Silver Reef Casino Buffet is nearby Bellingham for those Vancouverites who do day trips to the US. However it is impossible to go without a car.

It is open 5-10pm for dinner and we went during a seafood dinner night which costs $27.95 per adult. If you're 21 or over, you can register at the casino counter for a $5 voucher to any food facility and you don't even have to gamble.

This isn't a buffet where you have to walk around a lot to see all of the food offered. All the food is along one side of the wall and there aren't as many choices as bigger buffets but it's decent. The seafood section had three types of crab legs including snow crab and Alaska king crab. There were baked oysters and shrimp.

Another station had meat and fried food and another with a salad bar. My favourite station was the pasta one where you could choose the pasta, sauce and ingredients of your choice. Then the chef will make it fresh for you at the station. I thoroughly enjoyed my pesto alfredo fettucine with shrimp and mushroom.

Lastly there's a dessert station with pies, cupcakes, cake pops, tarts, cake and ice cream. The desserts weren't that special and most were too sweet for my taste. I liked the vanilla ice cream but it was store bought.

Overall if you're going on the seafood night then indulge on the crab legs offered!

After eating Din Tai Fung for the first time in Taiwan this summer at the Taipei 101, I was eager to try the one closer to home in Bellevue. Din Tai Fung started in Taiwan and many friends asked me if it was comparable to which I will have to reply no but that does not mean our meal was not delicious. You just have to try the ones in Taiwan to understand why they're so famous. The service of the Taipei 101 one was top notch because they even kindly mix the sauces for you.

It was a weekday evening but the place was completely full. We waited around 15 minutes until we were seated, during which I observed the chefs making the dumplings. They all fit into a cramped small room but the Taipei 101 location had a large open style kitchen (with windows) where each chef had much more room to make his or her food.

Chefs busy making dumplings

Xiao Long Bao: These steamed dumplings is a must have at Din Tai Fung. These came warm instead of hot but still tasted good. The skin was very thin and the pork was juicy with the soup spilling out.

Xiao Long Bao

Dan Dan noodles: This noodle was comparable to the one I had at the Taipei 101. The noodles sit in a thick peanut sauce and is addicting to eat because it is aromatic scent-wise and taste-wise. The use of sesame oil is probably what makes this bowl of noodles so good. There is only a slight spiciness to it.

Dan Dan noodles

Rice cakes with pork: This was least impressive dish. The rice cakes were stuck together or overcooked. They were over-boiled so there were little craters on the supposedly smooth rice cake surface. The dish was overly oily and only tasted like soy sauce. I wouldn't recommend this.

Rice cake with pork

Overall, the service was friendly but be prepared to wait if you're eating here during peak meal times. Most of the food offered at this out-of-Taiwan Din Tai Fung location was still good but does not deserve the best status of the Taiwan locations that won this restaurant its famous name.

Din Tai Fung (Bellevue)

Eagles Buffet is located inside the Tulalip Casino but minors are allowed at the buffet. We went for lunch (USD$12.95 each, click here for price list) and there were many tables seated already but it was not overly crowded in the buffet area.

The price includes one beverage, food, and coffee or tea at the end of your meal. There was a decent assortment of food with an Asian section including Mongolian type grill and more American cuisine like pizza, pasta, and grilled meat. Although assorted, the salad bar was slightly disappointing since the greens did not seem fresh with an aging cast so I avoided the raw vegetables.

On the other hand, the dessert section in the middle of the buffet area is large compared to other buffets. There were cakes, cookies, cupcakes, and more than six types of gelato to choose from. The best part was the option to get your gelato in a waffle bowl!

Dessert: red velvet cupcake, blueberry cheesecake, espresso and chocolate gelato

Savoury: Pasta, scallop potatoes, salmon, pizza, baked chicken

Overall, the price is good for the food provided and service was prompt to collect dirty dishes. Half of the buffet price probably will be eaten in the dessert section, so if you have a sweet tooth you will like Eagles Buffet!

Eagles Buffet

On the same day that we went to Le Panier, we also visited another famous bakery at Pike Place called Piroshky Piroshky. It is a Russian bakery and I've never tried that before.

On the way to the bakery, I saw this impressive street performer who was balancing a guitar on his chin while swinging two hula hoops around his waist!

I chose the Smoked Salmon Pate which reminded me of buns from an Asian bakery. The bun was soft bread filled with a creamy smoked salmon filling. The filling was well blended and you do not feel the texture of salmon flakes, only creamy salmon mixed with cream cheese, dill and onion.

Smoked Salmon Pate

Evening though it was pouring rain that afternoon, there were still lots of people at Seattle's Pike Place. When I learned that there was macarons sold at Le Panier in Pike Place, of course I had to go try for myself!

There was a bit of a line up when we arrived but service was quick and we got our goodies in no time.

Le Panier box

Macaron flavours: Hazelnut, Coffee, Pistachio and Raspberry

The macarons had a crispy shell and chewy inside, much like the Thierry ones. They weren't too sweet and the flavours were pretty prominent. I liked the hazelnut one the best because it reminded me of Nutella.

Raspberry, Hazelnut, Pistachio, Coffee macarons

Overall, this was a cozy French bakery to avoid the rain with its self-dispensed water tap and little tables for customers.

Le Panier interior