Bust 'em out. My wife and I are Eastsiders. Currently we do much of our eating out on date nights in the city (mostly at Marination Station recently, love that place), so I'd love more recommendations on the Eastside.
Interesting to see all the DigiPen folks here. I took a summer class in game programming there in like 1999 or so in High School. It was fun but didn't really seem like the general college experience that I was looking for. I stayed with my Uncle who lived on the Olympic Peninsula at the time, so I most fondly recall the crazy commute via carpool, ferry, then two buses every day of the week. So I never went back to Digipen after that summer class, but I do credit that class for really jump starting my programming, and now I'm back out here at MS.
For Mexican:
La Carta de oxaca is the big fucking deal here. And for good reason. Be sure to go there.
Taqueria riconsito is a chain around here, they make tortillas on site have tortas, jamaica, horchata, tamarindo, and are pretty great.
Los agaves have a restaraunt somewhere down south, but their carts show up at farmers markets, excellent tamales, huaraches, and tacos. Horchara like melted ice cream. They have real tacos al carbon where they cut meat off a wheel.
Cocina de puerco(I think that's the name) near bellevue square is good in a metal table type of way. Good tamales.
Cafe guellense at cross roads is good. Lengua in Chile Verde is my wifes favorite there. I had a tamal there, and it was pefect, including that wrinkly folded part at the bottom that may be my favorite part of a tamal.
When I worked at MS I ate at the taco truck in the 76 parking lot next to the bellevue fred meyer a few times a week.
Now I work at Amazon, and I go to tacos el tajin.
It's not like socal, but I am satsfied here. Lots of Mexican stores, and Mexican products in grocery stores which sort of eases the pain, since cooking mexican food is kind of my specialty.
For Chinese food:
Dim sum we like Ming's/King's in bellevue(I think King's is the official name, but some signs say Mings). They also have good family dinners, it is where my inlaws always go for their family get togethers. We had our chinese wedding dinner there.
Joi In Bellevue is good for dim sum.
You will hear recommendations for Noble Court dim sum, I recommend against it, I think they are terrible.
Jade Garden in the International District is good dim sum.
Ho Mei Loi (I think the English name is Hong Kong Bistro?) in the ID is good. Especially if you get the clay pot rice. I like the chicken with chinese sausage one. Also they have a noodle bowl where you can add ingredients, get it with curry fish balls. And they have a cheap hot pot.
Ding Tai Fun in lincoln square is the shit. Go go gogogogo.
Facing East in Bellevue is great, in fact we are going there tonight.
Tea Garden in Renton is owned by the family of a friend of mine, so I should mention it. They are good, and have good dim sum. I think they split it and added a vietamese restraunt in there too, I haven't tried that. The family owns the Viet-wah stores in the area.
That's all that come to mind right now I think. There is another play in the ID that is good for bbq, they have it hanging in the window, and the name of the place is 33 or 66 or some number I can't remember, and google isn't helping me.
Hope that helps!
Edit: I am looking for a good hot pot place. We used to love Little Hot Pot at crossroads, but they closed down, and we haven't found a place with the variety and quality that they had. Anyone have suggestions?
Double Edit: For even better mind-blowing chinese food, plan a trip to vancouver!
