A fabulous spot I had the pleasure of checking out recently was Monsoon East in Bellevue, WA. If you live in the greater Seattle area it is a place of fine dining that you MUST visit. I’ll make it easy for you and tell you what to order while you’re there…

Start with a french pearl martini cocktail it has st. germain (my favorite) elderflower liqueur, lillet blanc, sparkling french brut, basil seeds and yellow citrus.

The fresh oysters with their cilantro lime mignonett (wow full of flavor, besides everything is always better with lime)
Caramelized Idaho catfish clay pot with cracked pepper and green onions
Grilled painted hills ribeye with lemongrass, garlic, snap peas and avocado puree (the avocado puree is seriously amazing)

While you’re there be sure to say hello to Monsoon’s owner Eric Banh, you’ll get right away how passionate he is about what he does- it’s quite inspiring.

They’re on Twitter too and Facebook.