Gastronomic delights @Gastropod

It's been open for a year, made it to Seattle Eater's Essential 38 six months ago, and yet, it has eluded me. Finally, it was time. Gastropod - chef Travis Kukull's tiny 25-seater eatery wowed me with its easy-going atmosphere, it's innovative beers, and its impeccable food.                                                                 

Statutory warning: Everything here is in the superlative. It just could not be helped.     

Gastropod is related to Epic Ales in more ways than one, so it is but obvious that their beers will inspire poetry. Unfortunately, I only had space for one - so Salty Ghosts it was! Sour wheat ale brewed with Coriander and Sea-salt. Savory and with a hint of sweet, it is an instant crowd pleaser. Other beers that I desperately wanted to drink but didn't - Flowers from the farm (Farmhouse wheat brewed withh orange blossoms), Driftwood (Oak aged wild ale brewed with oysters).

What did I eat:

Peach, cucumber gazpacho with Fresno chili and red onions. There are gazpachos and there are gazpachos. This one happened to be fresh, new, and fabulous. I had never before eaten one with peach in it. The wisps of pickled chilli and red onion floating in the soup added just the right kick.

Sambal beans with Romano yogurt. This wasn't the Sambal that you usually eat. This was a Burmese-Indonesian sambal with tamarind, garlic, brown sugar, and chillies. Part tart, part sweet, part savory, it was the perfect complement to the crunchy beans and the yogurt whisked with a Malawi curry powder. Asia and Africa combined to do a little perfect tango on your tongue.

Albacore Tuna Rillete. A no-fat rillette (unheard of!). Spiced just right (hard to achieve). Tuna belly, olives, and browned shishito peppers (unique combination!) exploding in your mouth. This could only be good. and that's exactly what it was. The rillete reminded me of a recipe from back home in Kolkata - the ubiquitous "Machh Sheddo". Steamed fish with spices folded in, served with chilis and red onions, served with steamed rice. Here, little crostinis lined up the plate, ready to be slathered with fish and consumed.

The Okonomiyaki. This has already achieved cult status in Seattle. So it was no surprise when a pancake with cabbage, carrots, toasted cashews, three types of cauliflower, and an outpouring of sesame looked teasingly up from the plate. Needless to say, the cult status is well deserved. Tip: We couldn't finish the pancake as we were full, and while wrapping it up in a box, our waitress suggested that a fried egg added to this in the AM would make a perfect breakfast. What a prime idea!




Very rarely does one chance upon a restaurant that has creative food and yet, is completely unpretentious. The chefs cook in front of you in an easy, un-rushed manner. The waiters exude warmth. Chef Travis, on hearing that the waiters were being quizzed by us on the various spices, appeared before us with jars of homemade spices that we smelled and felt elated about. And he spoke easily and passionately about his food. A little eatery with big food - Gastrpod exemplifies Seattle!

Million $ question. Would I go back here? Well, yes. Let's say, maybe, later this week!

In summary, it is essential that you eat at Gastropod. Very essential.

Gone marketing...

Ethan Stowell's Greenwood eatery Mkt had been bellowing to us for a while and we finally found a slow Sunday evening to make the much anticipated trip. Found a reservation for three at about two hours' notice (I wouldn't extrapolate that data to the future since we were sailing in on the tail of a long weekend; reserve early enough whenever you decide to visit since it has limited seating).

Mkt has a varied share-able menu. Which immediately resulted in the awesomeness of three of us ordering nine things! So here goes my list of loves, likes, and spites!

We started with zuchinni and yellow squash fritters, roated pork loin, and hamachi ceviche.

The zucchini-squash fritters (bottom left) were my least favorite thing on the menu. They lacked the weight of either zucchini or squash.  They could have been any other plant, flower, or herb for all you cared!

The rabbit (bottom right), however, jolted me out of my Sunday evening reverie. I suddenly felt that I was eating a very good chicken! ☺️ Rabbit usually tastes like rabbit to me (ha!) so while the chicken-y taste was a surprise, must say that the thyme, juniper/celery puree along with treviso-bacon salad took it a notch (or many) beyond any grilled rabbit that I have ever tasted. However, my favorite food of the evening was the hamachi ceviche (top venter). Tender pieces of hamachi complimented perfectly by a citrus cucumber ice and the tart sharpness of pickled onions made for a kickass and wonderfully different cevice.

Next up spice crusted lamb, quail, and salmon belly.

The lamb roasted with horseradish and fried quail with rhubarb sauce were both very good without being outstanding. But as they say, everything in life is relative. And in this case the poor lamb and quail were competing with the formidable smoked sockeye salmon belly with dill creme fraiche.

And if this wasn't enough, three gorgeous desserts made their way to the table. Dinah's cheese plate, chocolate malt budino, and a blackberry-blueberry tart.

Dinah's cheese has never been my thing, unfortunately. However the pumpernickel bread served with the cheese had a raw sweet grubbiness to it that stayed with me. 

Budinos are always difficult since every chef seems to have her (his?) own interpretation of it. This one was light and fluffy yet rich to the core - the sort that I love from the core of my heart! I definitely want to see a dark chocolate version of it! The blaclberry-blueberry came chaperoned by some marscarpone gelato and shaved almonds and was a heady mix of warm, cold, sweet, and tart that is best described through the rapture of sensory nerves on the tongue. Order it. Always.

I couldn't end this post without a special mention of the fantastic service. Our waitress was a dream. Unfortunately her name escapes me now, but suffice to say, I left with a hug!

Now for the big question. Will I return to Mkt? I loved their food. A lot! And I will highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't been. And I will return to taste again whenever they change their menu (while desperately praying that the salmon belly, the ceviche, and the desserts have attained immortality on the menu).

Comfort, as I know it

The interpretation of 'comfort food' varies by person and before I immerse into an extollation of 'aloo, dim sheddo bhaat' (that most divine of all Bengali comfort foods) let me stop and talk about an unpretentious Seattle eatery and the comfort that it brings to my soul.

Seven Star Pepper was discovered by my husband some years ago while casually looking through yelp. We wanted spicy Chinese and this seemed like a place that would satisfy the immediate craving. We walked in that afternoon and haven't stopped  walking in ever since!

First off, I could not describe most things on the menu at Seven Star because I haven't tried them at all. Primarily because I keep eating the same things every time I visit - I love them so well! So here is my run down of what I eat at Seven Star

1. Noodles with pork in hot oil

My favorite Chinese food in the city. Enough said.

Well, maybe not. ☺️ Noodles swimming in spicy ground pork and bubbling red oil that find the right taste buds to tingle when consumed. There then, 'nuf said.

2. Chicken hot pot

A unique creation of bone-in chicken with chillies. While the overwhelming presence of chillies could rock a faint heart, I assure you that the chicken is utterly delectable (and actually, not that spicy). I have a curious use of this food. I usually always get this home and next day toss-fry this with some rice. It makes a phenomenal fried rice.

3. Cumin Lamb

The cumin lamb here is as good as any. Only there is more cumin and more lamb than in most places! Me ain't complaining!

4. Dry chicken with chillies

Chillies, chicken, yumminess. 

We have variously tried other things here. The bamboo shoot appetizer...not a fan. And some other things that I no longer remember. Service is strictly functional. No extra warmth, no rudeness, just Chinese efficiency at its best. Did you expect any less?

However, what's most important is that Seven star pepper never fails to put me in a happy place. And if you like spice, oil, Chinese, and some overdose of chilli, you will love seven star too!

 (Note: I ask for a higher scale of spice in everything; I am sure they can tone it down for others)