In the Bowl, one of Capitols Hillâ??s best Thai restaurants and one of Seattleâ??s best restaurants in general is located in a district thatâ??s filled with some of my favorite places to eat or grab a drink, Olive Way. Iâ??ve been to this restaurant a half dozen times, each time expecting more and more from the food and the service. And each time I have been rewarded, this place never ceases to cool the burning desire for excellent Thai food in a city filled with Thai restaurants all purporting to have the best food around. This place truly has it. And the best part is In the Bowl is a vegetarian establishment.

I’m not a vegan or vegetarian, nor are any of the people who have been lucky enough to accompany me during my trips to In the Bowl, but I was honestly fooled the first couple of times by the flavor and texture of its meat alternatives. It’s really tough to fool a life-long omnivore into eating something that’s not really meat. I remember the first time I ordered the pineapple cashew stir fry, one of my personal favorites, consuming it and enjoying each bite more and more. At the end of the meal I commented to my friend who joined me for lunch that the beef I had ordered was the best, most well-cooked, most flavorful beef I had ever had at a Thai restaurant. She quickly informed me that I had been eating a beef substitute, to which h I was shocked, nay horrified; not at the fact that it wasn’t real beef, but at the fact that I, a person who often orders steak or pork dishes wherever I go, could have been so easily fooled. I immediately returned to the restaurant and demanded they tell me where I could purchase some of the beef alternative they had used in my dish for my own use at home.

My story aside, I invite anyone looking for an excellent Thai food experience to dine at In the Bowl. Also, anyone who thinks they have already found the best Thai food in the city of Seattle or even in the Puget Sound Region, I dare you to try In the Bowl and see where it rates on your list of best Thai restaurants. Iâ??m curious to know if anyone else out there has had a similar experience. The place looks fairly unassuming, so I bet that more than a few amateur Seattle restaurant critics have overlooked this restaurant in their search for the best.

Another great thing about this restaurant, and Iâ??ll admit itâ??s not something that will blow you away or will likely make or break your dining experience, is that almost every dish you order comes with dessert. Mind you itâ??s nothing fancy, but it really puts authentic flair into the entire meal when you end it with a traditional Thai dessert of red beans with milk. This restaurant is worth a visit, prices are very reasonable as two people can enjoy lunch together for around $20 plus a tip.