Good morning, Jennifer —
You walked in from the Lake Washington waterfront on a Saturday morning and ordered the Phở Tái Lăn Wagyu. Not the obvious first-timer order. That's the Hanoi dish — Mishima Reserve Wagyu, sautéed fast in a wok with garlic and scallion, then draped over fresh pho noodles. The broth carries the bones of the North. You knew something others take a few visits to discover.
Before the pho, there were grilled oysters from Taylor's Shellfish — two of them, with garlic crisp and a citrus fish sauce that did something unexpected to the brininess. Then the Gỏi Cóc Cá Cơm: June plum sliced thin, crispy Phu Quoc anchovies, herbs, house vinaigrette. A salad that tastes like a memory you didn't know you had.
What you had
Hàu Nướng
Grilled Oysters — garlic crisp, citrus fish sauce
Gỏi Cóc Cá Cơm
Anchovies June Plum Salad
Phở Tái Lăn Wagyu
Northern Sautéed Wagyu Pho — Mishima Reserve
Three prompts — if you want to remember this
The oyster arrives still cold from Taylor's Shellfish, and the citrus fish sauce doesn't overpower — it translates. It turns brine into something Vietnamese. Describe that first bite to someone who has never tasted both things at once.
You chose the Wagyu Pho on your first visit. Most people take two or three visits to trust the Northern preparations. What made you order it?
The restaurant sits on the water at Lake Washington, and the Saturday morning light comes through the windows differently than it does at dinner. How did the setting change the way the food tasted?
Heritage · Anchovies & Salt
Anchovies & Salt was built on a belief that Vietnamese food deserves the same respect as any fine cuisine. Every recipe carries a geography: the crab rolls are Northern, from Hanoi; the bánh bèo are from Hội An; the sour soup travels from the Mekong Delta. Quyen Phan opened this restaurant to recreate the most memorable flavors of Vietnam using the finest local Pacific Northwest ingredients — because the best hospitality honors where you come from and where you are.
The next visit, the Cá Kho Tộ is waiting. Northwest Black Cod in a claypot, black pepper and fish sauce, slow as the tide.
Reserve Your Table
