Hương Binh
This storefront treasure isn’t fancy, but it serves unheralded specialties from around the old royal capital of Huê, the epicenter of Vietnamese cuisine. And it’s stayed focused for two decades on turning out some of the very best Vietnamese food in town, using impeccably fresh ingredients, for no more than $10 a person.
Who’s here Vietnamese.
Don’t miss The soups, especially thâp câm, a clear pork broth with choice of egg or glass noodles; a full brace of squid, shrimp, sliced pork, and quail eggs; the usual herbs and sprouts; and the unusual addition of fresh celery leaves. And weekdays only mi vit tiêm, two big bowls of rich star-anise-teased duck and vegetable broth, with egg noodles and black mushrooms in one and a braised quarter of the bird itself topping the other.
Pssst Central Vietnam is also the nation’s candy land, and Hương Binh offers a candy store full of native sweets and condiments.
Hương Binh, 1207 S Jackson St, Ste 104, International District, 206-720-4907
Green Leaf
If Seattle’s at the leading edge of any Asian cuisine, it’s Vietnamese—largely because of hole-in-the-wall International District gems like this. Zillions of masterful phơs and fine grilled meat appetizers and entrees come out of this tiny kitchen every day, many enlivened by a Vietnamese profusion of leafy herbal embellishments.
Who’s here Fierce loyalists, who will cheerfully wait on a rainy sidewalk for a shot at a lunch table.
Don’t miss The southern specialty banh xeo, or Vietnamese rice-flour pancakes, packed with pork and bean sprouts and shrimp; any of the vermicelli bowls.
Pssst Believe us, you won’t turn down any seat—but if given a choice, the faux bamboo on the first floor is preferable to the Wild West pancake-house look upstairs.
Green Leaf, 418 Eighth Ave S, International District, 206-340-1388; greenleaftaste.com
Monsoon
Proof that upscaling to Western sophistication specs doesn’t have to dumb down authenticity, the starkly elegant Monsoon brought the bold, bracing flavor collisions of Vietnam out of Little Saigon and into the well-heeled neighborhoods of North Capitol Hill and Old Bellevue. Yeah, it’s fusion—chef and co-owner Sophie Banh interprets Vietnamese through the fresh lens of Northwest Cuisine—but so, after all, is Vietnamese food.
Who’s here Food sophisticates, who appreciate the marriage of Vietnamese flavors with beautifully sourced Northwest ingredients.
Don’t miss Drunken chicken, caramelized catfish claypot, bo la lot (Carlton Farms grilled flank steak wrapped in wild betel leaves).
Pssst The wine list is an unexpected marvel, deep and intelligent.
Monsoon, 615 19th Ave E, Capitol Hill, 206-325-2111 and Monsoon East, 10245 Main St, Bellevue, 425-635-1112; monsoonrestaurants.com
Tamarind Tree
If it’s a cliche to adore this Jackson Street find—for carving a classy tropical destination out of a derelict strip mall, for making authentic Vietnamese food available to everyone, for the fact that said food is not only delectable, it’s thrilling—then call us unoriginal.
Who’s here Smart guys on dates, who know that—imperfect service notwithstanding—there’s no more stylish place in town to impress the ladies for under $40.
Don’t miss Tamarind Tree salad rolls, crackling with fresh herbs and crispy tofu and peanuts and crunchy vegetables; broken rice, a Vietnamese favorite; a stunning green mango salad, festooned with grilled prawns.
Pssst We might as easily have listed Long Provincial, Tamarind’s downtown little sister with the similarly vast, nearly identical, and equally killer menu. We just prefer the decor at the Little Saigon outpost.
Tamarind Tree, 1036 S Jackson St, Ste A, International District, 206-860-1404; tamarindtreerestaurant.com
NEXT: The True Taste of Asia
Published: February 2011
btw, i’m asian too, i took no offense to your comment ‘squatch. what’s wrong with saying ‘asian looking’? it’s true, that kind of stuff happens. but that’s not why i wouldn’t eat there. i wouldn’t eat there because it’s bad. go to baguette box on the hill instead, it’s not really banh mi in a ‘traditional’ sense, but who cares, it’s delish.
I don’t appreciate your comment, sasquatch! “if you’re asian looking…” you need to learn how to talk about other ethnicities with respect.
thanks for getting the pho props right! if you had said than bros or something i’d have to start firebombing.
i’ve been going to pho bac since i was a child… it beats the pho Anywhere in the world!
I no longer patroniza Saigon Deli, good banh mi or not. And the reason being? They’re, well, a bit tricky with their pricing on some of their stuffs. No price label on many items sold in the store. If you’re vietnamese, you get a better deal. Just garble out a few vietnamese words (if you’re asian looking) and you get the nod of approval. Others? Well, they charge you more. I’d experienced this over and over again, and finally, enough is enough. Being a non-vietnamese, prepare to pay more. I’ll take my business elsewhere. And they have the nerve to charge you 50 cents if you used plastic to pay for purchase under 10 bucks. Wow, great way to turn away your customers!!
Yo, sasquatch – there are lots of places that charge a small fee (50c) for people who put a small purchase on their credit card because the business has to pay for those transactions. They have every right to, so saying “they have the nerve…” just makes you sound like a cheap DB. And please, this kind of practice of differential pricing happens everywhere. Get used to it. We all discriminate one way or another man.