Out to Lunch -- Again

I go weeks without meeting friends for lunch, then have two in a row!

Today's was courtesy of a restaurant gift certificate I won in a local nonprofit organization's online auction nearly a year ago. Soy House, a Vietnamese restaurant that opened a couple of years ago, is in the north part of Bellingham. P and I rarely are in that part of town, but I have a friend in that area whom I hadn't seen for a while, so I invited her. Jesse is an artist and writer, and one of the most interesting people I know. (P blipped her in July).

We had a feast, beginning with these gorgeous spring rolls, wrapped in rice paper and stuffed with thinly-sliced pork, shrimp, lettuce, carrots, and bean sprouts, and served with a delicate peanut sauce. They tasted just as good as they looked!

Small bowls of chicken asparagus soup (broth-based, not creamy) followed, and then we tucked into our entrees. I had "Curry and Rice" -- chicken and seasonal vegetables in a rich green curry sauce, spicy enough to be warming but not too hot, served on rice. Jesse had the "Soy House Rice Platter," which included grilled shrimp meat pounded into a paste and wrapped on sugar cane, slices of grilled pork, and a sunny-side-up organic egg, all served over steamed rice, and accompanied by a salad of lettuce, bean sprouts, carrots, and cucumber.

Our slow eating pace enabled us to fit dessert in, too -- mine was coffee ice cream with crushed roasted peanuts and sesame seeds on top (delicious -- try it!), and Jesse's was baked banana slices served with warm coconut tapioca sauce, also topped with crushed roasted peanuts and sesame seeds.

Everyone at Soy House, from serving staff to chef, was warmly welcoming and helpful. We left feeling contentedly full and looking forward to another visit soon.

(I will try to blip something other than food tomorrow...)