Tamarind Tree Restaurant Review

Jason here. Last week we had some family up for the week. This was a great opportunity to go out and eat at some fun restaurants. The first place we decided to go is Tamarind Tree, the sister restaurant to Long which you may remember from our previous review.

The restaurant is situated in the international district in Seattle, and a little hard to find parking for. It does have a parking lot, but be warned it fills up fast.

The restaurant itself has a very nice atmosphere, but one that is a little hard to describe. We were seated outside, but under enclosed canopy. It has torchlights and heat lamps to provide warmth. I found it to still be a little cold, which unfortunately also led to my food getting cold faster than usual.

This time I got lucky and could order the Kumquat Crush drink. It was much less sour then I was expecting. The taste was more dominated by the kumquat rind than anything else. If you have never eaten a kumquat, the inside is very sour and sweet, but the rind is almost sugary with the same texture as an orange rind.

I ordered the same thing as I did at Long, which was the Co Ngu crispy shrimp. The shrimp was just as delicious as before. The salad it came with I still didn’t enjoy but I expected that.

Once again we got stuck, with no clue how to actually eat our salads. The problem is they are full leafs of basil and lettuce, there is some light dressing, and all you have are chopsticks. I loved the looks of confusion and deep contemplation as each person attempted to discern how to not look foolish while eating their salad. I just know someone somewhere must have been looking at us and thinking, “What are those fools doing?”

The crispy fried sweet potato, was less than crispy. Last time it was finely made almost like deep fried noodles, and very crunch. This time is like soggy French fries. A little disappointing.

Luckily the shrimp, and house sauce was still very much delicious. The house sauce has a sweet and salty taste to it. It is very watery so it is hard to get much on any particular bite, but it is so full of flavor it only takes a bit.

Kayleigh here. After visiting Long, I was excited to see much of the same menu, and eagerly ordered the Tamarind Tree Crepe off their Specials section. What I received did exactly match the menu description, but it looked and tasted…rushed. The crepe was crispy on the outside, but soft and soggy on the inside, as if it had been cooked too quickly at too high a heat. The house sauce on the side was excellent, and the shrimp inside were cooked perfectly, but the dish overall was unfortunately a bit lacking compared to our Long experience. Since we have only gone once to each location, I cannot definitively say Long is the better choice, but it will be the one we will return to next time.

As a closing note, we later looked up what the side greens were for. Apparently, we were to wrap our food up in them, then dip it all in the sauce to eat. Well, mark us for double fools, then!

Arnies Restaurant Review

Jason here. A little while back it was Kayleigh’s birthday, and we wanted to celebrate by going out to a nice restaurant for dinner. You see, ever since we moved to the King County area, Kayleigh has been dying to go out to a nice seafood restaurant and enjoy a well cooked fish. I on the other hand, don’t really enjoy fish. I enjoy shellfish, just not fish. With this in mind, Kayleigh chose a place down on the bay called Arnies.

The atmosphere of Arnies is perfect for a date. For starters, it overlooks the bay for what I suspect would be a very nice view during the day. We went at night, so unfortunately it was too dark outside to really see anything past the dock. Inside, it has a high class dining atmosphere. The type of restaurant you wear a nice suit to.

The main part of my meal consisted of garlic mashed potatoes, and a steak. The steak came slightly pink on the inside, which is exactly how I like it. The highlight of my meal though, wasn’t the steak. It was actually the mashed potatoes. You see, right after it was brought out, the waiter came over with a cup of bacon bits and told me how delicious they were, and would I like some added to my mashed potatoes, and how much. After discussing a bit, she added a few heaping spoonful’s.  Usually when you get bacon bits added, it is only a few pieces which act more of an accent. With that amount I really tasted bacon with each bite, and I loved it.

To drink I ordered their, “Dragon Berry Bite” which consists of Bacardi Dragon Berry Rum, lemonade and cranberry juice. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I tend not to like drinks which taste overly of alcohol, so this fit my tastes perfect, very fruity and sweet, with just a hint of rum.

Kayleigh here. I admit, the entrée I selected (fried prawns with cocktail sauce) was decidedly not gluten-free, so I cannot speak on the food aspect as much. I can say the wait staff was very attentive, and we saw the manager making rounds several times over the course of our dinner, so we were never concerned about questions going unanswered, or courtesies slipping through the cracks. In fact, the waitress was able to cite gluten risks off the top of her head for nearly every dish, so we did not even have to wait in between questions and answers! This service, coupled with the amazing layout of the room (literally every table in the restaurant has a waterfront view), made it a place I will very likely pick again for my birthday next year!

All in all, Arnies is not a restaurant that caters to a gluten free audience, but it is well aware and equipped to deal with substitutions and cross-contamination prevention. And if you have any questions about what is and is not safe on their menu, do not be afraid to ask!

Long Provincial Vietnamese Restaurant Review

Jason here. Last weekend we went to an awesome Vietnamese restaurant named Long. It is conveniently located right around the corner from Pike Place Market, so if you are in the area we highly recommend you check this place out.

The atmosphere was great. Unlike the last few places we went to which were loud, this place had a much quieter atmosphere, making this a great place for a date. The wait staff was very friendly, and attentive.

We read online somewhere that essentially everything in Long was gluten free except a few choice drinks which obviously contained gluten, and a few very specific menu items. You may be thinking, “How can that possibly be? Vietnamese cuisine typically uses soy sauce”. Well you would be correct, except that Long makes all their soy sauce in house and is gluten free. This is wonderful news for people that love Eastern cuisine, but feared they would never again be able to eat out for fear of gluten soy sauce being used. Just to be sure I asked the waitress when I order my meal if it was gluten free, and without skipping a beat she said yes. 

  The next thing is their menu. Long stays true to its name by having a very long menu. The amount of specialty drinks alone is impressive. I can’t wait to go back when kumquats are in season, and try the Kumquat crush. Curse my luck discovering Long shortly after they go out of season. The menu is also very friendly for those of us who do not speak Vietnamese, with very clear descriptions of the food, and even English translations for the food. You would think this would be the norm, but I often find myself perplexed as to what a dish actually is as I stare at a poorly designed menu.

I ordered an absolutely delicious Pomegranate martini. It was fruity and sweet with a hint of vodka, which is exactly what I look for in a martini. I can certainly add they did not skimp on the vodka either.

For an appetizer we ordered the grilled tender squid, which can be found in the Satay section of their menu. We had about 6 skewers of absolutely delicious squid. They came with a sprinkling of nuts, and were seasoned with what tasted to me like a smoky soy sauce. They also came with some pickled carrots on the side which were tasty themselves.

For my main course, I ordered a specialty dish of Co Ngu crispy shrimp. It came with a heaping salad including the standard green of lettuce, but also some very large minty greens, which I can only assume were full mint leaves. While the salad was impressive, and unique, I unfortunately did not enjoy the mint leaves which dominated the salad. Next time I will simply ask for some sort of caesar salad instead. On the other side was deep fried sweet potato. This was not simply sweet potato French fries. Oh no, the sweet potato was in long almost noodle like strands and sort of woven like a birds nest. The taste was heavenly, like the most delicious crispy noodle you will ever eat. I don’t know how I have gone this long without discovering this magnificent treat. On top of the fried sweet potato were some excellently cooked shrimp, which when dipped in the sauce was delicious. The sauce was very sweet, with just a hint of salt.

Kayleigh here. For my meal, I could not help but opt for the fried tofu pho. Having only been introduced to this lovely soup a few months ago, I have fallen in love with the idea. Deliciously simple broth absorbed by the simple rice noodles and bite-sized bits of tofu, with a bountiful plate of condiments set in front of you to further flavor the bowl. I mean, this pho was good enough to eat plain, but I still gave it a kick with the hot sauce and peppers. Plus, the fragrance of the fresh basil was mouth-watering on its own as I ripped up the leaves to float on top. And to wash it down, I was delighted to spot and order the peanut butter martini. Smooth and creamy, with a strong vodka kick- it really hit on everything I could ask for in a PB drink!

At the end of the meal, after ordering two alcoholic drinks, an appetizer, and two main dishes, I naturally expected the bill to be on the higher side. I was stunned to find it about half of what I’d usually expect. Seriously, for that food, and the prompt service- kudos!

For such excellent service, a diverse menu, stunningly delicious food, great atmosphere, gluten freeness, and a low price, I cannot help but full heartedly recommend Long Provincial Vietnamese Restaurant. It’s a couple blocks away from the Pikes Place stretch, but well worth the extra few steps.

Crossroads Bar and Grill Review

UPDATE 04/04/2013: Driving by the Crossroads location last weekend, we noticed they are no longer open! There are still four other locations around the area ( check here to find the closest one to you), but the Bellevue location is getting turned into a Tutta Bella, which does not seem to promising for the GF crowd.

Jason here. I finally found a place that has decent gluten free wings, Crossroads Bar and Grill. Now I say decent of course, not fantastic which is fine, they do not specialize in wings. What actually peaked our interest was that they clearly displayed on their sign that you can substitute any burger bun, for gluten free buns for a $1. Any restaurant that is innately gluten intolerant aware, I'm willing to try. I was again pleasantly surprised when we got our menus. The menu clearly labeled every gluten free item with a little symbol. There was a nice variety of choices, from salmon, steak, ribs, wings, chicken, burgers, and salads all of which were gluten free, or had easy substitutions such as buns for the burgers. I would note that while the restaurant has a pretty varied menu, it is certainly catered to bar and grill foods, since that is what the restaurant is.

The wait staff was also very pleasant. Aside from just being friendly overall, they were also genuinely cared about the patrons. When my wings came out, I asked what brand of ranch they used, or if they knew if it was gluten free. The waiter said he wasn't sure, but would go ask. He also gave me a scare because he added quickly, that he did not think the wings are gluten free because they are breaded (I do not think they were breaded, but it would be an easy mistake to make on looks alone). He came back and assured me that everything was gluten free. It is very nice when you have a wait staff that care about the patrons which is the case with Crossroads.

My meal consisted of a mixed drink called, "Absolut Sparkling Lemonade",  Garlic Buffalo Wings, and celery with ranch dressing. More and more I see wings come without any celery or carrots, so a tip of my hat to Crossroads for including those. The wings were well cooked, with a nice coating of sauce on the wings. The sauce itself was not very spicy, but very tasty.

The second time we went, I got a Western Round-Up burger substituting a gluten free bun. I asked the waiter if the fries were gluten free and he assured me they most certainly were. So with that I had a side of fries with my burger. The burger comes with cheddar cheese, bacon, onions, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and BBQ sauce. I ordered mine without onions and tomato. The burger was delicious over all. A little messy, so I wouldn’t order this if you are on a date, or trying to look professional. The French fries were crispy on the outside with some fluff on the inside, making them an excellent addition.

Kayleigh here! The first time we went, I was on a huge seafood kick, so I got the coco prawns (which I admit, are not gluten free). Since that's a bit out of the jurisdiction of this here blog, I'll just leave it at a two thumbs up. The second time, I decided to take the GF burger dive with Jason, and got the 'Tree hugger' burger, which is their version of the veggie burger. The rice-based patty was a fantastic surprise, when I was fully ready for the usual frozen Morning Star fare, and the bun was lightly herbed, with a lovely texture. And I must say, for any GF diner missing out on good old fast food style fries, look no further than Crossroads! Combining it with a Happy Hour top shelf drink on the rocks is just a bonus!

SUMMARY
Overall, I think the Crossroads Bar and Grill, has been the best restaurant we have gone to in Bellevue. They are very gluten friendly, and it shows through their menu, and wait staff. The food is great and the wait staff friendly.

Recipe - Buffalo Seafood

So, with about a week's worth of time to spend gathering furniture and gearing up for the long haul, we took a bit of free time checking out the enormous asian market nearby, Uwajimaya.

I felt like a kid in a candy store, seeing all the ingredients that I'd read about before, but never found! But, without a recipe in hand, we escaped with only a pound of fresh whole prawns and squid. Squid is not something I'd ever prepared before, but how hard could it be?

With a freshly stocked arsenal of flours at our disposal, we quickly cobbled together a recipe for a crunchy buffalo batter, using the traditional double-dip method that served us well when gluten was an option. And, as it turned out, rolling the squid rings and tentacles into small balls was far easier to bread than keeping the rings presentable, so fried squid balls it was!

In the end, we went for Garbanzo flour for its crispiness when fried, and crushed cornflakes on the outside for the flavor and added crunch. The results were beautifully golden, crispy balls that tasted way better than the usual all-purpose flour we're used to!

Buffalo seafood

¾ lbs Seafood (or Chicken)

1 cup Milk

1 cup Garbanzo Bean Flour

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1 Egg

1-1 ½ cups crushed Gluten Free Cornflakes

Vegetable Oil/Canola Oil (enough in the pan to completely submerge the seafood)

Franks Red Hot/Buffalo Sauce, or your favorite Buffalo Sauce recipe

1. Follow any prep for cleaning and cutting your meat of choice.
2. Pour the milk in a bowl, and let your cuts soak for a bit, to make sure the batter sticks.
3. In another shallow bowl, combine the garbanzo flour with the garlic powder and cayenne pepper.
4. In a third bowl, crack and whisk one egg. It doesn't need to be light and fluffy- just combine the white and yolk.
5. Using a ziploc bag and a rolling pin, crush the cornflakes into a near powder (leaving some larger bits gives it a nice texture), then pour into a fourth shallow bowl.
6. Roll the meat around in the garbanzo flour, thoroughly coating it. If using squid, I recommend balling it up a bit, just to make the coating process easier. OPTIONAL- you can choose to chill the cuts at this point, to let the first flour coating to set up, and be less likely to come off in the egg wash/frier.
7. Dip the coated cuts in the egg, then immediately transfer them to the cornflake crumbs, thoroughly coating them. Put the oil-filled pan on medium-to-high heat at this point.
8. Once the oil is up to temp, throw them in! Keep close watch, and flip them if needed. As soon as each piece is uniformly golden-brown, take them off. Especially with squid, it can be easy to overcook.
9. Blot with a paper towel to remove excess oil, then slather on your sauce of choice. Enjoy!

Jason here. These were absolutely FANTASTIC. I can't emphasize how amazing these turned out, both the calamari and the prawn. I ended up not soaking them in hot sauce, but rather dipping them instead. This really helped them keep their crispiness. I have always loved buffalo, and fried breaded foods, so I was eager to try out a recipe. The taste was really perfect. The prawn and squid still each retained their distinctive tastes while the buffalo and breading adding a nice spicy kick. The only downside to the recipe is the amount of time and effort it took to prepare the seafood, however it is completely worth it. (especially since Kayleigh did all of the tough work)With the squid balls and prawn turning out so well, I cannot wait to try this recipe out again to make some boneless chicken wings. This will definitely be a go to recipe for whenever I am craving something buffalo flavored in the future.