You know that hole-in-the-wall Thai spot called Ballet on East Pike? One of a dozen pho parlors and noodle houses on the Hill, right? But it's pretty special for several reasons.
First, it makes no pretense at being hip; second, it's been in the same family for three decades. The current boss, Dzung Nguyen, now 32, has worked there for half his life now, and has lost none of his enthusiasm for the hospitality business. Ten years ago, his parents retired and his siblings moved away, so he took over the restaurant, which had existed since 1987. It's the antithesis of fancy Asian places like Momiji or Monsoon or Nue: 16 unadorned tables, plastic holders for the utensils, paper napkins, a fish tank, an elephant sculpture. Surprisingly, a website.
Yes, you can have pho here; it's a Vietnamese restaurant, after all. But Capitol Hill is crawling with pho parlors. Yes, you can have a vermicelli bowl or phad Thai, but there are a dozen noodle shops of all stripes within crawling distance. What I recommend is something that just doesn't exist elsewhere: the satay.
Rice noodles, check. Slivered cucumber, check. Crushed peanuts and bean sprouts, check. The combo ($9.95) adds a generous helping of prawns, chicken and beef. It's the coconut milk soup, fragrant, spicy with lemongrass and colored bright pink that's unique at Ballet. If you finish the bowl, you won't need to eat for at least a day.
And now comes word that Nguyen has sold the business to Freddy Rivas, who has a popular spot called Rancho Bravo (1001 E. Pine St.); his plan is to call it Buddha's Kitchen, and no craft cocktails, thank you very much. The building itself is owned by Ron Amundson, the enlightened developer whose projects aim to preserve the Hill's historic atmosphere. Only trouble is, a health code violation that has, for now, shut the place down.
Ballet, 914 E. Pike, 206-328-7983
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