John Howie Steak

Back in Seattle, like what I've mentioned in my facebook. This time I would like to write a review on John Howie Steak. Been there twice with totally different experience. Overall, they have a nice place with good view (especially at night). The restaurant look small from the outside but actually pretty spacious. High sealing and some waitress wearing white lab coat looking. I can say the food is pretty good, despite talking my first and second experience which is so different. BTW, I won't explain too much but I will show it more like an album :P

#1 experience

We made an appointment and we actually could sit right after we arrived. Good foods, steak cooked better than my 2nd experience. Sides were good, liking the escargot, calamary tasted so-so, chowder and onion soup was just so-so. Btw, because of trying the spicy lobster bisque in Seafood Waterfront Grill, I kinda become a bisque-hunter and still SWG is the winner. I have to say that the one that I really like from John Howie is their Arugula Salad. BEST ever, really light and fresh. For our dessert, we had the sorbet and banana foster. Sorbet was okay, it's cute and the sorbet has funny container. It's like crispy caramelized sugar which stick on your teeth. Banana foster: SIMPLY SINFUL! We had a chance to see them prepared for us and I couldn't stand with the ingredients.

Bread

3 Types of Salts with Different Usage

Amuse Bouche

Escargot

Bacon Tempura

Seafood Chowder

French Onion Soup

Arugula Salad

Sides (Spinach and Baked Potato)

Lobster Potatoes

The Show - 40oz Porterhouse

Trio of Olympic Mountain Sorbet

The Sinful Banana Foster

#2 Experience

We've made reservation and we had to wait for almost an hour * disappointed*. Picture under this was what they served, probably to "entertain" us. I think it's a tomato soup, it's quite nice tho. Nothing special for the #2 experience.

Crabcake

Sides (Fries and Sauted Spinach)

What I wish from John Howie is their consistency, well not only for John Howie but I believe you guys have experienced when you first come to a place that impressed you, you're hoping to have the same or better experience but with their inconsistency, food might taste terrible, service might be really bad as well. I guess just use your luck :P

Almost forgotten to mention in the beginning, this place might be okay for special dinner with your special one :)

John Howie Steak - Located in the Bravern, Microsoft Building

11111 NE 8th St
Ste 125
Bellevue, WA 98004

(425) 440-0880

Café Kopi

Last time we had Permias meeting in Cafe Kopi. Never been before, a small nice clean place. They have free wi-fi, so if you'd like to study or just to hang around this might be a good place. Well, at that time they had coffee as complimentary and coconut macaroon. I don't want to say they always have because what if something change? Like no more coffee but other thing :P

Green Tea

Coconut Macaroon

They do have awesome complimentary :P The macaroon is chewy, you can taste the coconut but not too sweet. BTW, they also have rice dish which people said it's good. I think I should go back and try their dessert as well so I can report more :P

So if you are tired with Starbucks or other coffee shop, why don't you come and try Cafe Kopi :) Wi-Fi? check! Entree? check! Drinks? check! Couldn't resist with place with various of menu

Café Kopi

8056 Lake City Way NE
Seattle, WA 98115

(206) 523-6197

Santorini Pizza & Pasta

Hello from City of Angels :) I'm currently on vacation, hunting another good foods. I kinda unsure whether I should post it or no, but will see later :P

Craving for Italian food? Try Santorini, it's a really nice place with a really westernize ambience. I think I was the only Asian at that time. LOL. Honestly, I didn't know that their specialized on Pizza so I just ordered whatever on "menu of the day".

Homemade Garlic Bread and Salad

They do have delicious garlic bread, taste really homy. Not too greasy like other typical garlic bread from other restaurants. Salad was fresh as well *two thumbs UP*

Pasta and Chicken

Al dente :) Pasta cooked perfectly, chicken creamy but not over powering. Downside? I wish they didn't add salt on the vegetables because it taste a little too salty. Overall, I love it!

I'm sure going back because when I walked out from the restaurant I saw there were two grandma sharing lasagna and it looked really good *droll*. Tell me how do you like this place later, okay :)

Santorini Pizza & Pasta

11001 35th Avenue Northeast
Seattle, WA 98125-6809

(206) 440-8499

Joko's Kitchen

Have you guys been to Julia's Kitchen before? FYI, they just change the ownership since July 2010. So I think they now change into Joko's kitchen, still pretty new so they still use Julia's website and try to finish the business card. Food? Much much improved! The last time when I went there was 3 years ago. Didn't leave me with any good impression, inconsistent taste, greasy and took forever. So this time with the new management I tried my luck.

The place was actually nice, really homey and "Indonesian" feeling. When I went there, it was rainy and no one there. I had to wait for a while until the owner's son appeared with his batik. Sorry to say, he doesn't look really friendly and no smile. Well at least until mr. Joko came out and introduce himself I wasn't really enjoyed being there.

Ayam Betutu

I had the Ayam Betutu because he suggested me so. Taste pretty good, lil bit chewy on the surface but tender inside. I just wish I didn't hear the microwave voice (beep beep beep)

Corn Fritter

After I ordered the Ayam Betutu, I was thinking to try the corn fritter. Hoping for a better one, well it does. Not as greasy as before. The upsetting part was the service, it took me a while to get served with the unfriendly guy, it took me a while to find somebody so I could order the corn fritter and limited parking spot.

FYI, food doesn't come with rice, it's $2 extra. Lil bit dry but it sure can be improved. It cost me 24$ (everything +tips), lil bit pricey I guess. Tolerable since the sizing pretty big :p

Well, since it's under new ownership, go have a try! :D

Joko's Kitchen

910 NE 65th St
Seattle, WA 98115

(206) 522-5528

Thanh Son Tofu

Apologize for not updating viva-food for a while. I'm done with final and these actually what I had for lunch on my last final day. Thanh Son Tofu, pretty close with Seattle University. Still walking distance even though 10-15 minutes :P It was my first time being there. I thought it's a restaurant in fact it's a groceries "soya" store. I don't know how to describe the place, it looks pretty old and a lil bit unusual for me but they do serve good fresh tofu dish. I didn't had a chance to buy the drink like the picture below.

The drink

I didn't know what they call but when I saw the long green thingy and the coconut milk, cendol appears in my mind.

The Foods

Sorry for the bad angle pictures, I didn't know if they allowed me to take picture so I kinda being paparazzi (took picture quietly :p). I felt uneasy in the first time because I didn't know what to do, there were no boxes, only roll of plastic. You know when you went to supermarket in the vegetables or fruits section, they provided you with those kind of plastic. Well in Thanh Son Tofu, they used plastic with thicker and better quality :P I thought it was weird until the person told me that you bought the stuff by weight. Overall the tofu cost about $2ish/lbs. The tofu block, it cost you only $.75 each!

My Foods :P

Don't be scared, I didn't finish everything right away, only the last picture. :P I tried everything, it tasted good, will do come back again. The wide rice noodle looks like zhu chang fen (cingcongfan) for me, unless the odd shape. :P What's inside? Mushroom, meat and there's something that I don't know the name but it's crunchy :) My fave is the bubbly tofu (3rd pic, the middle one). Don't judge the restaurant by the look but try it :P You actually can find their product in Asian supermarket :D Btw, when you try, PLEASE PREPARE CASH or CHECK. They don't accept any type of card.

My personal experience:

I didn't bring any cash and I left my check, but thanks to the lady for trusting me so much. I had picked up everything and at last I just knew that they didn't accept cards, I checked my car but couldn't find any cash -_-" I came in and she told me to pay when I came back again. I was so flattered yet embarrassed. Well, I went to the closest gas station to withdraw money to pay, she just laughing. Thanks lady :)

Thanh Son Tofu

118 12th AVE
Seattle, WA 98122

(206) 320-1316

Henry's Bento

Another to go. Hehe, but this time it's way way way better and much much healthier (I guess). My stomach feel so uneasy after eating that greasy fish meal :( Anyway, I will be reviewing about Henry's Bento. Honestly I've never been to the store, I just passed by. As I remember Henry's Bento is really close with Fu Lin (another noodle house)

Chicken Steak(?)

Argh, pardon me. I forgot the name :( I know, blame on me. Huff. Anyway, for approx $10 (included everything or supposed to be less). You actually get big amount of everything, it comes with chinese brocoli, chicken steak, egg, chinese picle and the healthiest part is the purple rice. For their serving size, I have to eat this 3 times. The purple rice is really fill me up, chicken is not to salty as well. Oh almost forgotten, on the top right there's actually sour spicy cabbage. I can say this is a good combination, chewy rice, crispy and "dry" chicken, crunchy pickle and veggie and kinda "wet". You know when you eat something that is totally dry, it's sluggish on your throat (dislike). Btw, I sure will go to Henry's Bento by myself to try their other stuff. It seems like their beef noodle soup is everyone's favorite. Well, let you decide guys :D

*this restaurant is dedicated to my friend, Henry. JK

Henry's Bento (Henry's Taiwan)
520 S King St
Seattle, WA 98104

(206) 624-2611

Ginger Lime

Yuuhhuuu, it's been a while since my last post. So today I would like to write a review on my lunch.

Tempura Halibut

I have this from Ginger Lime just next to Seattle University. Well, for Seattle U student, I believe you guys have been here for thousand times (hyperball). The food in general is okay, the place is clean, they cook pretty fast. The only thing that I don't really like is the service, no smile. There's once that I'm so pissed that I have to write "smile a little bit please" on my bill. Hehehe

Talking about my Tempura Halibut, it's actually pretty good but this is a dish that you can't eat without rice. It's pretty salty and the sauce is pretty oily as well (as u can see from the picture). Thankfully the fish is fresh and we get salad, positive point :P Reasonable price I have to say, it's cost me $9.35 and FYI they charge you $.25 for the eco friendly to go box which is totally okay. Save OUR world :)

Ginger Lime

732 12th Ave
Seattle, WA 98122

(206) 323-9030