Having visited Seattle frequently over the past decade, I was starting to think I could become a mini-expert on the city.  But two things happened that significantly curtailed our visits. One – my sister-in-law and her family moved from nearby Woodinville to Montana a few years ago, and two – neither of my kids decided to go to Seattle University, where both were accepted. Now we’ve only gone there once in the last four years, when JRS and I went to see a Mariners game at T-Mobile Park.

It's a shame, because Seattle seems like a foodie paradise. I would have liked to have discovered new places to eat and drink if I had come here more often. On that last trip, we enjoyed karaage (Japanese fried chicken) at Taku, which has unfortunately closed a few months ago. It’s places like that I want to frequent and write about. 

The same goes for Portland, a place I’ve visited twice in the last ten years, and both were overnight stays. I don’t know much about the culinary scene, other than the renowned food carts. JRS, NLS and I got decent Korean food at one of them on our last visit, but RAS, his friend and I didn’t this time. But I think we compensated for this lack of discovery this time around with some fantastic food in both Pacific Northwest cities.

Bangrak Market

Recommended to me by a writer I met at the NATJA conference last month, this Thai restaurant in Seattle’s Belltown has a ramshackle but colorful atmosphere. This is how I imagine a place in Bangkok or another Thai city would be.  We ordered fresh salad rolls with chili sauce and peanut sauce, papaya salad, pad Thai, and a shrimp stew. I was too full to try it. Everything was superb in flavor, but we ordered a spice level of 3 out of 5. Luckily, we didn’t go higher than that, because while it was singeing my mouth, it was just enough to avoid masking the complex tastes.  

La Ca Bar

Our friend who lives in Tacoma took us to this spare Vietnamese eatery for lunch, and while there were only three people at tables when we arrived, it was full when we left – always a solid sign of a good restaurant.  The three of them ordered roasted pork banh mi, which looked massive but fresh, with vibrant vegetables like carrots, cilantro, and cucumber. I chose the vegetable pho instead, which was much lighter and healthier than the regular pho with meat, and was made with chunks of tofu and broccoli, but it was almost as flavorful.

Por Que No

Like Bangrak Market, this Portland taqueria has the feel of its origin place – in this case, Mexico. The outside seating area resembles a Cozumel beach hangout, complete with wooden walls, benches, and festive décor. Since I wasn’t that hungry, I only chose a carne asada taco, while RAS got a chorizo taco, which was prepared in a street-style manner and thus only had onions, cilantro, and a corn tortilla. But we also dined on esquites (shucked corn with butter, onions, garlic, epazote, mayonnaise, cotija and lime juice), ceviche with spicy cucumbers and margaritas. Mine was with mezcal and that unmistakable smoky flavor. 

Mo’s Cannon Beach

Many Pacific Northwesterners head to Cannon Beach for a seaside getaway. We ended up here as part of a road trip from Astoria to Tillamook and dined at Mo’s after walking the beach near its landmark dome-shaped rock. There’s nothing too fancy about Mo’s, but it afforded a killer view of the coastline. For lunch, we opted for simple dishes, including clam strips and clam chowder (which they are supposedly known for, and it was tasty), as well as beer and Long Island iced tea cocktails. We appreciated their reasonable prices.

Frank’s Noodle House

For our final dinner before leaving for home, we walked to a compact Chinese restaurant in Portland, which featured a light and minimalist interior. The main items to order here are, not surprisingly, the noodle dishes. The star ingredient is hand-pulled fresh wheat noodles, of which you can taste the difference from dried ones. We chose to order a dish with vegetables and tofu, bathed in a light soy-based and garlic sauce, along with chicken and broccoli, both served with the same noodles, and some fried spring rolls.