I have a weakness, I get weak in the knees for big, round, bouncy, luscious --- egg yolks. My last meal would be between a banh mi or a bowl of rice with a sunny side egg and maggi. I love to puncture the egg yolk and watch the gooey yellow yolk ooze onto my rice. I have an obsession with egg yolks.



Bay Water Sweets and Effingham Oyster

Walrus and Carpenter's beef tartare fulfilled my egg yolk fantasies. I've had beef tartare numerous times and seen the egg yolk staple on the dish. But like big, round, bouncy, and luscious "objects" some are more gorgeous than others. I went to Walrus and Carpenter to gorge on oysters but I left with eating the best beef tartare to date.

In September Bon Appetit named Walrus and Carpenter in the top 10 best new restaurants in America. I would say Walrus and Carpenter is one of my best meals in 2011 which also includes Alinea, The Girl and the Goat and Saison. The experience at W & C also made it memorable - the clean cool oceany scent I usually smell on a oyster farm, clings and clangs echoing, the oyster shucking "crack" accenting the noise ambience. In my mind, the whole place was a oyster/seafood/dinner Blue Man Group.


To beat the rush, we arrived 10 mins before the restaurant opened to score seats and happy hour. During happy hour all oysters are half off, to repeat, ALL oysters are half off. My favorite oyster of the pick was the Effingham (say that fast 5 times.)

Back to the beef tartare, the dish was so addicting we ordered a second one midway through dinner. The beef was firm and flavors were on point with tang, saltiness and herbs.

Every dish felt clean and simple yet every ingredient was highlighted. For example the sliced avocado size in the anchovy dish held up well with the meat and the sprinkle of shallots.

As the sky grew darker, the air got cooler and I slurped the last oyster I felt happy. I could only think about how Walrus Carpenter was one of the best meal I've had in a while. The candle in the lanterns were lit as we left to experience more of Seattle.