofu was plain and simply cubed.

My friend ordered the Broccoli with Seitan - Classic Chinese style saucy broccoli and gluten (though not crispy, woe is us).  Saucy!

And I've heard so much about the cheezecake at Teapot and was bummed when they were out on my first visit.  This time around, they were out of the recommended chocolate cheezecake, but we grabbed a slice of mango to go.  I had a bite and found myself digging the texture but overall, it was beany and the sauce did nothing for me.  I never returned to it.

Mango Cheezecake

From Thai 65:

When we first arrived in Seattle, my friend I randomly hit up Thai 65 for quick downtown lunch before taking the historical Underground Tour.  We took a chance and the staff guaranteed that if I requested my food vegan, without fish sauce and oyster sauce, I wouldn't have a problem.

I ordered a noodle dish with tofu and vegetables - sadly forgetting which one - but it had a sweet brown soy sauce mentioned... slim on the tofu, but appetizing with noodles and fu.  No taste of fishy anything, thank goodness.

Noodles

And just when you thought this post couldn't contain anymore East Asian delectability - my visiting friend and I dined at the aforementioned Bay Leaf before she left town, back in Portland. We had the Mushroom Crisps and Sizzling Tofu.  

Sizzling Tofu

I missed cooking, but ate well.  Too well!