Plastination

I have always wanted to see exhibits featuring plastination, but haven't had the chance. Pretty soon, two exhibits will be in the area. Body Worlds 3 is coming to Vancouver, BC, and a copycat called Bodies, which will probably also be worth seeing, is coming to Seattle. 

Also, check out the movie Anatomy, starring the incomparable Franka Potente.

Mai Thao

Info at Citysearch is minimal, but even if they had the hours posted, they'd probably be wrong. They're supposed to open at 10am each day, which is when I was eating until my schedule changed today, but they haven't been opening on time. I was excited to be able to go once again now that my work day starts one hour later, and they're open when I can get there.

CONDIMENTS ON THE TABLE
Soy sauce, chili sauce, salt, pepper, and jalapeno slices. It's refreshing to see that they aren't obsessed with keeping the condiments completely full. I mention it because at Than Brothers and a few other places, they constantly patrol the room looking for any squeeze bottle that might have been used even once, and immediately fill it. I'd rather the bottles get emptied out so the stuff inside is as fresh as possible.

BEVERAGES
The menu is huge, including the beverage section. I believe there were two full pages of drinks. Their coffee is tasty, and served over small chunks of ice like at some fast food restaurants, and sealed into a plastic cup like bubble tea, which they also have, along with beer, and choices I didn't actually recognize.

THE FOOD
I spent all weekend waiting for the chance to have their bun thit nuong chia gao today. It has a fresh, clean flavor and they're very generous with the egg rolls. You get two instead of the usual one, and they're flaky on the outside, and densely packed with delicious filling. I'd be nervous to order their pho without confirming that they have hoisin sauce to bring out. 

The menu is huge, so be prepared to have a hard time deciding. It's in a binder, like a karaoke catalog, and every section has a thorough group of possible choices. They also serve seafood, which is uncommon, along with exotics like quail and rabbit. Handwritten signs hung randomly around the room announce specials, usually two or three using a featured ingredient.

Almost everything in the room is a shade of sea green, and there are large round tables with lazy-susan centers for family dining. Mai Thao is one of two restaurants in the Pacific Rim center, which is a mall with luxury condos above. Unfortunately, the mall is about 2/3 empty, but as the neighborhood continues to develop, we may find more restaurants moving in.