Vietnam's Sesame Answer to the Donut Hole

The Place: After a jaunt up Rattlesnake Ledge, a very hungry friend and I were looking forward to stopping in at Chuck's Donuts in Renton. I'd heard rumors of the delights produced by the fryer inside, and was very much looking forward to biting into one. Unfortunately, Chuck's is shuttered on Sundays (so look for a write-up on the joint next week). Desperate for something in the fatty and fried category, we stopped in at the new Viet Wah location just down the road. (2820 N.E. Sunset Blvd., 425-228-2138, RENTON.)

The Hole: Fried sesame balls.

The Shit: Without question, the biggest Holey Shit! of the weekend was the giant yellow ball that appeared in the sky. For two glorious days, the sun warmed our pale skin, encouraging Emerald City dwellers to shed clothing and attempt a dip in a still-frigid Lake Washington or don a pair of hiking boots and hit the miles of trails in the surrounding state and national parks.

And nothing better completes a day in the great outdoors than celebrating with fried dough.

After the disappointment over Chuck's and apologies to the friend to whom I'd promised donuts in exchange for accompanying me to Renton post-hike, it was a relief to stumble on the new location for Seattle's best Asian food empire.

We perused racks of Asian candies, drooled over mochi balls, and picked up a bag of faux Cheetos puffs with an enormous-eyed cartoon character on the front. But what we could not seem to locate was any kind of donuts. But just before giving up and subbing out sesame mochi and selling it as a type of hole (which may yet happen in a future edition), we stumbled on a table filled with plastic containers containing a dozen sesame-covered donut holes for $2.49. Bingo.

I find that when it comes to the "dessert" category, Asian food isn't afraid of the savory. The sesame balls didn't have the sweetness that one associates with the cinnamon and sugar-coated varieties found in most grocery stores.

Frankly, after hauling yourself up a mountain, it's hard to much care as long as whatever you're eating is loaded with carbs. And on that, Viet Wah absolutely delivered.

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