MSG150: Seattle International District Lunch Food: Chinese: Taiwanese

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Lunch #59: Henry's Bento

In our last outing we passed by the new restaurant in ~~Saigon Gourmet's~~ Blue & Pink's old location under the HCG. Today we headed out to give Henry's Bento a try. The old Blue & Pink sign is still up. The only indication of the new name was a small banner over the door.

Programming Note: The MSG150 crew has had to slow our pace down a bit to accommodate vacations and busy work schedules, but we are still alive. We only have a few restaurants to go in the DLZ, but new ones are opening so quickly that if we don't pick up the pace a bit we may never finish. Sandie's has been replaced by a new dim sum restaurant and rumor has it that Harbor City will soon be replaced as well.

Henry's Bento, Seattle
Address: 502 S. King St, Seattle, WA, 98104
Cuisine: Chinese: Taiwanese
Average rating: 2.9 chopsticks
Lunch date: 6/12/2008 @ 12:15:00
Time taken to be seated: 0 minutes
Time to take order: 1 minutes
Time for food to arrive: 6 minutes
Total lengh of meal: 46 minutes
Chopstix quality: Smoothed Wood
Do they use MSG?: No
Where is the owner/chef from?: Taiwan
Number of tables: 6
Number of occupied tables: 4 (66%)
Number of business lunch tables: 1 (25%)
Number of "local" tables: 1 (25%)
Healthcode Score: N/A
Links: Yelp!, Urbanspoon

Luncher: Geary

Lunch: Beef Noodle Soup - $5.95
Rating: 4 Chopsticks

Geary's Review

Other than the new menu on the wall and new bank of smoothie machines the interior is largely unchanged. It is not, as first assumed, a Japanese restaurant. It is, similar to Fu Lin next door, a Chinese bento restaurant, Taiwanese, to be specific. The menu has the subtitle "Lunch Box & Taiwanese Cusine". Most of the bentos consist of fried meat, veggies, purple rice, and an egg. There are also a number of what I assume are Taiwanese favorites like Hand Roll Sticky Rice, Leek Pie, and giant Pot Stickers. In addition to the big wall menu, there were a number of posters with specials listed. Beef Noodle Soup caught my attention on one of these posters and I went with that.

The Beef Noodle Soup came out in a very large bowl. It had wide rice noodles, large chucks of beef, bok choy, chopped scallions, and a dollop of what appeared to be pickle relish. Upon further inspection, however, the "relish" turned out to be minced garlic and herbs. The soup was delicious and filling. The beef was fall-apart tender and the broth was rich and flavorful.

The table next to us seemed to be enjoying the Hand Roll Sticky Rice and Pot Stickers. I'll be back soon to give those a try.

Luncher: Adam

Lunch: Garlic Tofu with Vegetables Bento - $6.95
Rating: 3 Chopsticks

Adam's Review

Henry has some big shoes to fill. Replacing one of our favorite restaurants in the ID? This place had better be good. This seems like a legitimate Taiwanese restaurant... so it could be fun... hell, it's even got stinky tofu.

I'm sure Rob is reveling in my recent medical woes... and to be honest, I deserve it. Recently my diet and exercise has been pretty horrible and lacking (respectively). I got a wicked flare-up of Gout. You'll notice a distinct change in the foods I'm ordering for the remainder of the chinese food quest... I'll be eating (mostly) vegetarian food.

The first meatless dish -- Garlic Tofu Bento. Guess what? It's definitely got a healthy helping of garlic. There were six (I think) big chunks of really tasty fried tofu pieces. Unfortunately, even "really tasty" garlic tofu can't hold a candle to meat. The rice was an interesting color, but tasted exactly like plain ol' rice. The veggies weren't particularly interesting.

A fresh new flavor in the ID. Nothing special, but I think this will be a decent little to-go restaurant.

Luncher: Emmett

Lunch: Chicken Steak Bento - $6.95
Rating: 2 Chopsticks

Emmett's Review

I'm not at all bitter at Henry for replacing my beloved bibimbob at Blue/Pink. C'est la vie. In fact, I was looking forward to seeing some new restaurateurs in the neighborhood. The space is identical to Blue and Pink, except they installed Slushie machines. Awesome.

The restaurant was surprisingly full for a new place. The menu is pretty much just bento boxes. Intrigued, I ordered the Chicken Steak Bento.

This has got to be the strangest plate of food I've ever seen. A big pile of purple rice. A bunch of greens with some beans in it. The chicken was all crusty and black. The eggs were... off-white. The plate definitely had some color going on.

Digging in, the chicken was just . . . awful. It was kind of charred, overly breaded such that the breading soaked up tons of oil and got burned. The flavor wasn't nice at all, it just had this odd burnt taste. The greens weren't bad, rice is rice.

Maybe it's just a bad kickoff for Henry but I can't see myself coming back. If I hear good things in two months, I may stop in again.

Luncher: Rob

Lunch: Honey-Dew Fish Bento - $7.95
Rating: 3 Chopsticks

Rob's Review

Ah, the ironies of life. In my last post I said my goodbyes, assuming the MSG150 train would keep a-rolling through the last few restaurants while I was off traipsing around southeast Asia. But here I am again, and there are still four or so restaurants to go. Additionally, the previous longest trackback for a restaurant was to Blue & Pink, which closed soon after. This is now our longest trackback, but to the same location where Blue & Pink used to be. Finally, veggie-hater Adam has suffered the consequences of his decadent and slothful ways, falling victim to the scourge of gout. At Henry's Bento, he ordered the garlic tofu bento, and, to rub it in, I ordered the honey-dew fish bento. The carnivore orders the tofu, and the vegetarian orders the fish -- ha! Victory is mine! I knew the fish would have a sweet taste, but cruel fate made me order it. As the waitress wrote it down, I heard Adam whimper slightly.

The large piece of fish was fresh and flaky, breaded and fried. It did indeed have a sweet taste, but not overpoweringly so at first. By the end, however, the sweetness had built up enough that everything tasted all honey-dew-ey The other bits on the bento plate were interesting to look at (purple rice, brown-edged hard-boiled egg, etc.) but nothing that really stood out, eating-wise. A had a taste of Adam's tofu, and it was crunchy and garlicky on the outside and soft and silky on the inside. Next time I'm here I'll order that. As I finished my last bite of fish, I looked up at Adam as he ate a piece of tofu, and a single tear ran down his cheek.

Luncher: Ben the Intern

Lunch: Honey-Dew Fish Bento - $7.95
Rating: 2 Chopsticks

Ben the Intern's Review

Somewhat interesting flavors but limited selection and the ambiance wasn’t great.

Luncher: Michael

Lunch: Chicken Steak Bento - $6.95
Rating: 3 Chopsticks

Luncher: Jared

Lunch: Beef Noodle Soup - $5.95
Rating: 3 Chopsticks

Henry's Bento Photos

Henry's Bento

Wall Menu

Beef Noodle Soup

Garlic Tofu with Vegetables Bento

Michael's Chicken Steak Bento

Emmett's Chicken Steak Bento

Honey-Dew Fish Bento

No MSG Sign

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Lunch #51: Sandie's Gourmet Restaurant

Sandie's Gourmet Restaurant is no longer in business. It has been replaced by Duk Li Dim Sum.

The MSG150 crew headed out for the nondescript meat in window joint next to the nondescript A & B Cafe but found it closed on Tuesdays. This bounced us on to the next spot, Sandie's Gourmet Restaurant, only twenty feet away.

NOTE: Sandie's is closing its doors sometime this month and the owners are moving to Alaska.

Sandie's Gourmet Restaurant, Seattle
Address: 664 S Weller St, Seattle, WA, 98104
Cuisine: Chinese: Taiwanese
Average rating: 4 chopsticks
Lunch date: 5/6/2008 @ 12:20:00
Time taken to be seated: 0 minutes
Time to take order: 2 minutes
Time for food to arrive: 30 minutes
Total lengh of meal: 55 minutes
Chopstix quality: Smoothed Wood
Do they use MSG?:
Where is the owner/chef from?: Taiwan
Number of tables: 9
Number of occupied tables: 4 (44%)
Number of business lunch tables: 2 (50%)
Number of "local" tables: 2 (50%)
Healthcode Score: 10
Links: Yelp!, Urbanspoon

Luncher: Geary

Lunch: Shredded Pork and Mustard Green Noodle Soup - $7.00
Rating: 5 Chopsticks

Geary's Review

At first glance from the street Sandie's looks like the Chinese version of a Hallmark store with its heart logo, red tinted glass, and flowers in the window. The interior is densely decorated with Chinese art. The tables and place settings are fairly typical for the neighborhood. Nothing other than the sign really says "gourmet." I sensed a winner, however, with my first pass through the menu. They offer a nice selection of Szechuan and Taiwanese dishes and don't hold back on things that tend to frighten whitey like Spicy Simmered Pigs Ear, Pork Bung with Sour Mustard, or Preserved Pickle with Pigs Intestine. No Americanized dishes here (sorry General Tzao). There were already multiple orders for the Szechuan Style Beef Noodle Soup by the time it was my turn to order, so I went with the Shredded Pork and Mustard Green Noodle Soup. I thew in an order of Green Onion Pancakes for the table as well.

The Pancakes came out quickly and were delicious. They were lighter and flakier than the ones at Szechuan Noodle Bowl and we got twice as much for about the same price. The Beef Noodle Soups came out quickly, but the rest of the food took a while. Fortunately for me Adam was in a sharing mood. While the Beef soup tastes very different than my gold standard at Szechuan Noodle Bowl, it is equally as wonderful. The noodles were thinner, there were more gooey bits like tendon included (I'm a big fan of gooey bits), it included a heap of cilantro and the sauce had a more pungent flavor. I plan on going back and ordering a full order for myself before they shut down.

While we were waiting for the vastly understaffed kitchen to push out our food, the elderly man who was serving us fed us almost too much detail about the finances and impending demise of the restaurant. My Pork Soup finally arrived and had a very distinct smell because of the diced mustard greens. It concerned me at first, but once I dove in all was good. The pork was tender and the mustard greens provided a distinctive, pungent flavor to make a surprisingly tasty combination. I also was able to snag bits of other's dishes as well. Rob's eggplant was exceptional as were the fried pork chops. The kitchen was slow, but if you want great authentic Chinese food you would have trouble finding better.

Luncher: Emmett

Lunch: Oyster Pancake with Egg and Vegetables - $7.00
Rating: 4 Chopsticks

Emmett's Review

So we've walked by this place a few times in our post-663 recce and on the way back from A & B. We were going to head somewhere else today, but Wing Wah was closed, so we ended up Sandie's. My first inmpression from our walkbys was 'potpourri'. I don't know why I get that feeling, but it's got red trim on the exterior, some flowers in the window, and you can smell incense. That reaction might perhaps explain why this place doesn't get much business, which is a shame, because the food was delicious.

On examining the menu, I discovered this place was Taiwanese, and they had several Taiwanese specialties, which was great! Years ago my buddies and I were in a night market in Taipei, and I had several fantastic dishes that I've never seen anywhere else. One I particularly remember was the Oyster omelet, which is Taiwan's favorite snack, beating out Geary's beloved milk tea with tapioca pearls. Sandie's had it on their menu! Done and done.

We started with an appetizer of green onion pancakes, which were flaky and delicious. The oyster omelet came and was delicious, a nice blend of green veggies, eggs, sweet oysters, and some gummy substance that I could have probably done without. On top was a sweet hot sauce reminiscent of Bibimbob sauce.

Definitely check this place out, if you can make it before they close.

Luncher: Adam

Lunch: Szechuan Style Beef Noodle Soup - $7.00
Rating: 4 Chopsticks

Adam's Review

After my poor ordering decisions at A & B Cafe. I decided to try a classic stand-by... Szechuan Beef Noodle soup.

The extremely nice (and chatty) server came over and gave a recommendation for the soup. After our food was delivered, he came over again... and let us know that Sandie's was closing. He also disclosed how much money they make in a day and that he was just helping out... not working for money, he was working for friendship.

The food was a little slow, but this one-chef-show was pumping out dishes pretty fast. My soup was the first to come... Did I wait for my friends to get served before I dug in? Eff no -- When food is placed in front of me it's "go time." The soup was delicious, but it wasn't Szechuan Noodle Bowl delicious... it is definitely worth a taste, though. It has a beefy flavor, but this broth was spiked with a healthy helping of delicious cilantro.

Sounds like this place is closing pretty soon, so if you want to try it out... head over soon.

Luncher: Rob

Lunch: Szechuan Style Eggplant with Tofu - $9.00
Rating: 5 Chopsticks

Rob's Review

We finally found that awesome, secret, hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant that none of us had ever been to! Unfortunately, it's closing in a week. Harumph!

At my table (we took over two, a six-top and a four-top) we ordered two scallion pancakes -- I'm used to these having four to six small pieces. The server brought out a plate with two pancakes on it, each about eight inches in diameter -- huge and well-prepared (flaky on the outside, a bit chewy on the inside). Then he brought out a second plate with two pancakes on it, which was a surprise. One scallion pancake order = two scallion pancakes, apparently. My order, Szechuan Style Eggplant with Tofu, eventually came out and looked promising, and, I'm glad to say, tasted even better. The sauce was flavorful and spicy, the tofu was soft and silky, and the eggplant was perfectly cooked. Usually when I have a Chinese or Thai dish featuring eggplant there are a couple pieces that are hard -- you bite into one and your lower teeth stick into the thick, hard, somewhat raw eggplant flesh and your upper teeth squeak across the taut skin. I hate that. Here, however, it was soft but not falling apart and really took on the flavor of the sauce. Yum!

I'll have to go back before they close.

Luncher: Michael

Lunch: Szechuan Style Beef Noodle Soup - $7.00
Rating: 5 Chopsticks

Michael's Review

Big heaping plates of fresh scallion pancakes. Beef noodle soup that is full of spicy and juicy goodness. This place rocks. But you better get over there and try it right now - or you'll never know just how good it was.

Luncher: Joey

Lunch: Szechuan Style Beef Noodle Soup - $7.00
Rating: 2 Chopsticks

Joey's Review

These Szechuan noodles have nothing on the ones at Szechuan Noodle Bowl. I found the soup to be way too salty. It left me feeling like I just had instant noodles with over 10 packs of seasoning. I did appreciate that the owner took the time to tell us about his restaurant mishaps though. I hope they make it out okay.

Luncher: Jason

Lunch: Kung Pao Chicken - $10.00
Rating: 5 Chopsticks

Jason's Review

It's a shame this quaint Chinese restaurant is going out of business, because it is heads and tails above others in the area. My Kung Pao chicken packed both the kung and the POW! It was delicious and the service delightful. If anyone could remember the restaurant's name, maybe they wouldn't disappear.

Luncher: Lydia

Lunch: House Special Fried Rice - $8.95
Rating: 3 Chopsticks

Lydia's Review

The House Special Fried Rice was OK, but I’ve certainly had better. It was lacking a certain amount of flavor. And, while the waiter's tale of the restaurant's impending demise made me feel for the owners, it didn't make my lunch arrive any faster. I wish I could say this little place will be missed, but rather, I can see why it didn't really distinguish itself from the abundance of small Chinese restaurants in the ID.