Seattle, Part 1: Lunch in the International District

July 4th weekend, Chef K and I flew out to Seattle for a friend's wedding. Happily, I got to see another Seattle-based friend -- my college roommate, Angelica! Since I'd only been to the city once before, Angelica graciously showed me some of the sights around town en route to a delicious pho lunch in the International District (aka Chinatown). The restaurant we went to, Green Leaf (I think), had these ridiculous throne-like chairs with armrests in the shape of captain's wheels. Totally awesome and bizarre!

Afterward, we meandered slowly back to Angelica's office via Uwajimaya, a big Japanese grocery store here, and the attached Kinokuniya bookstore. Not even in San Diego have I ever seen an Asian supermarket so clean, so big and so neatly organized, with such over-the-top theme decor! Scratch that -- any supermarket. Every aisle seemed to hold a new treasure trove of amazing Asian foodstuffs, and the produce and sake selections were superb (Angelica's dad is quite a fan of the latter, I hear).

Here is an overall shot of the store. See the paper lanterns and fake wisteria vines?? And you can just make out the gigantic paper dragon sprawling over about 10 aisles in the background.

Plus I just have to include this pic of geoducks in the seafood section (eww!):