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.

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.