Tamarind Tree: vietnamese food in a parking lot

The west coast of the US is known for the quality and abundance of its Asian restaurants.

So is Seattle with its Chinatown, neighborhood between Beacon and Capitol Hill.

There you will find Tamarind Tree, renowned as one of the best Vietnamese restaurants in town.

If you uber to get there, do not be surprised if the car drops you in a parking lot... No one wants to steal your money!

On the contrary, hope that it is not a rainy day because it will probably take you a good 5 minute before finding the corner where the entrance of this restaurant sits.

The restaurant is not too pretentious but certainly way more appealing than the other diners in the area. The atmosphere is nice and the staff very kind.

Order without questioning yourself too much: spring rolls for a starter, Pho Special as main.

The spring rolls - opt for the pork and shrimps mix - are probably among the biggest I've ever seen in my munching career: do not hesitate to grab a salad leaf and hedonically dip the roll in the tamarind sauce with peanuts.

The Pho Special mixes beef, tripe and meatballs. While the first 2 types of meat contribute the best to the overall taste, the meatballs are quite anonymous and plain. The stock is still very intense and rich in flavors and even though you can enrich it with mint leaves and soy beans, you will probably miss a spicy note in the dish (that I minded a bit).

Do not hesitate to ask the staff!