East & West Cafe fails to satisfy

STEVEN FASANO, FOR THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published September 21, 2001

There will very shortly be a glut on the restaurant market of East & West Cafe regulars. They will be looking for a fix of the blended Vietnamese and Thai cuisine that is served at the location on Tacoma Mall Boulevard in a hurry. But don't get too concerned, they are closed only through Oct. 1 for remodeling and expansion.

As my sassy dining companion remarked, the interior of the cafe looks like someone's small home, built too close to the freeway. And I concurred on both counts, which is why they have decided, after jamming people into the cramped and overheated interior for years, that they need considerably more room.

The East & West Cafe was brought to my attention by a close friend several years ago who was a fanatic for their pho, which is a North Vietnamese rice noodle soup with thin slices of beef, bean sprouts, basil leaves and fresh chili.

Wanting to be different, my date and I choose the banh xeo, which is a crepe of sorts, as our appetizer. It was supposed to contain an assortment of chicken slices, prawns, yellow mung beans, onion, bean sprouts and Chinese mushrooms. Ours, unfortunately, even though large in size, contained about 98 percent bean sprouts and the occasional minuscule morsel of prawn.

This evening I chose the pork loin stir-fry special, which was unusual in its citrus sweetness, combined with the sharp crack of peppercorns, mushrooms and onions, and laid over just softer than al dente rice. On this sweltering night inside the restaurant, this dish's lack of spicy heat was appreciated.

We also shared the mi xao kho, which is noodles and beef marinated in mushroom, soy sauce and garlic, then pan fried and topped with mixed vegetables. Although the marinating gave excellent flavor to the beef and noodles, the beef was still somewhat dry.

As the evening went on we did feel some pressure from the wait staff to be on our way. And we did notice that a lot of the tables around us filled and departed rapidly. Whether it was from the wait staff's rather unsubtle hints, or the abnormally high temperature and humidity in the restaurant, we will never know.

-ot to be put off, we ordered dessert. I had the Mexican chocolate ice cream and mango. It was served in little white lily blossom-shaped cups that, if they had been pre-chilled, would not have melted half of the ice cream before we could get to it. Both of the ice creams had excellent flavor, but their consistency lacked the soft and creamy mouth feel I associate with quality ice cream.

Finally, we gave in to the stares of the large party waiting to be seated and left to be greeted by a rather comfortable evening outside. I hope that when the remodeling is done and they have expanded, they won't be so abrupt in turning over tables and will address the absolute lack of ventilation. Otherwise I will go both East & West away from Tacoma to satisfy my Thai and Vietnamese food cravings.

Steven Fasano is an Olympia resident who works in the insurance industry. The reviewer makes every effort to remain anonymous. Meals are paid for by The Olympian.

East & West Cafe

Two forks: Average

- Location: 5319 Tacoma Mall Blvd., Tacoma. 253-475-7755.

- Food: Average. Although some of their dishes such at the pho and curries shine in their excellence and freshness, consistency is haphazard.

- Value: Very good. The main course average of $7.25 to $12 is well priced.

- Beverages: Fountain Pepsi products, lukewarm lemonade, rich Vietnamese coffee, a good selection of teas from hot jasmine to herbal.

- Service: Fair. Although our server started our evening quite well and was patient, her compatriot's unsubtle attempts to boot us out soured the evening.

- Atmosphere: Fair. Zero ventilation except for an open front door without a screen, and some poorly placed small fans did zilch to relieve us of the sweltering heat and humidity.

- Hours: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and 4-9 p.m. Monday to Saturday.

- Reservations: No. If they are turning tables as fast as when I was there, your wait will never be longer than 20-30 minutes.

- Credit cards: MasterCard and Visa.

- Smoking: No.

- For children: Nothing specifically for them, but with sweet and sour pork or chicken, fried rice or fried wontons, you should be able to find something for them.

REVIEW GUIDE

Five forks: Excellent

Four forks: Very good

Three forks: Good

Two forks: Average

One fork: Fair

The Olympian Copyright 2001

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