In the Bowl Bistro @ Seattle

Finally, I get to review my one of my favorite Thai restaurants in Seattle. In the Bowl has the widest variety of Thai food at prices not really reasonable, but proportionate to the portions. How often do you bump into a Thai restaurant that is all vegetarian? I feel relieved because I can order anything without asking the hundred usual questions like "Does that have fish sauce? Oyster sauce? It is all veg, right? I mean there is no sea food or no meat of any kind in it? How about shrimp paste?" Phew!!

This is a tiny hole in the wall, with the tables on one side,

and the kitchen on the other.

 Some things to expect when you go there:

1. There is just one cook (and a helper) and one waitress who run the show.  It  takes atleast 20 mins for the food to reach your table. When the restaurant is packed, it can take longer.
2. There are only 7-8 tables, but we usually go for lunch at noon and are seated right away.
3. The open kitchen is right next to where you sit, so it can get really hot in there. They do have a couple of fans, but it hardly serves the purpose.
4. You get to pick the type of noodle (Udon, mung bean, rice etc) and the type of rice (brown, white or wild rice medley). You also get to pick faux chicken, beef etc or tofu.
5. When you order an entree, for $3 more, you can get 3 or 4 pieces of any of their appetizers. Although, when we ordered the entree and an appetizer, the appetizer never came and we finally just cancelled the appetizer.
6. When you order fried rice or the stir-fry entrees, you get a complimentary dessert. But keep in mind that the dessert can be anything. We got a couple of pieces of Orange!!
7. Service can be a little lousy at times, but you hardly notice it once you start digging into the food.
8. The family believes in Hindu Gods and you will get to listen to a lot of Hindu religious music being played in the restaurant. It's kind of a different environment. Very peaceful and soothing.
9. The food is great and the variety is awesome! Definitely worth trying out their specials!

Here are few pictures of what we ate: Yellow Fried Rice -Stir fried rice with yellow curry paste, carrot, onion, snow pea, broccoli, pineapple then top with coconut milk. We asked for soy chicken and white rice. It was excellent!

and Garlic Mania Noodle - Stir fried homemade garlic and herbs sauce topped over steamed noodle with sesame oil, sesame seed and served with steamed mixed veggies. We asked for mung bean noodle. Absolutely delicious!

If you haven't been to this restaurant, I highly recommend checking it out. You will be stunned by the variety!