I have several foodie friends, including a chef and owner of a restaurant, whose passion is in eating and cooking. There was a point in time when I could not understand why they would spend so much time talking about food. But after several years, I have come to share in their interest. I don’t cook much (although I am known to make a decent red wine reduction sauce) but I do like to dine out. So while I sort out what I exactly want to write about in this blog, I’ll review a few restaurants in the Northwest.

Actually, there are quite a few places to write about: Tilth, La Spiga, Ray’s Boathouse, Brasa, ROTI, Flo, and Dhalia Lounge are just a handful that immediately come to mind. But I do not wish to write outdated reviews stitched together from distant memories. Instead, I will write about restaurants as I eat out. This brings us to the first restaurant, Chantanee.

Chantanee is an upscale Thai restaurant in downtown Bellevue. It is located on the first floor of the Key Center (108th and 6th). On weekends or on weekdays after 5pm you can park at the Key Center parking lot and get your ticket validated. However, if you decide to come in for lunch on weekdays I suggest that you park in the Barnes & Noble lot on 110th. The nice folks at Barnes & Noble will give you parking validation for two hours, no questions asked. If you need more time, you can get an additional hour at Starbucks in exchange for a latte.

Back to the restaurant: it is an upscale Thai restaurant with an excellent, modern interior. The staff is very friendly and attentive. I have been to Chantanee twice (all within a week!) and in both visits found the place busy. Not to worry though; there are plenty of seats. I was always greeted and seated immediately upon my arrival. There were times when I felt they’re a little too attentive, however. Being asked whether the food is to my liking gets a little annoying after the second time.

The food definitely matches the interior and service. Every plate is clean and presented well. I don’t remember the last time I was served Thai food and really took my time studying and enjoying the plate before eating. And of course, the taste does not fall short of presentation.

If you enjoy eating meat, I would recommend their wok fried dishes. I tried their crispy garlic chicken which is essentially boneless chicken married with out-of-the-world garlic sauce. The dish only comes in family size ($14), which is basically dinner portion for a hungry adult. I also tried their Tom Kha soup, which is served on a porcelein pot and burner to keep it warm. Sharing a wok fried dish and a soup between two works well.

If you happen to go to Chantanee at lunch time, I would also recommend that you try their combo menu. You get Phad Thai, two crispy wantons, and rice along with your choice of several dishes. It’s a nice sampling of what they have to offer for $10.

On a side note, I did not know about Chantanee until about a week ago. This is because whenever I crave for Thai food around Bellevue, I always go to King & I without second thought. Their food is excellent, but my primary reason for going is because of the Passport Card discounts that I get. You can’t beat buy-one-get-one-free offers. But I do think Chantanee’s pricing is pretty competitive especially given the quality of food and service that you get. I highly recommend that everybody try it out.