The Food

Like most Americans, I grew up with American Chinese food: mostly the type of stuff that you’ll find at Panda Express. Although most of it does have its roots in China, many Chinese menus have been homogenized, simplified, and adapted for local tastes. Don’t get me wrong. I love that stuff, too.  But Szechuan First is something different.

Part of the reason for that is their clientele. On my first visit, a Friday evening crowd filled every table in the place, and mine was the only white face in the joint. I consider that a plus. Another part of the reason is that it specializes in Sichuan cuisine ((Sichuan cuisine is characterized by the use of Sichuan peppercorns, rice rather than noodles)) rather than the more common mix of Cantonese, Hunan, Hong Kong, and other regional Chinese styles.

Their food is authentic and excellent. Among their specialties are whole cooked fishes, such as fried sole (mild and crispy, pictured at the top of the page) and whole braised rock cod, a nice meaty fish with a rich brown sauce. I love their Tea Smoked Duck, which has a wonderfully crispy skin and a texture more like ham than poultry, and their cumin lamb is very nice, as is their Twice Fried Fish.

The Service

Service can range from friendly and moderately good to inattentive, depending on who is working. It’s bare bones service, really: they’ll take your order, bring your food, and bring your check, but we don’t usually get many check-ins in between, which is fine with me. Water or tea generally is kept full. Food preparation is fast, in general. A fifteen minute wait for food is about the average.

The Location

Before I say any more about the food, though, let me explain the location, since it’s a bit hidden. Szechuan first is in a small shopping center off the East Valley Highway in Renton, about a block from the Great Wall, and two blocks from the back-side of IKEA. However, unlike most strip-malls, the one that is home to Szechuan First does not front to the main road. In fact, if you can see the front of Szechuan first across a parking lot from the street, you can’t get to it. To enter, turn into the Harbor Freight parking lot and work your way out the back and to the left. Alternately, if you’re driving East on 180th St (aka SW43rd St, aka S Carr Rd), directly past the 76 Station on the corner, turn into the Great Floors driveway and follow it for 100 yards.

Prices

Considering the quality of the food and the portion sizes, Szechuan First’s prices are excellent. At lunchtime, almost everything is under $7, and at dinner, they’re not a lot more expensive. I’ve already mentioned that their massive containers of steamed rice cost $2, which is fair for rice, but much less than many places charge these days. But their Tea Smoked Duck costs about $9 for a half duck!

The Final Score:

We recommend it! This is how I like to see a final rating come out: a high score for food and value, and no major problems with the rest of it. Service and atmosphere are just fine, just nothing special. There’s a good amount of variety of the menu, but since it’s traditional food, the score is for variety rather than originality.

It’s called a “Chinese Noodle” house, but in fact, the restaurant was established in Vietnam in the 1950s, and has been run by the same family since their move to the USA in 2009, according to their website, so it’s no surprise that their first location was in Little Saigon in the Seattle I.D. However, they do specialize in Chinese noodle soups and chow mein, along with Vietnamese rice-noodle dishes.

Like many of the Great Wall’s establishments, the decor of the Chinese Noodle House is utilitarian. The tables are clean but simple: there are no table clothes or place mats or plastic flowers, which suits me just fine. Instead, you’ll find a stainless steel bin for utensils and several jars and bottles of sauces and condiments.

Service can be a bit hit and miss. This place gets very busy around dinner time, and even if you can get a seat, food service can take a while. Go on a weekday afternoon, though, and service is fast and friendly.

The Food

Let me start with the only appetizer that I’ve had a chance to try: the fried butter garlic chicken wings are amazing! Very crispy, packed with flavor, and of course, nice and tender. I’ve had my fair share of garlic wings, and these are among the best I’ve ever eaten, anywhere.

The main draw for me, though, is of course the noodles. They’re good, and they’re cheap: generally $7.50-$8.50 for a nice sized bowl. I’ve eaten noodles at HKMG three times now, and each time I’ve ordered the soup-style noodles rather than the dry.

The soup broth itself is pretty salty, but with a sweetness that suggests that vegetables are a significant component of the stock in addition to (what I assume is) the chicken. My waiter’s English skills were pretty limited (or perhaps he had a cunning sense of humor), so I can’t be sure. In any case, the surface of the broth glistens with beads of fat, which any ramen enthusiast will tell you is critical in getting the flavor of the soup to stick to the noodles as you pull it from the bowl. If you like a little extra zing, sliced peppers or chili oil (or sriracha) can be added to taste at the table.

Unlike your neighborhood Chinese restaurant, though, your noodles can be served with some unusual, authentic Asian toppings. In addition to the more common (but really wonderful) roast duck, braised duck, pork and chicken, you’ll find pork intestine, pork liver, chicken & giblets, fish balls, and sui kau (Chinese dumplings), for example.

The roast chicken and duck are served Chinese style, which means that they’re on the bone and the bones may be cut and splintered. For that reason, the chicken isn’t worth the hassle for me, but the duck most definitely is! It’s rich and tender, with the crispy skin covering a layer of fat… it’s really like duck bacon!

Unlike the hand-pulled noodles found at the King Noodle House in Everett, HKMG soups are served with very firm noodles that will take a little time to fully cook after they’re served. This gives you some time to work the duck off of its bones and enjoy your first cup of tea; by the time you get down to the noodles, they’ll be ready for you. The noodles themselves are not particularly remarkable, though they’re good quality noodles: more firm and dense than ramen but similar in appearance.

In addition to egg noodles, HKMG serves Vietnamese style rice noodles and chow mein, as well as stir fries and fried rice dishes, though I may never make it to the rest of the menu.

Location

Though the address is in Kent, the Great Wall is about three blocks away from the (Seattle!) IKEA in Renton. If you want to GPS it, the address is:

18230 E Valley Highway, Ste 152
Kent, WA 98032

The original Hue Ky Mi Gia Chinese Noodle House has been on Jackson Street in Seattle’s “Little Saigon” since 2009. It’s at:

1207 S Jackson Street, Ste 101
(between S 12th Ave & S Boren Ave)
Seattle, WA 98144

The Ramen

Arashi is basically a tonkotsu ramen joint. Tonkotsu is a slow cooked pork-bone broth, and it serves as the base for all of the ramen that I’ve tried at Arashi, though I haven’t tried everything yet. On my first visit, I decided to start with the basics and went for the shio tonkotsu ramen, which has a salt-flavored (shio) tonkotsu base.  As mentioned before, the tonkotsu simmers for 11 – 16 hours (I’ve seen a range of numbers on their chalkboard), and the result is very nice: rich and savory, a bit fatty, not too salty, and it’s cloudy but not thick. There’s a very slight fishy/gamey smell that I’m not crazy about, presumably from kombu or fish in the dashi, but it doesn’t really detract from the overall bowl. The shoyu (soy sauce) tonkotsu ramen is very similar.

The black garlic ramen (image at top of page) also has a shio tonkotsu base, but it has a much sharper flavor. From the name, I expected garlic to be the predominant flavor, and while it is certainly present, the overwhelming flavor is of onion instead (it contains shaved green onion and fried onion), which is great if you like onions.  I expected this to be wonderful, but it ended up being my least favorite of the bunch, though it was still good. I’ll have to try this again and see if I just got a weird bowl.

Arashi’s miso ramen was a pleasant surprise. It wasn’t served as hot as the others (I could start sipping the broth immediately without incurring any serious burns), but the flavor was perfect: salty, opaque and creamy-smooth, just fatty enough to stick to the noodles, and not at all fishy. This is supposed to be served with thicker noodles (according to the menu), but my noodles didn’t seem very different from the thin noodles served with the shio and shoyu bowls… although they did seem more yellow (the others are pretty pale). “Wide” seems to be a term of art. I’d say they’re a little thicker, maybe, but they’re not wide noodles like fettuccine.

Each bowl was served with a seasoned half-egg and chashu (sliced pork).

The chashu was the weakest part of the bowl in each case. There’s no denying that it is tender, but it is also thin, and the end result is that it ends up feeling soggy. The pieces are nice and large for pork belly, but it’s soggy enough that when you try to pick it up with your chop sticks and carry it to your mouth, it just falls apart like wet toilet paper, and if there’s any flavor to it, it is completely overwhelmed by the broth that saturates it. This is all a bit of a disappointment after eating the excellent (Chinese) roast pork slices at King Noodle for so long. On the other hand, the eggs are indubitably the best that I’ve ever tasted. I don’t even like soft-boiled eggs, but I look forward to eating the egg in my ramen bowls at Arashi.

I don’t have much to say about the noodles themselves. They’re good quality fresh ramen noodles, a huge step up from dried ramen, but not unlike the Sun Noodles that you’d find at many shops. If you prefer your noodles to be prepared firm or extra-firm, you can order them “katamen,” or “barikata” and as you attack your broth when the bowl arrives at the table, the noodles will continue to cook. My “thin” noodles were the straight type and nearly white, while the “wide” noodles in the miso broth were a bit more crinkly and yellow.

Summary

Arashi Ramen is a very good ramen shop. I wish their pork wasn’t so soggy, but I still stop in there for lunch every time that I get a chance. The service is friendly enough and fast, so its easy to get in and out quickly.

Ramen is supposed to be cheap and fast, and at about $9/bowl, Arashi is just about right- not a great deal, but certainly not over-priced.

Location

• 11:30 am –   3:00 pm
• 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Tuesday – Sunday, closed on Monday

Questions? Comments?

Please share your experiences in the comment section below!

Seattle has several great steakhouses, of course. Ruth’s Chris. The Metropolitan Grill. Daniel’s Broiler. John Howie’s menu, though, is really in a class of it’s own; I haven’t visited another steakhouse in the state that offers such excellence and variety to the true vodinophile ((I admit it: I just made this word up. Vodinó is Greek for beef.)).

Appetizers & Sides

What is even more impressive, perhaps, is the fact that everything else on the menu is so remarkably good, too. If you don’t have heart problems, you should try the tempura fried Kurobuta bacon from the appetizer menu! Several long bacon slices deep-fried in a light tempura batter are usually served vertically in a cup, but they don’t last long on our table. The spicy Habanero Butter Shrimp are also a favorite; they manage to be mildly spicy and creamy at the same time.

The side dishes are equally good, if not better. I’m not a big fan of Brussels sprouts as a general rule, but John Howie’s fried Brussels sprouts are good enough to convert any sprout-skeptic. Sliced in half and charred around the edges, the sprouts are infused with a lemony vinaigrette and topped with real Parmigiana Reggiano, fresh from the micro-plane. The sprouts’ anticipated bitterness is (almost) completely absent, leaving you with a mouthful of salty, savory green goodness with a bit of citrusy brightness. The twice-baked potatoes (with bacon), Maine lobster mashed potatoes, and Beecher’s Flagship Reserve Cheddar mac & cheese are all not to be missed.

Steaks

[GattMore] On my most recent visit, I ordered an 8 oz. American Wagyu zabuton steak. A zabuton is a Japanese sitting cushion, but as I was unfamiliar with the cut of beef, I asked our server for some information. It turns out that the steak is a square cut (thus, the name) from the short-rib between a ribeye and a strip steak. The cut is only popular with Wagyu beef, as the meat is well marbled with fat. This, he said, produces a steak with the buttery, smooth flavor of a ribeye with the fuller flavor and even texture of a strip steak.

And that is exactly what I received. I ordered my steak medium-rare, and it arrived red in the middle, which was perfect ((If you’re used to home-cooked steaks, or steaks ordered from most other restaurants, this would probably be considered “rare”. John Howie’s menu describes each level, rare through very well, so make sure that you know what you’re ordering before it comes to the table!)). I added a pinch of black Hawaiian salt from the tower and enjoyed the mildness of the flavor; it was tender enough that chewing seemed like more of a joy than a necessity, though in truth, the cut did maintain a definite beef-grained texture.

[Smack] Eye of the ribeye.

Desserts

There’s something especially fun about having dessert made table-side, and even more so when it involves open flames leaping from a pan of melted sugar and butter. And luckily, John Howie’s bananas foster tastes as good as it looks, but if you’re not a fan of bananas, you can also get table-side cherries jubilee. I also felt obligated to try the Boston Cream Pie, which is always one of my favorites, and John Howie’s was as good as any I’ve ever had.

Service

Even ignoring the expert table-side dessert preparation, the service at John Howie Steak is among the best I’ve experienced, and we’re no strangers to high-end establishments. Our waiters have always been knowledgeable, friendly and attentive. Perhaps even more impressive are their the black-clad helpers who appear and vanish from the table side almost unnoticed, like a team of hospitality ninjas… clearing plates, filling drinks, replacing napkins. One of the children at our table was provided with a small packet of crayons to decorate her place-mat; her discarded wrapper didn’t rest for five seconds before I noticed a ninja hand deftly snatch it from the table and disappear in the background. As with any restaurant, some hosts are better than others, but even the worst ones are great.

Price

There’s no getting around it… this level of dining comes at a cost. Choosing among the most expensive items on the menu, a single appetizer, salad, steak (6 oz. filet), vegetable, potato, dessert, and cup of coffee could cost $288 dollars. Granted, this is based on the most expensive steak, a Japanese Wagyu Filet Mignon ($160) and a cup of kopi luwak coffee ($45), but it also leaves out wine and cocktails. Most of their steaks fall within the $60-100 price range, with no sides. If dealing with prices in that range are going to keep you from completely enjoying your meal, you might try their happy-hour menu at the bar instead.

Conclusion

Truly excellent, but not a bargain.

Disagree? Let us know in the comments section below!

When we were seated, our server pointed out the salsa bar in the middle of the restaurant. Freshly made salsas seemed like a good sign, and the salsas were good. We picked up a few different types and sat back and waited for the basket of tortilla chips to arrive. When the waitress returned, I ordered the habanero shrimp as a starter and we also ordered our entrees.

The shrimp were delivered soon afterwards, and they were very tasty. They had a nice edge of char from the broiler, and they were spicy enough that I enjoyed the kick but not so spicy that I couldn’t enjoy the rest of my food afterwards. The portion, though, was pretty meager: 4 shrimp for about $10. It was around that time that I realized that we hadn’t been brought any complimentary tortilla chips, either. It turns out that they’re on the menu for $4.45.

Our entrees arrived pretty quickly, and my pork carnitas were properly broiled before being served (a step that many restaurants skip) and very tasty.  I understand that my S.O.’s Pascado Veracruz (cod) was also good, though I am taking her word for it. That said, it was pricey for what we got (or didn’t get). The Mexican place across the street from my apartment not only provides fresh chips, but will also provide freshly cooked tortillas… both complimentary, while we’re waiting.  Our waitress verified that their tortillas come from Seattle. The lunch platters were $13 and $14, but still significantly smaller than I’ve ever seen at a Mexican place, even for lunch. That was actually fine… they were a good size for lunch, I just wish they’d been priced accordingly. However, these prices are pretty much in line with the town, so I can’t complain too much. All in all, it was enjoyable. The decor is contemporary and funky, the servers were friendly… I’d probably go back.

Rate It & Comment Below!

Have you had a different experience than us? Share it in the comment section below. You can also leave a rating for the restaurant by using the “Reader Rating” system at the bottom of the rating box. You’ll have the option to provide an overall rating between 1 and 10 points, but if you’d like to explain your rating in more detail, please do so in the comment section. For the sake of consistency, you might want to read about how we do our ratings first.

The decor is nice… casual but bordering on formal, with black and red heavy tablecloths and modern dishes in various shapes and colors. On warm summer days, you can choose to sit at one of the tables on the back garden patio. From the main dining room a large window provides a view into the kitchen where you can watch Chef Rocky prepare your meal.

Everything on the menu looks good; it contains a mixture of creole and good ol’ Southern soul food, with just a hint of the Pacific Northwest making an appearance. The menu claims that ingredients are sourced locally whenever possible, and with steelhead trout available, they must be. Rumor has it that the Chef also (seasonally) gardens his own vegetables.

We started with an appetizer of Andouille & Shrimp (served over cheese-grits) and quickly agreed that they were excellent… and if you get them at Happy Hour for $5, they’re a steal. The grits are always creamy, the sausage is nice and spicy, and the shrimp are not skimpy.

One of the things that I love about Ole Soul is that when they bring water to your table, they also bring a little plate of fruit and berries that you can add to it for flavoring. Every restaurant should do that.

I’ve tried several different entrees at Ole Soul, and they’ve all been good, though some have been better than others. The fried chicken is first-rate, especially when ordered with creole spice (you can also order it without). When I tried the creole fried steelhead, the fish was perfectly cooked but it was not particularly spicy. The ribs are quite good, and the portions are massive… the serving in the picture is a half-rack! I’m a big fan of their cornbread; it’s moist and holds together and has just a touch of sweetness.

My only real complaint about my most recent meal was that my chicken was purported to be served with fried green tomatoes, which I love…. but what arrived were fried red tomatoes, which is a completely different thing. Instead of the firm, tangy freshness of green tomatoes, they were sweet and mushy. Maybe green tomatoes are hard to source out of season… but if they can’t get them, they should change the menu; fried pickles or even fried okra would have been a better substitute.

For dessert, the strawberry shortcake was quite good, but nothing unexpected. The “Southern Style” Twinkie sounded amazing… basically a deep-fried slice of corn bread with strawberries, whipped cream, and some kind of a sweet bourbon sauce. Unfortunately, I didn’t think that the balance was right; it wasn’t sweet enough to be a dessert… and the deep fried crust actually made it pretty salty. I took a few bites and left the rest. That said, I’ve never had anything like it… so they get a couple of extra points for originality. Maybe it will suit some visitors’ tastes better than mine.

Overall, the experience there is great, and I’d gladly go back any time.

If you know Everett at all, Ole Soul is easy to find; just get onto Hewitt Ave and head towards the waterfront; you’ll see the sign on the right before the street dead-ends. They don’t seem to have a website, but they do have a facebook page.

Address: 1105 Hewitt, Everett, Washington 98204
Phone: (425) 252-4000
They do accept reservations.

Events & Specials

Thursday nights are Jambalaya Night, if you’re a fan of real Cajun cuisine. Now and then the restaurant has special wine-pairing events and bourbon whisky dinners; keep an eye on their facebook page for further info. You might also want to watch their page for notices of upcoming blues and jazz performances; singer Kristi Devries seems like a frequent guest.

Rate It & Comment Below!

Have you had a different experience than us? Share it in the comment section below. You can also leave a rating for the restaurant by using the “Reader Rating” system at the bottom of the rating box. You’ll have the option to provide an overall rating between 1 and 10 points, but if you’d like to explain your rating in more detail, please do so in the comment section. For the sake of consistency, you might want to read about how we do our ratings first.

From the outside, the restaurant is not particularly distinctive; it occupies the northernmost space in a strip-mall shared with an Asian grocery store,  and a furniture rental shop, a paint store and Lanna Thai Restaurant. Inside, the decor is just a step above the a typical strip mall Pho joint: it’s clean but utilitarian, with lacquered topped tables, a wood-grain vinyl floor, wood and steel chairs,  and a few Asian prints and statuettes scattered around the periphery.

Once you’re seated, though, the fun begins. About half of the tables have at least a partial view of the noodle-master through the kitchen window. With the banging of the noodle dough against the counter during the stretching process, he can be hard to ignore. Each guest is handed a menu and a noodle-soup card. If you’re in the mood for noodles, you can simply mark the check-boxes on the card, choosing between different types of noodles,  broths, a dozen or so proteins, and several vegetables. If you don’t want noodles, you can order from their menu of more common Chinese fare.

The current selection card contains the following items, but it has changed a few times since over the past several months, so we expect that it will continue to do so:

All three broths can be quite good. In general, the chicken broth and the beef broth are flavorful but light, salty enough to be tasty but light enough not to overpower the flavor of the noodles and other ingredients. The 3rd soup option is a spicy Sichuan broth, and we’ve experienced some inconsistency here (this is a Smack favorite). Sometimes the Sichuan broth is a rich, brown, spicy broth… but other visits we’re served something like the chicken broth with a dash of chili oil floating on top, which is a little disappointing.

I would be remiss if didn’t mention the single dessert option that I’ve tried: Chinese doughnuts. These come piled on a plate, fresh from the deep fryer and coated with a layer of sugar. Unlike American doughnuts, these have no hole and the dough is more bready than sweet, balancing nicely with the sugar coating. I suppose they’re reminiscent of the funnel-cakes or elephant ears that you’d find at a carnival booth, but not quite as sweet, and of course, much smaller.

Before each visit, I tell myself that I’m going to branch out and order something from the full menu, but each time I visit, I order noodles.

It’s hard not to, they’re so good. The hand-pulled noodles have the wonderful firmness and flavor of fresh noodles. The hand-shaved noodles, also fresh, are almost as good but slippery and hard to eat with the plastic chop-sticks that are provided: opt for the pulled instead. I like the standard and spinach noodles equally, but usually prefer the spinach with the beef broth, and plain noodles with the chicken (though there isn’t really much difference in flavor between the noodles… it may just be aesthetic).

The duck option in the noodles seems like a great idea, but it’s served Chinese style (ie, cut up with the bones still in it), and I find that it’s too much work to be worth it, though I normally love duck.

Questions? Comments?

We’re always curious to hear about your experiences, too! If you have something to share, or would like some further information, just let us know in the comment section below! And don’t forget to ADD YOUR RATING of the restaurant in the box below, too!

The King Noodle House is at 7815 Evergreen Way, Everett, WA 98203. They also have a pretty decent website, at http://www.kingnoodlehouse.com

I do like the atmosphere. The early 20th-Century tone is set by the exposed brick walls of the historic building and the numerous Tiffany-style glass lamps on the tables. Even with all the lamps and the big plate glass windows, though, the dining area is pretty dark in the evenings… dark enough, in fact, that I literally could not discern whether the subject of the painting above the bar was, in fact, a nude woman, or whether my mind was playing tricks on me and it was a snowy farm scene (I sorted this out on a subsequent daytime visit. It was the former). The tables appear to be made of heavy oak,  a matching oak bar runs along the right side of the establishment, and historic black and white photos of Everett are liberally scattered across the brick planes.

I haven’t had much trouble with the service, either… though I admit that I don’t have very high expectations at a cafe. My two most recent servers were very friendly, helpful young women. I was served quickly, and they at least made an effort to check up on me a couple of times as I ate. There have been a couple of glitches, though. The Cafe has a “Seat Yourself” policy, so on my first visit, I read the sign and did just that: I sat down at a table near the front of the place and waited. Unfortunately, the waitress (apparently the only one working) didn’t notice me, so I just sat there next to the wall for several minutes until I realized that she wasn’t keeping an eye on things, and then I stood up and caught her eye. No big deal. I’ll come to the second glitch shortly.

So, nice service, nice atmosphere… what’s the problem? The food, unfortunately. It’s not bad. It’s just not great.

I’m a huge fan of fish and chips, and the marquee out front of the Cafe trumpets theirs, so that was the first thing that I ordered. The ‘chips’ were just fine, and two of my pieces of fish were also good… battered rather than breaded, the batter crispy and not too heavy. The third piece of fish, thicker than the other two, was cool and undercooked in the middle, unfortunately. I was in a hurry that day, so I let it go. A couple of months later, I tried again, assuming that any kitchen can make a mistake now and then. That time, there were no problems… all of the fish was just fine, so I was very disappointed on my third visit when I was served another piece of cool,  nearly raw fish.

That time, I couldn’t let it pass. When the waitress came to check on me and inquired about the food, I told her that my fish wasn’t cooked through. I joked, “I do like sushi, though, so I could probably eat it.” The poor waitress, who had admitted earlier to being new, gave me a bewildered look and then a weak smile and said “OK…” before bustling off to another table. And that was that. There was no, “Let me get you a different one and mention it to the cook!” or “Let me deduct that from your bill!” If Smack had been there, she would have thrown down, but I couldn’t bring myself to raise the issue again and try to explain my utterly failed attempt at humor, so I ate the ends of the piece and left.

During that visit, as I sat and contemplated my situation, I heard a man who I took to be a manager or owner explaining to one of the other customers that their burgers were ground from the trimmings of their steaks, roast beef, and other high quality cuts, so I decided to try that on my next visit.

And the burger was pretty good. It didn’t taste as though it had been grilled… a little bit of char would have been nice. The beef itself didn’t taste any different than a standard burger to me, but I also remembered that I was merely jumping to conclusions from an overheard conversation; I hadn’t been told to expect anything special myself. If I go back someday, I’ll track down the manager and see what they have to say about the burgers… I’m curious. But that might not be anytime soon.

Rate It & Comment Below!

Have you had a different experience than us? Share it in the comment section below. You can also leave a rating for the restaurant by using the “Reader Rating” system at the bottom of the rating box. You’ll have the option to provide an overall rating between 1 and 10 points, but if you’d like to explain your rating in more detail, please do so in the comment section. For the sake of consistency, you might want to read about how we do our ratings first.