Firstly, thank you everyone for your patience with the site lately. It's been runnning as slow as molasses-in-January for the past few days. Hopefully, all is well now... I appreciate all the concerned emails!

Oy, an hour and 40 minutes. That’s how long our wait was to be seated in Din Tai Fung. I hate waiting. Generally, I won’t do it. I can probably tolerate 20 minutes...if I have errands to run...otherwise I go elsewhere. This is not a choice today as I am dining with others and Din Tai Fung was the agreed destination. Damn it.

I first mentioned Bamboo House when I was blogging about Aca Las Tortas several weeks ago. It’s located in the same complex just off the 405 (Mill Creek exit) as you head south towards Seattle. They serve up casual Vietnamese fare. I came for the phở tonight.

Beef Noodle Soup Accoutrements

Aca Las Tortas. This little gem is located in a strip mall just off the 405 on the Bothell-Everett Highway. We found it some time ago, when we were wanting some pho at the Bamboo House (located a few doors down) and the Bamboo House was closed. Great find. It's now become a regular stop for us.

I love tortas! It's totally my kind of sandwich.

**UPDATE 2012: Zen Garden is now closed***

Washington State is NOT a great place to have dim sum if you are accustomed to having dim sum in places like Richmond,BC. In fact some Washingtonians suggest that their peers make the drive across the border to get their dim sum fix in Richmond.
Zen Garden is kinda dodgy looking. The building looks a bit like a recreation centre from the outside.

Phở, for those that don't know, is Vietnamese beef noodle soup. It's awesome. When I'm eating it, somehow I feel like it's making my body stronger like Popeye eating his spinach. I was recovering from a cold this day that I visited Phở Than Brothers, and it was like a bloody miracle when I walked out of that place, sinus problems no more! Yeah, believe it. It's that good.
Of course Than Brothers serves excellent phở. Results may vary if you're chowing down on crappy phở.