Disappointment at the Night Market

Frankly I should not be surprised at my own disappointment in last Saturday's International District(China Town) Night Market. For those who don't know Seattle is notorious for having the nation's strictest food laws. Since the 1970s the city of Seattle has passed countless food laws in order to protect the public's health. All it really has done has made it practically impossible to have any street food. Come to Seattle and our street food is almost nil. With the exception of a handful of hot dog vendors scattered through the city and very specific times of day that is pretty much it.

With all the permits, fees, specifications and other things that vendors have to get from the city to even participate in special events like the Night Market it is no wonder that there were only four food vendors among the 30 or 40 stalls in the one block long night market. Of the food vendors there one of them was Tamarind Tree http://www.tamarindtreerestaurant.com/. One of Seattle's best Vietnamese restaurants. I have yet to visit the restaurant itself because it is a bit hard to find but there offerings were the best of the evening. They offered various kinds of rolls, drinks, and fish or shrimp mousse balls. My friend chose the fish mousse balls and I chose the barbecued pork meat ball roll and the sweet salty lime drink. The fish mousse balls where every chewy probably from sitting in their warmer too long but the dip was nice refreshing vinegar oil sauce. My drink was hmm. Interesting. It kind of tasted like sweet ocean water or like some kind of Asian pickle juice. Not for me. But the rolls!!!!

Ohh the rolls were sooo good. They were made fresh to order and for that reason were prefect in every way. They had all the textures and flavors one could ask for all rolled in one. There was the soft chewiness of the rice paper. Then the firm but giving texture of the rice noodles, the fresh crisp red leaf lettuce. Finally there is the year of the roll. The perfectly grilled pork meat ball with hints of ginger and fresh cilantro. When you think it is over then there is the surprising and oh so pleasing crunch of something crispy inside. I am not sure what it was exactly, It could have been fried wonton strips or yuba. I will have to go to the Tamarind Tree for further investigation.

The other offerings where sad in comparison. Jade Garden, one of Seattle's best dim sum restaurants had a stall but they didn't offer any dim sum. Instead they offered chow main and egg rolls. When I think of their luscious turnip cakes with bacon or their heavenly bbq pork buns and other wonderful treats they offer in their restaurant I couldn't even give their stall a second glance it was so pathetic. I don't blame them though. I am sure the street side dim sum is yet another big no-no in the Seattle street food regulations.

The remaining food offerings consisted of a Japanese snow cone stand. A youth group selling fresh coconut drinks, a roasted corn vendor and some restaurant I didn't know selling average looking chicken wings. I saw people with some roti looking thing but I could never find that stall. I suspect they may have gotten it from a neighboring restaurant.

Maybe for some cities this might be considered a good turn out. What truly makes it disappoint is that the International District is so diverse. It is a mixture of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese etc. Some of Seattle's best restaurants are in the International District. I really expected to see at least a takoyaki stand, or some dim sum, yakisoba, soup dumplings, things on sticks, ramen, a chestnut man, grilled meats. You know more! Something more representative of our ID, our culture and our people what it means to be from Seattle. Sadly Seattle laws have slowly strangled any hope of true organic Seattle food culture.

There is hope though!

While waiting for my Tamarind rolls a man handed me a flyer advertising a permanent, indoor, seven days a week night market coming soon the ID. Complete with 40 food vendors and 20 retails spaces. This could be an interesting fix to Seattle's stupid laws or it could soon become another indoor strip mall. Out of the way and soon forgotten within five years the property itself will be on the market waiting for a buyer who will redevelop it.

If I sound like a pessimist it is because I am. I know Seattle. Seattle sadly has a way despite our public image, of crushing anything remotely good that might come our way culturally. It extends past street food and into other avenues such as our bars and music scene or our parks and recreational areas. Still for the Emerald Night Market. I hope for the best. I really do. I am tired of not having a place to eat late at night.