beCLAWS!

claws
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

we decided to "go out" for entertainment rather than stay home knitting/programming/surfing the web/insert other nerdy activity here. on the recommendation of a friend, and inspired by memories of crayfish boils in louisiana with my family, we tried one of the vietnamese cajun seafood places popping up around little saigon--CLAWS. why? beCLAWS!

you can order a variety of seafood boiled in one of four seasonings: cajun, garlic butter, lemon pepper and cannonball, which is the kitchen sink combination of all three. we went for a lb of crayfish cannonball style, and added some corn and sausage to the mix. i don't remember the last time i ordered food by the lb, so i wasn't sure if the amount would be enough or too much, so i also ordered the fried fish and french fries. next time, i think i will forgo the sausage and order more crayfish and/or shrimp. i really wanted some crab, but they didn't have any tonight.

the seasoning was quite good, with chunks of garlic floating in a sea of red cajun spices. even though we ordered the mild with the fire in the hole mix on the side, it was still quite spicy but the perfect amount for me. i know. it's sad that i'm vietnamese, and my white boyfriend can eat spicier food than me, but hey, i like to savor the food with my tongue tingly but not completely on fire with my eyes about to explode out of my head. some people go for that experience. not me. if that's you, go for the fire in the hole.

i'm more accustomed to eating crayfish cooked with a hint of cajun spices dipped in either mayo and/or salt and pepper with lime, so i remember the taste of fresh louisiana crayfish. with all the spices at claws, it was a little hard to discern if there was much flavor to the crayfish. nonetheless, i enjoyed the food and the spices. i'll definitely have to come back to try the dungeness and blue crabs.

since we were in the 'hood, i finally fed my bowling cravings via fountain bowl from a few weeks earlier, too.