- 6 Friends
- 32 Reviews
- 1 Review Update
- 5 Firsts
- 1 Fan
- 1 Local Photo
-
Rating Distribution
Loading...
- View more graphs »
Review votes:
58 Useful, 12 Funny, and 35 Cool
Seattle, WA
Yelping SinceFebruary 2008
My HometownAnswer unclear. Try again later.
When I'm Not Yelping...I'm chugging down caffeine as quickly as I can.
My Second Favorite WebsiteIt's a toss up between LJ, Netflix & Facebook
The Last Great Book I ReadAbarat by Clive Barker
My First ConcertThey Might Be Giants, oooooh yeah!
My Favorite MovieCity of Lost Children, Moulin Rouge, Princess Mononoke
My Last Meal On EarthTom Kha soup with mussels, crusty sourdough bread, and dirty martinis
Current CrushMark Harmon, much to the delight (horror) of my friends' mothers.
Perhaps as a virtue of having such a small dining area, we received our order very quickly. I settled on a cup of clam chowder and the BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich and substituted a side salad for a small fee instead of having the homemade potato chips, fries or tater tots. (I did snag a couple of tater tots from my companion's plate though, and they were really good!)
The BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich wasn't remarkable, but it was tasty, as was my little salad. The clam chowder was also good, but not outstanding. That said, the clam chowder was accompanied by a piece of beer bread that was fantastic! (Oh how I wanted more!)
While the food I had was for the most part unremarkable, I was intrigued enough by the specials menu (so many options with fresh crab - yum!) that I would go back to try some of those dishes. Also, the service was really great, which is why they rated four stars instead of three in my book.
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 219-5555
Bambuza Vietnamese Bistro
Category: Vietnamese
Neighborhood: Downtown
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
1 Previous Review: Hide »
-
2/15/2008
The food at Bambuza is a little on the pricey side for what you'd expect to pay for Vietnamese in Seattle, but it's got a great location, close to both The Paramount and The Convention Center, and I'm sure the real estate is spendy. The atmosphere in the restaurant is relaxing, and it's very nicely decorated. Service, while very friendly and accommodating, can be a wee bit slow, so if you're stopping by for dinner on the way to a show, be sure to leave yourself plenty of time and make a reservation!
The Vegetarian Salad Rolls and Coconut Summer Rolls are both scrumptious and fresh. Their Chicken Pho is light and comes with plenty of toppings to mix in to get it tasting exactly the way you prefer it. The Drunken Crispy Chicken is flavorful.
My favorite item on the menu, however, is the Five-Spiced Duck Breast. The sliced breast is juicy and tender, yet not at all oily, and comes nestled on a bed of mild and tasty cabbage salad.
While I wouldn't make a special trip downtown just to stop by Bambuza, when I'm in the neighborhood, I know it won't be disappointed if I choose to eat there.People thought this was:
- Useful (4)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (3)
They sell pizza by the slice (and they're fairly large slices) as well as whole pizzas. My dining companion and I opted for a whole pizza, and the staff was happy to do a half and half for us, so we had half a Green Dahlia (pesto, tomatoes, mozzarella and red onion) and half a Salume (pepperoni, salami, black olives, provolone, red onions and olive oil). The Green Dahlia portion was delicious -- so fresh tasting that I could have eaten slice after slice, but stopped after the second one. (I'm not a pepperoni eater, so I didn't have any of the Salume side, but was assured that it was fantastic, as well.) I really like that they have a number of creative vegetarian pizza options, and can't wait to go back to try them all.
After our pizza, we splurged on some tasty gelato for dessert. I opted for the vanilla, while my companion had half a cup of vanilla, and Theo chocolate for the other half. The gelato was creamy and wonderful.
The seating area isn't the best. For a tiny shop, they make do with the space they have, so there aren't a ton of tables for dining in, and they haven't done much to spiff the place up. You definitely aren't going to bring a date here to overwhelm that special someone with the decor, though if said individual is a foodie, he or she might be willing to overlook it in favor of the food. As someone else has mentioned, it's just a tiny step up from cafeteria-syle chairs & tables at Veraci.
The staff was pretty fantastic when we were in -- very friendly and attentive. I'll definitely be returning!
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
The only item that I'm not as blown away by (though I keep ordering it!) is their guacamole. Admittedly, I'm pretty adamant about how guacamole should be made, and if it doesn't taste as though it's had a pretty steamy love affair with a lime or ten, I'm not very interested. Why do I keep ordering it, you ask? Because its citric deficiencies are easily remedied by the lime wedges at the salsa bar! Yummy!
I'm tempted by the yukon gold quesadilla they have on the menu, but so far have been unable to pull myself away from the taco and burrito sampling.
Seattle, WA 98103
(206) 524-3046
Mi Chalateca - CLOSED
Categories: Latin American, Mexican
Neighborhood: Greenwood
The restaurant itself isn't that impressive - hole in the wall on Aurora? Check! The staff, however, is attentive, sweet, and very helpful with questions.
I'll definitely be going back to get my papusa fix!
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
I didn't really like the food here at all. After a long (and trying) day, I decided to splurge and go for an all-fried-food dinner: jalapeno poppers, and the fish & chips. What a waste of calories! The fish was terrible, the poppers mediocre, and the fries were so bad that my usual trick of dousing 'em with malt vinegar and salt did nothing to bring them into the realm of edible food.
I didn't experience the poor service that others have encountered -- our server was great!
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
After having tried a few of their finishing sauces, which were too sweet for my tastes, I'm sticking with the garlic, chili oil, ginger, etc., options provided to add to the food before it's grilled, and then giving my cooked food a healthy dose of the provided Sriracha before heading off to devour my tasty creation.
Sammamish, WA 98074
(425) 836-3138
Lanponi Thai Restaurant
Category: Thai
Last night, while cruising around the Sammamish plateau in search of sustenance, we stopped in at Lanponi Thai Restaurant. My expectations were average, because it's a teeny little strip mall, and, well, I'd never heard of it before. (Because nobody can find hidden gems all on their own, right?) The restaurant was pretty packed, and the take out business brisk for a Sunday night.
What can I say? The fresh rolls were scrumptious, the tom kha gai excellent (and it even comes with tomatoes, just like Araya's, which I love!), and the phad kee mow as yummy as can be. The portions are pretty large, too, so you're set for multiple meals. I can't wait to go back to try other dishes.
The decor is pleasant, and the staff is really attentive. At one point I made a yuck-face as part of conversation with my dining companion (I'm just expressive that way -- it was totally unrelated to the food), and someone immediately rushed over to make sure everything was ok with our meal.
When I asked about spice levels, they say that they ordinarily go up to 4 stars, but if you want it higher, they'll accommodate. I tried 4 last night to see what that baseline was, but I'll be getting it spicier next time. I will definitely be returning!
Seattle, WA 98103
(206) 547-5105
Molly Moon's Ice Cream
Category: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
Neighborhood: Wallingford
I've had the balsamic strawberry as well as the salted caramel, and have tasted the chocolate and the maple walnut. All are scrumptious, but the salted caramel is definitely my favorite so far. The waffle cones are perfect.
I've yet to sample the sauces, milkshakes and sundaes, but I foresee much experimentation in those areas in my future. Yum!
It's also really nice to go into an establishment that's making great efforts to be as environmentally friendly as they are. Woo hooo!
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Funny (2)
- Cool (2)
No Lists

Elaine hasn't made any lists yet.
Date


I also had a few bites of my companion's very good French chocolate frozen yogurt which he opted to have topped with chopped peanuts. They were very generous with the peanuts, so we were able to have some with each spoonful of yogurt, down to the very last bite.
This is definitely going to be on my list of must-visit shops when I head to the Oregon coast again.