5 Best Bites Under $10

September 29, 9:58 PMSeattle Food ExaminerTraca Savadogo

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This city is packed with damn fine grub under $10.  Narrowing down the list was tough....but here's my criteria for the Top 5 Bites under $10:


Have I driven more than 5 miles out of my way for this dish?

When I'm showing out of towners Seattle's best bites, do we end up here?

And finally, do all-consuming cravings make me: 

• fake a doctor's appointment
• completely re-arrange diner plans
• perform heroic gestures and/or erratic driving
• all the above
  

Looking at my list, I can attest: Yes, Yes, and Yes (all the above.)


Now...on with the picks:




1. Lotus Root Salad (Green Leaf, International District)
Downtown traffic jam on I-5?  No problem.  For me, that's a sign from manna and it's just one more excuse to visit the ever charming Peter and Jennifer at Green Leaf.  This bustling Vietnamese spot on 8th & Jackson is the place I take visiting cookbook authors, chefs, and anyone else I can think of.  One look at me and the staff has a lotus root salad in the works—long before we even grab a seat!  This spicy-sweet salad is refreshing and packed with flavor and I order it every single time. Psst.  I’ve got to say…just over the $10 mark is a new dish on the menu—a pan-fried ot perfection Lemongrass Sea Bass.  Mouthwatering, that's all I can say.  Pair it with a lotus root salad and you've got the best dining deal under $20, bar none!

2. Bahn Mi (Seattle Deli, 12th & Jackson)
At the top of Jackson Street is a neighborhood affectionately known as "Little Saigon."  Within a 2 block radius, there are more Vietnamese take out shops than you can shake a stick at.  To use a phrase often heard in Thailand, they're all "Same same, but different." You can't go wrong wherever you go.  My car makes a bee-line for Seattle Deli and I’m smitten for Bahn Mi.  These Vietnamese sandwiches are 6" baguettes filled with meat or tofu, topped with lightly pickled carrots, daikon and jalapenos, with a special sauce and a tangle of cilantro.  It's not uncommon for me to grab three or four sandwiches per visit--one for now, the rest for breakfast, lunch and dinner!  I'm a big fan of the grilled pork or the marinated tofu.  No combination is over $3.

3. Green Beans with Special Sauce (Thaiger Room, U-District)
This unassuming spot is a blink-and-you'll miss it kind of place that's well worth seeking out.  A favorite hot spot with the UW crowd, I first happened on Thaiger Room by pure luck.  Grab a seat at the counter and watch the cooks work their magic.  The cooks with their massive forearms, shimmy flaming woks in rapid-fire motion...It would be worth it for the entertainment value alone, but the food is sublime. (No ketchup-based Phad Thai here.) My favorite is a sweet-spicy dish known as "Green Beans with Special Sauce."  I'm not exactly sure what's in the sauce, but I've been known to drive well out of my way for an order. 

4. Grilled Shrimp Sandwich (Paseo, Fremont)
Savvy travelers know...where there's a line, the food must be good.  Patience rewards those who are willing to wait at this unassuming joint on the cusp of Fremont.  Ask 10 people who know about Paseo and they'll wax poetically about the Cuban Pork, but I'm here to tell you...the shrimp sandwich is sublime!  Bring a friend...order one of each...and ask the boys to cut it for you.  Be forewarned: this is not the place to dine in.  Cramped quarters and a hungry line of diners waiting for their order makes one feel like you need a spear gun to ward off approaching sharks.  Better yet, grab a giant stack of napkins and head for a nearby park --the Rose Garden at the Zoo or Gas Works Park are my two favorite spots.

5. Chicken & Spinach Curry (Café Zum Zum, Downtown)
Again, follow the line.  This bustling 3rd Avenue lunch spot was on my weekly rotation when I worked in the financial district.  Short and sweet, an illuminated neon sign says it all, "Indian, Pakistan."  What more do you need to know?  Zum Zum is owned by a man who resembles the Seinfeld soup Nazi.  He stakes his entire business on quick, flavorful lunches and keeps the line moving.  Choose from an array of house-made curry--lamb, chicken, or veg, served with a hearty scoop of basmati rice, served along with a disc of warm naan bread. This is a full meal that usually stretched into two lunches for less than $7. Ask nicely and our curry Nazi will accommodate half and half orders…but what keeps me coming back is the chicken & spinach curry.  Just enough spice to turn up the heat with meltingly tender chicken and a heady aroma that belies a long, slow simmer....this is comfort food that makes me swoon!

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Honorable Mention

Maple Waffles with Braised Pork Belly (Skillet, mobile locations)
At this point, Skillet has backed off serving breakfast...but when breakfast is back on the rotation, I'll be heading into the office late that day.  What can I say?  Fat, crispy waffles with pork belly that has been braised low and slow...topped with a perfectly fried egg.  It's no coincidence Skillet was my very first post here on Examiner.