Big John’s PFI

Tucked away in the back of a parking lot just south of Chinatown, Big John’s PFI (Pacific Food Importers) is not a place you will find unless you know what you are looking for and not a place you would think to go to unless you are in the restaurant business. This should not discourage you from checking it out as it’s a fun place to visit for the layman as well as the professional, although I must admit I am sometimes intimidated by the chefs in their whites, striding purposefully through the aisles while I meander aimlessly, gawking at all of the exotics.

PFI is not really a grocery but rather a small warehouse, packed with bulk food from the Mediterranean. There are shelves and shelves of imported delicacies, from top quality olive oil, whole Moroccan lemons preserved in salted water, jars of caviar, cans of ghee and solid coconut oil to giant blocks of halvah, several varieties of Italian cookies, French chocolates and boxes of Turkish Delight. Local chefs come here to stock their restaurants and the air is alive with the fragrance of spices, sold in bulk in giant white tubs. The deli case up front sells a variety of fresh cut Italian meats and cheeses. The cheese is sold at a one pound minimum and each piece has a helpful little sign featuring a hand drawn cartoon cow, goat or sheep describing the taste and texture. Don’t be afraid to ask for a sample.

If you cook a lot, or if you just really, really like cheese, PFI is a great place to stock up on inexpensive, quality ingredients.

Big John’s PFI

1001 6th Ave S Level B

Seattle, WA 98134

Hours: Monday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Tuesday – Friday 9:00 am – 6:00 pm

Saturday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

(206) 682-2022

Muy, Muy Bueno

Mmm. Candy. Few things make us feel as youthful or as carefree. Kinder Bueno has got to be my favorite candy bar not only because of its incredibly awesome name (although this does play a small part) but mainly because of its absolutely winning flavor/texture combination. I happened upon the Kinder Bueno in Europe a few years ago and fell immediately in love. We were inseparable, the Kinder Bueno and I. I found them everywhere: the subway, the grocery, the hostel vending machine. Life was glorious. Kinder Bueno did not follow me home, however, and I had a difficult time locating them upon my return to the U.S. A year later, in Montreal for the summer, I was overjoyed to discover that our candy-conscious neighbors to the north had recently begun to carry the bars. Since they were a new product they were being marketed like crazy and I would walk into any store and find a table overflowing with the things, and on sale, no less. I was in heaven. I came home from that trip a month later transporting a Costco sized box of them, and they were well worth the precious space they took up in my suitcase. I rationed them out carefully over the following months and I make sure to stock up every time I go back across the border.

And just what is a Kinder Bueno, you might ask. Not German or Spanish, as the name suggests, they are a part of the Kinder line put out by the Italian company Ferrero. The paper thin, crispy wafer casing crunches readily under tooth to give way to a creamy hazelnut filling, and the whole thing is topped with milk chocolate. There is something about this light crunch followed immediately by creaminess that makes me incredibly happy. They come two bars to a package, each bar sectioned into quarters to make for easy bite-sized pieces. Check out this bizarrely great website to get a better idea of what they are like.

Tracking down a Kinder Bueno in the U.S. can be tricky. They are sometimes found in import stores, such as The Continental Store in Seattle’s University District, and Husky deli in West Seattle, but the import prices can be a little steep. If you live close to the border a good option is making a little pilgrimage to Canada, a country that carries all kinds of exciting foreign candy, or to Mexico. They can also be ordered from various online candy retailers. However you manage it, make sure to try this candy bar. It is the best!

Purely Decadent

In the world of non-dairy ice cream there has recently emerged a challenger to Soy Cream’s long held domination over my affections. Turtle Mountain’s Purely Decadent line is proving stiff competition to my heretofore perennial favorite, especially in the form of their Pomegranate Chip. I love fruit and chocolate together and the tart, refreshing flavor of pomegranate puts an unusual spin on this winning combination. The light, sherbet-y texture of the ice cream makes for easy excavation of the giant hunks of rich dark chocolate hiding within it. The chocolate is flaky and crispy and light enough to melt along with the ice cream, leaving a smooth mass to suck deliciously off the tongue. Purely Decadent has an extensive list of flavors and along with the Pomegranate Chip I’ve tried the Chocolate Obsession, which is firmer in texture and laced with ribbons of fudge and chocolate flakes, and the Cherry Nirvana, an overly sweet vanilla ice cream packed with cherries and more chocolate flakes. While I enjoyed both of these the Pomegranate Chip is the real star and keeps me coming back again and again.

While the company is located in Eugene, OR, Turtle Mountain products can be found nationwide.

Paseo Is Summer

I’ve been enjoying Paseo, the tiny Cuban sandwich shop that has become a Fremont mainstay, for years but now that I’ve moved to the neighborhood and am just a quick walk away I’ve developed a feeling of ownership over the place. This is now my neighborhood sandwich shop and I can jog on over whenever I need a fix. And just in time, too–there’s something about Paseo’s tiny corrugated metal storefront and plastic tables and chairs that perfectly compliment the long, hot days of Summer, and as Summer draws to a close and the days get cooler a trip to Paseo will make you forget that Fall is just around the corner. Sitting outside, people watching as juices from your sandwich run down your arm, you feel transported somewhere else, somewhere tropical and relaxed, far from cold, uptight Seattle. Paseo is just what this city needs.

The menu at Paseo was revamped earlier this year and now features several new options, but the sandwiches remain just about everyone’s favorite and really should not be missed. They come on a baguette, wonderfully chewy and sturdy enough to hold the abundance of toppings, which include homemade mayo, cilantro, pickled jalapeños, romaine lettuce (for a bit of crunch), and a heaping mess of the best goddamn caramelized onions you will ever eat. These onions are so popular that Paseo now offers a sandwich where they are the main attraction. I prefer the grilled chicken breast and the fish, however. The meat is light enough to offset the heavier flavors of the sauce and onions, and tender and juicy to boot. The chicken thigh and pork are a bit rich but also delicious. The scallop, a new edition to the sandwich menu, is excellent; big, meaty scallops are sautéed in extra virgin olive oil and packed (cheek to jowl?) on the bread. Keep in mind when ordering the sandwiches that these suckers are messy and you should have several napkins at the ready to sop up the juicy mess they will leave all over your hands, arms and lap.

The rest of the menu is just as good as the sandwich portion. The West Caribbean Bowl comes with two scoops of sticky jasmine rice, soft as rice pudding, soupy black beans, tangy and with a touch of spice, and a chicken thigh that, like all of the meat at Paseo, has been marinated to perfection. The flavor of tomato infuses everything. The Fresh Fish in Rojo I liked but didn’t fall in love with. The tomato sauce with peas and onion was spicy and a little sweet but the fish was nothing to write home about. Other entrees include a half chicken dinner, grilled pork, prawns, and a tofu dinner I hear tell is one of the best vegetarian meals in town.

So head on down to Paseo while the weather is still nice and treat yourself to a mini vacation.

Paseo

4225 Fremont Ave N

Seattle, WA 98103

(206) 545-7440

El Quetzal

The Quetzal, as the menu at El Quetzal will tell you, is a Central American bird that to the Aztecs was a representation of life and freedom. El Quetzal itself is a small, happy little restaurant on Beacon Hill celebrating life through authentic homemade Mexican food. Each wall has been brightly sponge painted a different color and sun and moon decorations adorn the area near the counter. As you look around you will notice that the clientele is mostly Mexican, and this is a good sign. The nice lady working the counter brings you warm salty corn chips and cactus salsa and hands you a gigantic menu full of breakfast and lunch items. Not listed on the menu is horchata, but be sure to ask for it anyway; they have it, the thick, milky variety, not the watered down stuff usually found in taquerias. The breakfast items consist mainly of eggs and sound very substantial: eggs with Mexican sausage, eggs with tomato and jalapeño, eggs with diced ham, eggs with beans and cheese. There is the usual assortment of tacos, made with “double soft” tortillas and priced at $1.50 each. I, however, didn’t try any of these and instead went straight for the tortas. El Quetzal’s tortas, or Mexican sandwiches, are described on the menu as “gigante”: this is not a misnomer. My torta chilanga, made with breaded flank steak, arrived taking up the entire dinner plate. The bread it was served on was light, crusty, soft and warm on the inside, like the very best French baguette. It was stuffed with tomato, onion, avocado, mozzarella, and chipotle sauce, which gave it a nice hint of spice. God but it was good. My sister’s pombazo was similar to the torta but with sabroso salsa baked into the bread crust. It was stuffed with a mixture of ground beef, peas, potatoes, and carrots, and finished with shredded lettuce, sour cream and cotija. My father’s quesadilla came with the same filling as the pombazo, and its homemade corn tortilla, soft in the middle, crispy at the edges, is what tortillas were meant to taste like.

The flan, which we had no room for but felt compelled to order anyway, came in a wedge and was served with a side of whipped cream and thick caramel sauce. It was dense and totally smooth, lacking the grainy and airy quality of many flans. Every time he has flan my father regales us with the same story about the infamous "truck stop flan", eaten some 30 odd years ago in a truck stop in Mexico and always described as the best flan he's ever had. No flan has ever been able to live up to it, no matter how many he's tried over the years, and so my sister and I were shocked to hear him declare El Quetzal's flan its equal. Here's to life, Dad, and to legendary dessert; you've found your white whale at last.

El Quetzal

3209 Beacon Ave S

Seattle, WA 98144

(206) 329-2970

Monday-Saturday 8:00 am - 9:00 pm

Sunday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

HT Market : Not Just For Asians!

White people. They so often disappoint me, culinarily speaking. I find most of my fellow white Americans to be saddeningly unadventurous when it comes to trying new types of food. Take HT Market, North Seattle’s relatively new Asian grocery, for example. I wander endlessly up and down the vast aisles of this large supermarket, fascinated by the food I’ve never tried and often never heard of, skipping quickly by the generic “American food” aisles and heading straight to the foreign stuff. I will usually go in for a báhn mì and a can of coconut juice and end up with a basket overflowing with new things to try. I can’t help it, everything here looks good to me! I look in the baskets of the Caucasian shoppers, however, and am confounded to see Kraft Singles, Yoplait Yogurt, milk, white bread. I don’t see how they can resist the exotic bounty at their fingertips. “Egg tart? Pickled radish?” they must be thinking. “Naw, I’ll just stick to my block of cheddar and box of Oscar Mayer.” It boggles the mind, it really does.

The new(ish) HT Market is an offshoot of the Vietnamese Hop Thanh grocery in Little Saigon. When it opened its doors earlier this year I nearly jumped for joy. I had been hoping and praying for a Southeast Asian grocery somewhere closer to my neck of the woods than the ID or White Center, and like a gift from above my prayers were finally answered. HT Market is all that I could have hoped for. Located in the Oak Tree Village, in the space vacated by the flagship Larry’s Market, the grocery is a convenient jog up Aurora. Parking is plentiful and free (take that Chinatown!) and the store itself large and spacious. It’s not big on ambiance, though, and has a bit of a warehouse feel with its exposed metal beams and hanging fluorescent lights. It feels a bit incomplete and unfinished, like it is still under construction. The aisles are wide and brightly lit and have the potential to house so many more types of food. There are two aisles, for instance, dedicated to packaged ramen. Sure, there are a quite a few types of ramen out there, but two aisles seems a bit excessive. Likewise I could do without the aisles of American chips, soda and frozen food. More interesting are the areas of the store containing African, Middle Eastern, Indian, and Latino food. Huge blocks of queso fresco and cotija can be purchased alongside boxes of saag, Catholic votives are nestled in amongst fabric softeners and frying pans. HT Market may be Vietnamese, but it doesn’t seem to want to pigeonhole itself. In a city becoming so homogenized and yuppie it is nice to see such an embracing of ethnic diversity.

The bakery boasts fresh baked bread from the Macrina and An Xuyen bakeries as well as most of the Chinese pastry standards: egg tarts (my favorite), hum bow, sweet rolls, sponge cake filled with cream. The deli case offers lunch combos for $3.99-$4.99, and this includes rice, chow mein or fried rice, 2-3 sides, and soup. They have pre-made báhn mì (the delicious, delicious Vietnamese sandwich) and two-packs of summer rolls for $2.50. Fish-filled tanks are on display in the seafood department and packaged squid and eel in the frozen food section. The produce is a little sad looking, with noticeably wrinkled peppers and green tomatoes, but is redeemed by several types of seaweed, cactus, daikon, and bulk chiles. My favorite is, of course, the dessert aisle. I have recently become addicted to a type of Chinese jelly candy, little rectangular objects that come in a pack of eight, in either green tea or sweet bean flavor. There’s the usual selection of coconut juice, Thai ice tea and the like, and a small sake selection in the wine department. This is nothing too thrilling; if you want a large variety of sake go to Uwajimaya or another Japanese grocery. In a back corner of the store is a nice selection of pretty dishes and bowls to be had for cheap. If you are looking to outfit your kitchen and are on a budget this is the place to come.

I hope that, with time, HT Market will continue to expand its food selection and utilize more of its empty space. And it may be a fool’s hope, but I would also like to see the non-Asians of the neighborhood sample from the wealth of good food to be had here. At least give it a try.

HT Market Oaktree

10008 Aurora Ave N

Seattle, WA 98133

(206) 527-5333

The Cookie Monster is Alive and Well and Living in Seattle

D’ya know what I love? Cookies. Who doesn’t, right? There are a lot of sub-par cookies out on the market, however, and it can be easy to be led astray. Where to turn when that cookie craving hits and you can’t be bothered to bake your own? Here are some that I like:

Cougar Mountain

This locally made cookie has the soft, chewy consistency that so many store bought cookies try and fail to capture. It’s not doughy or cloying, just naturally tasty. During baseball season you can find the Ballpark cookie, filled with semi-sweet chocolate chunks, toffee and peanuts. This might sound like too much for one cookie but it’s really not. The different flavors complement rather than overpower each other. Try them before they disappear in August.

Le Petit Ecolier Extra Dark

On the front of Le Petit Ecolier’s Extra Dark 70% chocolate “butter biscuits” (is this not a tantalizing way to describe a cookie?) a fey, pudgy little boy stares out at you from molded chocolate. Said chocolate is firm and solid and gives a good snap when you bite in. The biscuit is a bit crumbly and not the highest quality biscuit on the market, but it really just acts as a platform for the chocolate. Here’s what Le Petit Ecolier has to say about their Extra Dark: “A chocolate made with 70% cocoa, intense, complex, woodsy with deep inviting aroma”. Amen.

Leibniz

Another chocolate biscuit cookie. Its thinner, crisper biscuit is superior to that of the Le Petit Ecolier.

Hint ‘O Mint Newman-O’s

Looks like an Oreo but is light years better. Like the name suggests, there is a hint of mint flavor in the creamy center of these babies, and mint + cream filling + crunchy chocolate cookie = deliciousness. Plus, they’re organic!

Stroopwafels

I first discovered the Stroopwafel when I was in Amsterdam and fell immediately in love. The coffee shops I had been visiting may have helped fan the flames of my initial attraction, but years later my affection for this cookie remains undiminished. About the size of the palm of your hand, the stroopwafel is basically a sandwich cookie made with two very thin waffles (think of a chewy waffle cone) with caramel, or more traditionally syrup, inside. I can knock back about 20 of these in one sitting without batting an eye. They can usually be found at European import stores and I’ve also seen them at Uwajimaya, strangely enough.

Marie Lu

My good friend Dr. Jones recently introduced me to these, as she herself puts it, strangely addicting cookies. They are rather like a cross between a cracker and a cookie, a bit salty like a Ritz, a bit sweet like shortbread, simple like a digestive biscuit, and quite crisp. I was immediately sold on them. Thanks Dr. Jones!

Does anyone else have any good cookie suggestions?

A Korean Smorgasbord At Ka Won

If you are in the mood to do some serious eating; if you want meat and a lot of it, but are craving variety as well, and perhaps a touch of the exotic, then Korean barbecue is for you. I have been told by more than one source that Ka Won is the best place in the area to go for this and after eating there I believe it. Ka Won is a humble space, located in a strip mall in Lynnwood just off Aurora. It is my experience that often the best places for food are kept behind such unassuming façades. I appreciate a restaurant that doesn’t have to advertise via fancy exterior and decor; let the food speak for itself already.

When you go to Ka Won be sure to take along your appetite and, ideally, several friends. If you are not Korean I recommend bringing one with you, as I did. As the three non-Koreans in our party walked through the door we were regarded warily by our hostess, but when our Korean guide, Mr. B, came into view her entire demeanor visibly softened. Yes, we would be accepted after all. We were led across the well-worn floor past booth after booth of Koreans. No music played overhead, the only sounds those of lively conversation and eating, eating, eating. It’s handy to have someone in the know explain the menu as it can be a bit daunting. There are so many similar sounding meat options it is hard to know where to begin. We ended up ordering, at the advice of Mr. B, two varieties of marinated beef ribs, jumullok and yangnyeom galbi. One was a fattier cut than the other, but to me the difference was negligible. I just know they were both juicily delicious and completely infused with flavor. Our table had a little gas grill set into it and Mr. B set about the task of grilling the meat. This was a bit of a full time job but he didn’t seem to mind. I believe that it is possible to sit in a non-grilling area for those who don’t want to make the commitment to cooking their own food, but this is really part of the experience. If there is one in your party up to the task I recommend it. The meat comes in a long strip which you cut down to size with the provided scissors. A large bowl of salad mixed with a chile vinaigrette is meant to be eaten along with bites of meat but is fantastic just by itself. A highlight of the meal was the seafood pancake, hae mul pajeon. This consisted of squid, shrimp and scallions, barely held together by a light, egg-y dough. This was just the right amount of greasy and was absolutely fantastic, possibly better as leftovers the next day. The most exciting part of the dinner for me, however, was the plethora of tiny side dishes that were brought out before the actual meal. Something about an assortment of small bits of food just thrills me to pieces. So many flavors to sample! These dishes included, among other things, several different types of kimchi (cabbage, cucumber, radish), an egg omelet still bubbling in its cast-iron bowl, tiny salty-sweet fried fish, small brown squares of gelatin I was told were made from almond, tofu and zucchini soup with miso paste, and, the piece de resistance, a whipped potato dish mixed with cucumber, carrot and radish. This was so smooth and light I would like to bathe in a large tub of it. As utterly full as I was at the conclusion of the meal (and believe you me I was full) I still ordered another dish of it.

The soju and beer flowed, conversation was bandied about, and even though each of us stuffed in as much food as we could reasonably manage our meal still looked relatively untouched at its conclusion. We went through the somewhat difficult process of flagging down a waitress and then finally waddled out to the car, four full containers of leftovers in tow. Oh yes, I was to be eating well the next day.

Ka Won

15004 HWY 99 Suite A

Lynnwood, WA 98037

(425) 787-6484

Gimme Some Tongue

I remember the first time I tried tongue. I was in middle school and over at a friend’s house for some sort of celebration (I tried tongue of a different sort for the first time in high school, but that’s another story). Her dad was from Tibet and had cooked some traditional Tibetan dishes for the party, most of which were meat based. I tried a piece of an unfamiliar meat, sliced in a little dish, and was surprised at the texture. I asked my friend what it was and she told me, a little warily, that it was cow tongue. Instead of spitting it out I went back for more and for this her dad loved me. I was the only one of his daughter’s friends open-minded enough to try his food and he really appreciated it. A lot of people seem put off by the idea of eating a tongue. Why is this? It’s just a muscle. Is it really any different from eating an animal’s shoulder or butt? I think what it comes down to is presentation. My mother grew up in a large family and cow tongue was a cheap cut so they would sometimes get it for dinner. Her dad would simmer it in a big pot and serve it sliced with ketchup. She says that they would gross out the neighbor kids by bringing them over and showing them the large gray tongue boiling on the stove. OK, I can see how that would be unappetizing, but with a little cooking magic tongue can be quite good. My preference is for tacos de lengua and I encourage you to withhold judgment until you’ve tried them. The tongue is cubed and mixed with diced onions and parsley and served in a corn tortilla. The meat is soft, tender, and has a very rich taste, a bit buttery and smooth. It just melts in your mouth. My sincere wish is that people would get over the “gross” factor of eating a tongue and give these tacos a try, because they are delicious and it would be sad to let a personal hang-up get in the way of good cuisine.

When in Ellensburg, Eat at the Valley Cafe

Driving back from Spokane after a morning spent running in the Bloomsday race, my Dad and I stopped at the Valley Cafe in Ellensburg for a bite to eat. Not having spent much time in Ellensburg I wasn’t sure what to expect, but stepping into the Valley Cafe was like entering a classy time warp. The space itself is small and elegantly casual, hearkening back to an earlier time with its art deco light fixtures and carved wooden and stainless steel booths. The smooth sounds of Miles Davis played gently in the background. This place is all about aesthetic and ambiance, but the food does not suffer. Our warm, understatedly friendly waitress brought over a fantastic baguette to start with and the accompanying dish of olive oil and balsamic was filled with tiny bits of red pepper, parsley and diced garlic. Perusing the appetizer menu I was torn between the baked Camembert and the ahi skewers, but finally settled on the Camembert. It was served with crostini, candied pecans, and sliced apples, pears and kiwi. The cheese was gooey and warm, the pecans finely chopped and delicately sweet, and the crostini’s light crunchiness nicely offset the heaviness of the cheese. The house salad of fresh mixed greens, cherry tomatoes and roasted pumpkin seeds came lightly dressed and perfectly tossed with a yogurt herb dressing. A well tossed salad is becoming a lost art in most restaurants, but Valley Cafe got it right. No globs of dressing or naked bites of lettuce here. The entrees are in the $15.00 range and include many pasta options, tuna, crab cakes, and chicken marsala. The slightly spicy crab cakes came served with a red pepper aioli and were densely packed with crab, not filler. They were delicious, if a little burned on the bottom. They were served atop a serviceable pesto penne that went mostly ignored. The Valley Cafe also offers several local Washington wines and has a more casual bakery/cafe next door.

Driving away toward Seattle, our meal digesting happily in our full stomachs, we were afforded a spectacular view; to the north and south were giant, flat clouds like swept sand, colored rosy by the setting sun. Farmhouses dotted the green of the landscape and Rainier was softened by a fuzzy blanket of cloud. Ahead of us to the west ominously black, flat-topped storm clouds encroached on the friendliness of the scene, but I held onto the warm comfortable feeling left by the Valley Cafe and, entering the wind and rain, I was perfectly content.

Valley Cafe

105 W. 3rd Avenue

Ellensburg, WA 98926

(509) 925-3050