Picture a brand new restaurant that has only been open for two months, a table full of unfamiliar dishes, and a bowl of noodles topped with four different kinds of pork. That is the scene in a food tour video from Mina Oh, filmed in Seattle at a Thai restaurant called Gao.
The restaurant, which is also written as Gao Lhao, sits in Seattle’s Green Lake area. At the time of filming, the vlogger says, it had just opened its doors two months earlier. The video is the second part of a Seattle Thai food tour, and it is packed with dishes worth hearing about.
Here is the whole video, and then we will walk through what was on the table.
A Restaurant Born From Yaowarat
The vlogger explains that the restaurant “is born from the soul of Yaowarat,” home to Bangkok’s vibrant Thai-Chinese food scene and one of the biggest Chinatowns in Southeast Asia. That gives the menu a clear point of view, and the dishes in the video reflect it.
On the table were fish sauce wings, and chicken folded into pandan leaf triangles with sesame seeds. There was a chrysanthemum mushroom and Thai tea dish, which the vlogger describes as mild and sweet with goji berries. There was also what the vlogger calls “the iconic Yaowarat curry,” served with a cucumber salad and buns.
The Boat Noodles Steal the Show
The dish at the center of the video is the boat noodles. “This bowl of kuay jap/boat noodles comes with four shades of pork,” the vlogger says: sliced pork, braised pork, pork ball and pork crackling. If four kinds of pork are not enough, you can add a fifth element, the pork rings.
The reaction was strong. After the milder dishes, the vlogger says, “the boat noodles were wow, very flavorful, sweet and citrusy.” That order matters. The meal started gently and built up to the boldest bowl, which is a smart way to enjoy a menu with a mix of mild and punchy dishes.
Sweet Endings and a Busy Room
Dessert was a three-dish affair. One of them was red bean with ginger tea poured on top, with gold flakes floating around in the liquid, which sounds as pretty as it is unusual.
The vlogger also shares a few practical details about the restaurant itself. There is a happy hour from 3 to 6 and again from 9 to midnight. The plates are branded and the seating includes comfy love seats. And the room was filling up fast: “they’ve been open for 30 minutes and like 50 percent of the front area is full already.”
How To Try a Brand New Restaurant
New places can be exciting and a little risky. Here are a few ideas for getting the most out of one.
- Go with friends and order several dishes to share. You will taste more of the menu that way.
- Start with the milder dishes and move to the bolder ones, the way the vlogger did.
- Ask the server what the kitchen is proudest of. A signature dish, like the boat noodles here, is often a good place to begin.
- Look for a happy hour. Lower prices make it easier to take a chance on something unfamiliar.
- Check the opening hours and any happy hour times before you go, since they can change.
Making the Most of a Food Tour
Part of the fun of a food tour video is seeing how a meal is built, and there is a lesson in it for your own outings. The dishes on this table ranged from mild to bold, from savory to sweet, and from small bites to a full bowl of noodles. That variety is what turns a meal into an experience. If you are ever lucky enough to visit a new place with friends, try to order the same way: a few light things, one or two rich things, something fresh and something sweet to finish.
It also helps to be curious about the story behind a menu. This restaurant draws on one famous neighborhood in Bangkok, and knowing that gives you a way into the dishes. Ask your server where a dish comes from or how it is traditionally eaten. People who work in restaurants are usually happy to share what they love about the food.
Finally, bring an open mind and a good appetite. The vlogger’s closing note about tastes differing applies to everyone at the table, and the best meals are often the ones where you try a bite you would not have picked on your own.
Take Every Review With a Grain of Salt
The vlogger adds a wise note at the end: tastes differ, so read food reviews with that in mind. It is good advice. One person’s sweet and citrusy is another person’s too much, and one person’s delight is another’s miss. The best way to use a review, this one included, is as a starting point for your own curiosity. Look at what the reviewer liked, ask yourself whether you enjoy the same kinds of flavors, and decide from there.
What comes through in this video is a sense of discovery. A new restaurant, a menu rooted in a famous food district, a bowl with four kinds of pork and a room already filling up. Whether or not you are ever in Seattle, it is a good reminder that some of the best meals start with simply walking in the door and saying yes to something new.
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