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Fork Dork: Intensity, Passion Fuel Monsoon East

Chef/owner Eric Banh of Monsoon East in Bellevue cooks with the intensity of its namesake winds.

Eric Banh, chef/owner of in Old Bellevue, speaks with the conviction of a preacher. It is that passion and commitment that has fueled Banh and his sister Sophie’s empire of five restaurants -- Monsoon East, Monsoon Capitol Hill, Baguette Box in Fremont, Baguette Box on Capitol Hill and his latest venture, Ba Bar, a Vietnamese street food, café and espresso bar on Capitol Hill.

Banh opened Monsoon East in December 2008 replacing Kelly Gaddis’ Porcella Urban Market at 10245 Main Street and bringing traditional southern Vietnamese cuisine to Old Bellevue.

As the neighborhood has evolved so has Banh and his cuisine.

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During a lazy summer afternoon at Monsoon East, he leans forward and over a table, slides his bifocals down his nose to make eye contact with his audience, pinches his thumb and index finger for emphasis and unleashes about the topic dejour or in Bahn’s case the topic of the moment. This time it’s demystifying the cooking temperature of pork, which many people routinely cook to well done after a trichinosis oubreak decades ago.

“It’s safe to cook pork medium rare with a little pink in the middle,” said Banh, furrowing his brow. “There’s so much stigma about cooking pork medium rare. Pork is so much cleaner today than it was in the 1970s and 1980s. It is cleaner than beef. You don’t have to grill it until it’s dry and tough. That’s what the general public needs to know.”

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He’s as intense and committed to sourcing the best ingredients as he is about educating consumers about cooking temperatures.

“You have to use the good stuff,” Banh said. In the case of his new pork dish it’s the neck of the fatty Mangalitsa pig sourced from Wooly Pigs in Auburn, Wash.

It’s cooked simply in a fish and caramel sauce with shallots and lemon grass for aromatics.

“It’s marbled. It’s not fat,” Banh explains. “I love it because it is one of the best pieces of meat you can eat.”

Banh opened Monsoon East after realizing that about 20 percent of his guests at the Capitol Hill location lived on the Eastside.

“Bellevue is starting to appreciate us,” Banh said. “We are thankful for that. People are starting to see what we do and they are starting to be receptive. We are here to stay.”

Born in Vietnam and raised in Canada, Banh has now made Seattle home. He doesn’t stray far from his Vietnamese roots in his cooking, however. The standard Vietnamese dishes that spurred success at his original Monsoon on Capitol Hill are still staples at the Bellevue location.

Catfish claypot with the crispy skin on and tender and moist flesh reaches the elusive umami hedonism. Drunken chicken, a veritable symphony of flavors and textures raises the standard of comfort food. An oyster bar with selections rotating daily distinguishes the Bellevue location to its Capitol Hill counterpart. Weekend brunch service is elevated with a dim sum menu and other specialties such as Wagyu beef pho and pork belly congee.

His wine list ranges from elegant Riesling and Pinot Noir to California cult cabernets such as Peter Michael and Harlan Estate. Washington wine selections from Mark Ryan Winery, Ross Andrew Winery and Matthews Estate dot the list and nod to Banh’s commitment to sourcing locally.

Monsoon offers daily dinner service, weekday lunch service, weekend brunch and daily happy hour.

If you go

Monsoon East

10245 Main Street

Bellevue, WA 98004

(425) 635-1112

Free parking is available behind the restaurant

Hours:

Weekdays, 11:30 am to 11 pm

Weekends, 10:30 am to 11 pm

Happy hour, Sunday-Thursday 3 pm to close, Friday-Saturdays 3 to 6 pm and 10 pm to close.

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