TasteCasting #01: Chao Bistro (1200 Pike St - Seattle, WA 98122)

Finally, that day has come for our first TasteCasting here in Seattle. Led by our Team Leader, Diana, our first complimentary food tasting was at Chao Bistro on Capitol Hill.

Hosted by Paula Miyashiro and Tony Kang, we were in for a treat. I remember seeing the tasting menu with 17 items thinking we would only choose a couple of dishes from breakfast, lunch, and dinner — but little did I know we were tasting all 17! As we waited patiently for the first dish, Daryn, Michelle, Theresa, Leslie and the other TasteCasters all looked at eachother and knew we had a feast on our hands.

Food Tasting Highlights:

• Island Style Fried Rice: A simple breakfast staple in my household. You can never go wrong with spam fried rice and a fried egg. Now, you add a touch of sesame oil — definitely takes it to another level.
  
  
• Chicken Fried Steak with Bacon/Sausage Gravy: This dish was ridiculously huge. This was probably the thickest chicken fried steak I’ve seen, and it was sitting on top of a bed of fried hash browns. Pure comfort food. :)
  
  
• Wok Seared Edamame: A twist on the edamame. You add some oyster sauce, cerano peppers, and some garlic — that plain salted edamame because something you can nibble on all day. My favorite treat of the night.
  
  
• Whole Fried Chicken: Juicy and succulent are definitely cliche words to describe fried chicken, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Paired with pickled daikon, sweet chili sauce and a side of salt & pepper — you can have it your way.
  
  
• Flamin’ Dave: This kicked my ass. Fresh jalapeno in the middle, and a sliver of habanero on top — I totally forgot what else was in this sushi roll, but it was delicious. I probably couldn’t eat a whole roll, but a perfect shareable dish.

With shots of sake here and there, the dishes didn’t seem to end — they just kept on rolling from the kitchen. After the seemingly endless tasting was offer, I rolled my stuffed belly home with fried rice leftovers in hand already excited for the next TasteCasting.

(photos via DianasaurDishes and Joseph Sunga)