While boarding a plane may not appeal, you can take your taste buds on a trip. Culinary adventures are on the menu of Mountlake Terrace’s newest restaurant, Baguus Little Asia. 

Now open at 23511 56th Ave. W. in the Atlas 236 development, the establishment offers tastes from Malaysia, China, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Korea and more. The Asian-inspired menu lists noodles thin and fat, pot stickers, vegetable, poultry and seafood dishes, flatbreads and pandan-style rice.

An extensive menu means I’ll make another visit to try more dishes. Here are my first impressions:

Spicy Lime Tofu: This chilled appetizer presents a solid block of tofu — an island floating in amazing sauce. Chopsticks were useful, but I would like to be able to better slice the tofu, get more of that sauce on every bite — it’s that good.

Singapore Spicy Lime Chicken: The spicy lime sauce on the chicken has a whole different flavor profile than the one above. Chicken pieces are cooked and then boned. They tasted so fresh, like homemade — a switch from the usual “cubes” that are often presented in a dish.

Regarding the interesting taste profiles of spicy lime in both hot and cold offerings: Cold tofu brought out the citrusy lime and a hit of ginger in the marinade.   On the hot chicken dish, garlic, chili and sesame oil dominated on the tongue and taste buds.

Chicken Nanban: Crispy chicken pieces are decorated with squiggles of spicy kimchi mayo, teamed with pickled cucumber and cabbage slaw, and served with pandan rice.

Dragon Fire Noodles: Cilantro and lots of greens topped the tender strands of egg noodle, seasoned with a sweet chili and peanut sauce — the best of all worlds on a plate.

Yakiudon: My fat noodle fix! Tooth-tender, thick wheat noodles, combined with shredded carrots, cabbage and other veggies. Accent color was provided by pickled red ginger and texture from sesame seeds.

Asian Shrimp Tostadas: These incorporate smaller-sized shrimp and are served up with individual rounds of corn tortilla chips. It’s an easy dish to share and to eat. Scoop a few shrimp and lots of the veggies and sauce, and into the mouth it goes.

Roasted Edamame: Offered as the description states — grilled/roasted in the preparation, a nice change from steamed and salted varieties on most menus.

Service on this opening day was superb. The restaurant was fairly busy when we arrived in early evening, and we were well taken care of, both on instructions for the beverage dispensory and execution of food arriving to the table.

Yours truly is a bit old school and I still like the opportunity to refer back to the menu, preferably in print, while I am reviewing the food as I eat. While many family members and friends have no trouble with QR codes, online menus and all, I felt a tiny bit challenged to toggle back and forth as I assessed mouthfuls of various dishes, and took notes. I hope in the future to see an actual menu in print.

Drinks:

There’s a special card, issued by your server. When you stroll up to the expansion of tappers, just tap the spot above your choice to activate the flow of beverage to that particular spigot.

This is a lot of fun, especially if you want to sample many of the different offerings. There are several glass sizes, allowing you to take small portions, if desired.  I love the fact that a glass washer is available so you’re not running up a pile of dirty glassware. Simply keep using your same glass over and over.

Hubby tried out two local IPAs from 10 Barrel Brewing — and rated both in high regard:

Lagunitas Hazy Wonder (CA) had both citrus and a pine aroma on the nose.

10 Barrel Profuse Juice (OR) won Gold at North American Beer Awards in 2019… no more praise needed, right?

My choices:

Crucible “Pink Drink” Raspberry Sour (WA): Refreshing and a great drink to pair the spicy/ citrusy and vegetable tastes of the various dishes.

Backwoods Pecan Pie Porter (WA): Yes, it does taste like the caramel-pecan dessert item we adore each November. Very clean finish, plus a great taste that paired well with my dessert.

Sweets:

A glass sundae dish was filled with scoops of colorful homemade Ube ice cream made from purple sweet potato, joined by Thai tea ice cream, along with lychee fruit, sweet red bean paste and coconut jelly — a multisensory delight. A nice sweet finish for the meal.

Points to be aware before you arrive to dine.

• There is a QR cashless payment system is in place so bring your credit card, as no cash is accepted.
• While not a requirement in Snohomish County, Baguus will be requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative PCR test within 72 hours to dine inside the location.

Visit both baguus.com and www.instagram.com/baguuslittleasia to keep current on new additions to the menu.

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Eltana Bagels have a regular delivery schedule and the occasional pop-up events in the area. The next delivery is scheduled for Dec. 2 at the Red Barn in downtown Edmonds:

 

Our family is among those who enjoy Eltana’s toasty ring-shaped rolls, from the plain style to the “covered with everything but the kitchen sink” in the way of seeds and seasoning.

I encourage readers to explore the list of items and try their delicious Shashuka soup. This savory soup base comes in tubs that can be stored in the fridge and utilized on a day when you just don’t feel like cooking from scratch.

The rich tomato broth is generously spiced and full of chunks of tomato, onion, bell pepper, and some jalapeños thrown in for added kick.

Traditionally, this savory saucy soup can support poached eggs, feta cheese or top it with a generous dollop of yogurt. Add a toasted savory bagel or slices of crusty bread for a great meal — breakfast, lunch or a light dinner. Our household loves to embellish on a ready-made substances from other sources… creations in our kitchen include Shashuka as a base for Manhattan-style clam chowder, and other spicy savory soups. Equally delicious — spoon over some steamed rice, with or without additional proteins such as poached fish, chicken or other items.

At the last Eltana Bagels pop-up I scored not only a dozen fresh bagels, but also cookies!

You just never know what treats they may have on hand at the next event. Sign up on the website to get your email notices so you won’t miss out.

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More events close by

Every Sunday, from noon to 4 p.m. through Dec. 19, Local 104 restaurant and bar in nearby Lake Forest Park will offer a special event: Local 104 Holiday Market, highlighting local artisans and purveyors along Highway 104.

The Local 104 is known for its neo-Neapolitan wood-fire pizza. The pizza takes 10 days to make because of a special cold-fermentation process that uses beer rather than water, which helps to make a signature crust and pizza.

As much as we love the convenience of “take-home” pizza, these are so amazing, To do proper justice to the products, I recommend you taste ‘em right out of the oven.

Among the pies they offer:

 

Yes, it is a pizza place, but they have lots of Sunday surprises called “Come and Get It.” Last week’s offering was oysters. That’s important to note since the holiday market occurs on Sundays.

Another compelling reason to dine at their location is dessert:

The Local 104 offer some decent specials for when you just want to stay home and enjoy. This includes the pizza and wine take-out special — for under $50, it’s worth hopping in the car. Choose between Margherita or Max pizza, and it comes with a side salad, seasonal ice cream, and a nice bottle of house wine — rose, white or red.

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The holidays are coming on rapidly. Shopping in person has opened up a bit, but the safest bet IMHO is a gift card from one of our local businesses. You can’t go wrong: One size fits all, and  you can bet that none of the recipients will “re-gift” your present next year.

— By Kathy Passage

A specialty gourmet food broker for over 30 years, Kathy Passage has in-depth knowledge on food and the special qualities of ingredients used in the exquisite products she helped bring to market. Kathy brings this unique perspective from the “other side of the plate” to writing about the food and restaurant scene in Edmonds, Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace.