FoodTrek: Wild Ginger with a Hint of Wasabi

In the sage words of 50 Cent: Go shorty, it's your birthday, we gonna party like it's your birthday. Thanks, 50, you maestro of the English lexicon, you. The newly-christened Bellevue Wild Ginger opened its doors for its first night on Saturday at The Bravern, and got to party like it's your birthday to celebrate the birth of a new Eastside dining establishment. Only one word to describe it all: YUM.

Wild Ginger heads East! - Photo by Wasabi Prime

Wild Ginger has been a much-celebrated restaurant in Seattle since 2000, serving deliciously fragrant Thai cuisine and an impressive selection of wines. I'm personally a big fan of owners Rick and Ann Yoder's second creation, The Triple Door, located right next door to the downtown Wild Ginger. It has a gorgeous lounge area and a really impressive music theater where I've seen some outstanding performances. Both Wild Ginger and The Triple Door are full-immersion experiences, where you feel like all your senses are truly involved, and I appreciate their attention to that level of engagement while enjoying a meal. When I heard that there would be a Wild Ginger hopping across the Lake Washington pond to be within the radius of the Happy Hour Martini Mafia, I thought, look out Ginger, here we come. Consider yourself forewarned!

I was excited at the prospect of a new locale with a menu I already enjoy, and very pleasantly surprised to be invited to their opening night soiree. It was a treat to get gussied-up on what's normally a pajama and fuzzy slipper night, so with Mr. Wasabi (aka, Brock) in tow, we set out to dine and mingle with the well-dressed gents and ladies of Bellevue and Seattle. I also had the nervous pleasure of introducing myself to writer Lorna Yee and her husband, who were kind enough to say hello back to my crazy babbling self.

Martini Mafia, target acquired, commence happy hour-ing. - Photo by Wasabi Prime

Wild Ginger's new space is a mix between industrial and earthy materials. It takes up two floors with dining and lounge areas on both levels. Wandering through the space, we discovered a lot of smaller dining nooks with booths and small tables. When the fever of the new opening subsides, this would make for a really pleasant date locale, having all this small party-of-two seating that's secluded and perfect for making googly-eyes at one another. Exposed ceiling structures and iron railings are softened by slabs of teak and bamboo walls. It's a minimal and neutral interior space, making it an aptly zen canvas to showcase the food. One's eye immediately went to the platters carrying colorful and delicious appetizers. Fried little lumpia-like springrolls, sesame-dotted pinwheels of beef, and my favorite for the evening, seared scallops served in a bamboo cup with a little ruffle of lettuce.

View from above and tasty nibbles, up close and personal. - Photos by Wasabi Prime

In the dining area downstairs, they had a table displaying massive bamboo steamer baskets full of shredded duck hugged in fluffy steamed buns, and platters of tender skewers of lamb satay, with a savory rich peanut sauce. There were also small bite-sized crab cakes and vegetables in rice wrappers, devoured too quickly for a photo. Small sweet bites of frosted cakes followed, but once afflicted with om-nomming, it's a critical condition, so just believe me when I say it was all tasty and I'm looking forward to returning and being able to revisit some old favorites on the Eastside Wild Ginger's menu.

We left before we turned into a pumpkin. Hey, it happens. - Photos by Wasabi Prime

I had a glass or two of bubbly, but refrained from partying-down, 50 Cent-style. Taking advantage of the empty floors, we wandered about The Bravern and took a photo of the courtyard space that was set aside for the entrance of the party -- the giant fireplaces scattered throughout all the floors are impressive. And toasty. I hope they have s'mores night at The Bravern. Yeah... probably not. We returned home to our party of one, Indy, who was happy to see us and confirm with much interested sniffing that we indeed had some delicious food, before pouting in her bed that we brought back nary a nibble for her.

A gracious thanks to Wild Ginger and The Bravern for throwing this party, and much Wasabi appreciation for being included in the festivities.

FoodTrek: STIR-red, Not Shaken

Yeah, yeah, I know -- couldn't think of a better pun, eh Ms. W? Well, let's see you come up with something better after a few strong pulls of vodka from the icy taps of Stir Martini + Raw Bar. Amid the impressive growth rate of downtown Bellevue's food and drink wonderland, Stir is the latest to set down its flag in the massive landgrab of the Eastside. I went with a few stalwart members of the Happy Hour Martini Mafia to investigate this post-work cocktail wonderland, and see what was stirring. Heh, heh.

Vodka on the rocks, freshly squeezed from an icy tap - Photo by Wasabi Prime

When I first heard the announcement that a vodka-favored martini and raw bar would be opening in Bellevue, I thought, you had me at vodka. I know it's not the most flavorful of hard liquors, but I do like a clean, crisp and refreshing kick in the pants at the end of a long day, so usually a Grey Goose or Belvedere on the rocks with a twist is the tipsy bee's knees for me. Stir had the good sense to put in a tap of top shelf vodkas, including Belvedere, as well as Bombay Sapphire gin. They may change these out periodically, but to my mind, what they had on tap was good as-is.

Create your own drink -- no fancy bottle juggling required. Calamari is squiddly-delicious - Photos by Wasabi Prime

One of Stir's specialties is their "deconstructed martinis," where you are presented with a chilled vial of vodka and a choice of sweet, herbal or savory ingredients to mix your own custom cocktail. We tried the herbal selection, where a few wedges of fresh lime and a chilled, sweetened cucumber puree were paired with the vodka. I think it's a nice, tactile thing to do if you're on a date, interacting with the drink and making the experience more about the preparation of the cocktail, and it allows the individual to flavor their drink to their choosing.

In terms of the food pairings they offer, we nibbled on a few different items, both cooked and raw. The appetizer menu has what's becoming familiar nouvelle bar cuisine, befitting of a sleek, urbane cocktail lounge. Gone are the days of greasy potato skins and chicken strips, as they are being traded out for more delicate items like lightly fried calamari, steak tartare, and poke tuna. These items in particular I would order again, as they were nicely prepared, not too heavily seasoned, and they let the flavor of the ingredients shine through.

Cooked food is *so* five years ago - Photos by Wasabi Prime

Seeing that Stir is a place that emphasizes its attention to beverages, I think it could benefit from presenting itself as a connoisseur of libations, similar to Seattle locales like Tini Bigs or Marcus' Martini Heaven. Vodka is one of those buzzworthy liquors that has been getting a lot of attention from spirit makers, as -- for better or worse -- they turn out more flavored variations into the market. Patrons have gotten used to watering their liquors down with sweet, syrupy mixers and sticking a "tini" at the end of the drink, when I think they would instead glean insight from a willing teacher who could shine light upon the finer points of nuance and flavor behind the mixed drink, much like the way wine drinkers appreciate their food and drink playing nice together. I think if Stir wants to be that Cocktail-Fu master offering barhoppers everywhere to take the rock from their hand, they could have the opportunity to distinguish themselves as something truly boutique. I will keep my eye on this martini hotspot, and look forward to seeing how they continue to present themselves to Bellevue's Brave New Food/Drink World.

* Post Script - Big boozy thanks to Liqurious for posting the photo of the icy Belvedere on the rocks with a twist. Cheers to you!

Happy Hour Haunt: To Naga, With Love

Suffering Bastard, Corpse Reviver, Artillerymen's Punch, Coral Dove -- no, we didn't hit Emerald Downs to watch the ponies after work on a lazy summer evening. These are a small sample of the unique anthology of cocktails on Chantanee's drink menu. The Prime has covered the newly-relocated Bellevue Thai favorite in older blog entries, but the highly-touted bar area, Naga, had not yet been christened by the entity that is the Happy Hour Martini Mafia. The whole gang was unfortunately not able to convene, but we few, we happy few (yours truly, GGirl, and Mr. S), met for a short spell to sample this Eastside oasis and see if the buzz surrounding Naga was worth the hullabaloo. No need to wait for a dramatic pause, I believe we have reason to raise a glass in celebration, for we have a winner. Please pass the spiced nuts.

Jules from Pulp Fiction would agree, this is one tasty beverage - photo by Wasabi Prime

Naga's happy hour runs the standard 4pm to 6pm, and it offers a recession-friendly discount on its impressive menu of signature cocktails, so instead of going for a typical brewski after workski, give one of these refreshing little dittys a try. These aren't syrupy, overly-fruity affairs with oversugared rims in unnatural Crayola colors. I had the pleasure of experiencing the Kaffir Fling, a drink created by Canadian bartender David Wolowidnyk in ye olde year of 2007 -- they include the drink's provenance on the menu. Booze and a history lesson -- shazam! A mix of vodka and lime with a hint of sweetness, this simple sour is topped with a frothy head of egg white and a sprinkle of ginger spice, with a fresh kaffir lime leaf nestled in the cloudy foam. These are no mere drinks, they are libations.

Eat, drink, be merry, and then drink some more - Photos by Wasabi Prime

In the swirling sea of cosmo-poma-tini-whatevers that swarm most bar menus, it's a rare blessing to enjoy something made with such deliberate care, as they possess a nuance and layering of flavors that are as interesting to the palate as a gourmet meal. The bartender was extremely knowledgeable in the many glittering bottles of liqueurs, spirits, and other potables within the bar's liquid library. There were many drinks being sampled, from the more familiar mojito, to obscure variations on an herbaceous julep. Among the display of bottled bitters, there was one pear-shaped flagon of murky amber liquid that had a cobra, entwined with another small snake within the bottle's glass belly. Yes, for reals. We skipped a taste of that one, but we sampled a photo or two -- apologies for the seemingly drunken focus. A digital SLR, a digital SLR -- my kingdom for a DSLR!

Not to forget the solids to go with the liquids, the Martini Mafia sampled the nibble-worthy Sundried Pork and Beef and Thai Spiced Mixed Nuts from Naga's bar menu, and then indulged with the Crispy Garlic Chicken and some fried rice from their dining menu.

Yes, that's really a snake in a bottle. And yes, that's really chicken on the plate - Photos by Wasabi Prime

Chantanee was wise to bring in the wisdom of mixologist Andrew Bohrer to bless the Eastside with an amazing offering of drinks that I have never heard of, but want to get to know better. He also has an impressive blog, Caskstrength, which goes into great detail over the artistry and philosophy of life behind the bar. Cheers to Mr. Bohrer, Chantanee and Naga, as well as my Martini Mafiosos who could make it out for the night!