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Food is life right but, then I also have to work to live this food life and guys let me tell you about my new schedule. It is not #SundayBrunchday friendly AT ALL. Hence the lack of a post this last week. But as a result I can do Brunch Saturday mornings (Sans alcohol because I work that night, tear) and a bunch of dinners and happy hours. This could be considered a curse but I’m going to use it as an opportunity to expand a bit into new territory while still incorporating the good ole weekend brunch spot. With that expansion in mind let me introduce you guys to my new series idea #TheHappiestHours.
Consider this, people go to work for 8+ hours a day and just want to wind down a bit before heading home for the evening. Insert Happy Hour (HH for short)! Now I’m not sure who coined the term since most HH’s last from 4pm-6pm or at a late employee friendly spot until 7pm (I like those spots) but lets not limit happy to one hour folks! The point I’m making is after a long work day there is nothing I support more than cheap eats and strong drinks.
So this last week I did just that tried my hand at scoping out HH spots to sink my teeth in and review. Welcome Wild Ginger Bellevue to the party ladies and gentlemen as our first victim (probably should pick a more positive word but hey it’s my party, right?).
Wild Ginger Bellevue is the newest location of the restaurant that has been focusing on authentic Southeast Asian cuisine and a great Bar program since 1989. Happy Hour is 7 days a week from 3-6pm (thank goodness for weekend happy hours) and Monday-Saturday from 9pm- close. Seriously these hours are some of the better ones because regardless of if you get off work early or late you can still get your Happy Hour on.
Now let me start by saying somehow when I go to HH I’m starving or the cheaper prices trick my brain into believing I should just order one of everything (I think it may be the latter). Nonetheless to keep the story short, my friends and I ordered one (or two) of almost everything. The prices are reasonable ($6 for all entrees) and some items like the Tofu Pad Thai are really a great bang for your buck (it is a whole meal). We ordered Tofu Pad Thai, Vietnamese Chicken Wings, Potstickers and Shrimp dumplings and probably way too many Cracked Coconut Cocktails.
I think since moving to Seattle I have developed a newfound appreciation for Asian foods and Thai food has quickly become one of my favorite things. All the noodles and spice and flavors meld together to make one happy tongue and the Tofu Pad Thai at Wild Ginger does not disappoint. The noodles are not overdone, the Tofu is perfectly cooked and seasoned (believe me on this, one of my friends had no idea it was Tofu she was eating) and the dish has some heat but it is not overbearing. I’m sure if you are a five star spice person you can always ask for a little more of a kick so don’t let that stop you from trying these out. Overall we ate the first one loved it and proceeded to order two more (we like to eat).
The Shrimp dumplings were sold out the first time I tried to order them so I went back on the weekend to try them (review purposes of course). The dish comes with three dumplings and the traditional dipping sauce. When I finally got to give them a try I realized why they were sold out my first time there. They were fresh, tasty, just enough filling to be two bites and have something in each. Have you ever had dumplings that were all wrapper (dough) and little to no filling. I have and it is not very exciting. But don’t worry that isn’t something you have to worry about here.
The three Potstickers are Chicken (just in case you were wondering) and served with a black vinegar dipping sauce. They are fried to perfection, crispy on both sides (not in a burnt way) and filled with Chicken goodness. We each had one Potsticker then realized we needed at least one more and had to put in another order. The sauce was a conundrum because we couldn’t figure out how they made vinegar taste so good. Although we knew there was no room for questions when we had tummy’s to fill and drinks to savor.
Now onto the Vietnamese Chicken Wings. I have a few favorite wing spots in Seattle so far (I will tell you about them later) but these may have just bumped someone off the list. It is a running list people don’t worry things change frequently. With that being said you know the wings that are fried just one notch below too hard but the crunch is phenomenal and the inside is still tender and juicy. These are those. They come with peppers so they are a bit spicy but also have a sweet element that I haven’t been able to place (I’m thinking honey or something). Either way these are a must order when you visit. Just be prepared to wait. They are cooked to order so they take some time and unless you care nothing about the roof of your mouth you may also want to wait a bit for them to cool down (I was so naive the first go around).
What I do know though is their bar program has it all the way together. I probably am not allowed to make that statement after only having tried one cocktail but apparently their wine program has multiple James Beard nominations (think the Oscar’s of food and drink) so there’s that. My friends and I ordered the Cracked Coconut ($7) which was unfortunate because I wanted them to get something else so I could try it but no one would budge because we were too excited about it. The Cracked Coconut consists of rum, coconut water liqueur, lime, pineapple and coconut. If you can imagine yourself on a Beach somewhere with the sun hitting your face and the waves lapping up to the shore in perfectly succinct lines that is what this drink tastes like. In the gloom that is Seattle winters it is nice to be reminded of the warmer months and perfectly sunny days.
If you would like an after work pick me up and you find yourself in Bellevue go ahead and give Wild Ginger Bellevue a try. However if you can not find time to get to Wild Ginger during Happy Hour (but seriously it’s basically all afternoon with a three hour break) I would almost bet the funds in my wallet their dinner service is just as amazing. All in all HH at Wild Ginger Bellevue is a heck yes! As always stay #ForkDeep.