Feisty Fusion At Casian Grill

I hope these mudbugs earn frequent flier miles because, according to our server, Casian Grill’s crawfish are flown here from New Orleans. That's approximately 2,679 miles away.

As for the main dish ingredient, I'm afraid it's a one-way trip into our stomachs.

Curious about the Vietnamese-Casian connection, I learned that many unemployed seafaring Vietnamese came to the Gulf Coast after the Vietnam war. Their love of rice, spicy foods and seafood were a natural confluence as new residents floated between Southern Texas to the Florida panhandle. And after Hurricane Katrina, the western side of the Pacific Rim got a whole lot more gumbo in its step.

But Casian Grill doesn't list jambalaya, exactly. One of the most addictive items on their menu is the Com Chien Crawfish ($9.99), or Vietnamese Fried Rice. This is one platter of fried rice worth ordering — the chunks of crawfish and clove-infused pork tease you into second and third bites. We declared this the ultimate drinking food.

While the rest of the gang ordered pints of draft Stella Artois ($4), I ventured into the pricey cocktail menu. $9.99 for a Casian Cosmo, ouch. Fruity enough that my husband took one sip and pushed it away with a grimace. Same went for the Lemondrop Martini at a slightly cheaper $8.99. These are hummingbird drinks: sweet as can be. Best to stick with the beer selections — hey, they offer Mac and Jack!

Speaking of birds, the fried chicken at Casian is a must. After a Korean friend introduced me to Lynnwood's twice-fried chile-glazed glory at Chicky Pub, I've craved the flavor of glorious wings. There's similar nirvana to be had at Casian. We're talking 10 pieces for $12.99. There are four sauce and seasoning choices to choose from, but Dirty Wings, with "Tangy spicy 'secret' sauce" are the thang to order.

The other finger-licking must-have item to partake in here is the bowls of boiled and seasoned crawfish and shrimp. You choose the number of pounds you'd like, flavor, and spice level. Three stars proved plenty spicy for our server, and us. Then out comes a wand of brown paper towels, lemons, and little plastic cups with bloody Mary-like spices.

Word to the newbie: squeeze your lemon into that cup and swirl, making a second dunking sauce. We chose the lusty combination of garlic butter and lemongrass sauces for our heads-on shrimp, one pound for $14.99, which kept our table very busy and very happy. At the epicenter of the bowl are two pieces of corn on the cob, and spicy slices of grilled sausage. You can order extra cobs of corn and they're so good, you just might make room.

Slight-looking gals were throwing down one-pound bowls a piece, shelling, and gossiping. We had a chilly November table next to the door due to a large party of twenty-somethings celebrating on a Friday night. Did I mention the pop art portraits of Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, and Al Pacino on the walls and behind the bar? Casian courts a crowd of young Americans, and it's working.

Add to this feast the Three Course Beef for $19.99, another hands-on dish. Rice paper discs and a bowl of warm water are sent out, along with a platter of Bo la lot (Grilled and marinated beef sausage wrapped in lot lot leaves), Bo mo chay (Grilled and marinated ground beef wrapped in translucent caul fat), Bo nuong cha (Grilled and marinated beef slices seasoned with lemongrass). Roll your sleeves up because your job is to soften a rice disc, slide on a lettuce leaf to cradle the meat, top with vermicelli threads, mint and basil, roll and dunk into fish sauce. This almost qualifies as a salad course.

Pass on the Stuffed Squid ($9.99) and save room for more wings or crustaceans. We ordered so many items they actually brought us a third table. Bring lots of friends, and let the good times roll.

210 S Wells Ave
Unit A
Renton, WA 98057

(425) 271-1040
Mon-Sun 11 am - 2 am