First Week Back in Seattle | Food Diary 🍴

Just got back to Seattle, and the first week was all about food hunting! 🤩 Tried three spots—some were amazing, some were just so-so. Let me share my thoughts one by one! 📍 LeTao I used to be obsessed with their cheese cookies—every time my dad went to Japan, I’d ask him to bring me some 🥰! Never expected there’s a LeTao in Bellevue, right across from Doulao Fang (Hot Pot Restaurant). Such a nice surprise! 🌰 Mont Blanc Soft Serve It’s a seasonal limited flavor! Their signature soft serve is topped with a circle of Mont Blanc-style chestnut puree. I swapped the original milk soft serve at the bottom for cheese flavor. It was super amazing at first bite, but got a bit greasy after eating too much 😅. Next time, I’ll definitely go for the milk and cheese swirl. Unlike the overly sweet ice cream in the US, this one has a natural milk aroma that blends perfectly with the fresh chestnut scent—balanced just right. Can’t wait to come back again! Price: $14 each 🔪 🍑 Pêche Blanche Earl Grey We bought this other seasonal limited cake for a friend’s birthday. The bottom layer is earl grey mousse, the middle layer is paired with sweet white peach mousse and Italian mascarpone cheese, and the top is covered with peach flesh and jelly. It also follows a refreshing, not-too-sweet style 🥰. But the size is quite small, so the cost-performance is not high. Also, we probably let it thaw for too long—it shouldn’t take that much time. Overall, it’s slightly inferior to Lady M. The price is around $50, can’t remember exactly. 📍 Happy Noodle and Boiling Seafood House 🌊 Shell Seafood Set It includes clams, green mussels, black mussels, corn, and potatoes. We tried the unique flavor recommended by the landlady—super flavorful salty and umami taste, not greasy at all even after eating a lot 🤤. The seafood is fresh and not fishy at all—total win! 🍜 Wan Zha Noodle (Spicy Noodle with Preserved Vegetables and Beans) The landlady said the preserved vegetables and beans (Wan Zha) are homemade. One bite took me back to the taste I had when traveling in Chongqing 🇨🇳—super authentic! 📍 Basil Viet Kitchen To be honest, I think this spot is just so-so. But it’s super close to UW’s West Campus dorms and District Market. Perfect for alumni who are too lazy to walk far but don’t want to eat at DM or LP (Local Points) 🧑🎓. 🍜 Pho with Round Eye Steak, Beef Meatballs, Well-done Brisket, Tendon & Tripe This pho has many beef cuts, but I think the meat quality is just average—not tender or flavorful enough. The soup base is also not very rich, just a single taste. It’s not as good as Niu Yi Zui (another pho spot) ❌. 🍚 Rice with Chicken and Shrimp The chicken is tasteless and a bit tough, but the shrimp is fried and quite good 🦐. Overall, just a mediocre meal for when you’re in a hurry. #SeattleFood #UW #UniversityOfWashington #SeattleFoodie #SeattleEats #FirstWeekBack #FoodDiary #LeTao #VietnameseFood #ChineseNoodle