Food & Drink: Pacific House Union Station is the place to be

The food and drink menu is almost the same as the downtown location. You will find craft cocktails that aren’t so crafty that you have to wait 15 minutes to get a drink, and straightforward scratch-made food that isn’t too fussy or fancy (Chef Wornson isn’t a fan of tweezers).

There are a couple of new items on the Union Station menu –char siu pork skewers and a halibut entrée. They also have a rotating house bourbon. I was starving and I wanted to eat everything on the menu, but I narrowed it down to the fried broccoli with black garlic aioli, the char siu pork skewers, and the elk tacos (one of Pacific House’s most popular entrées). I also had a refreshing Northwest Fizz: Absolut Pear vodka, St. Germain, club soda, fresh lemon, muddled cucumber, simple syrup and mint.

The deep-fried broccoli is lightly coated in chickpea flour, flash fried and served with black garlic aioli. Don’t let utensils get in the way of this Bar Food of the Gods. The only way to experience the fried broccoli is to grip each piece between your fingers, dip them in the black garlic aioli and bring this garlic-y, creamy, crunchy, salty deliciousness into your mouth.

‘Happiest mistake’

The elk tacos, according to Chef Wornson, were “about the happiest mistake we’ve made over the course of menu development.” Red cabbage was shipped to the restaurant instead of green cabbage. Chef Wornson’s wife had just bought him a new book on pickling (he loves pickling, brining and fermenting foods) and it had a recipe that inspired the jalapeño kraut which covers the elk tacos. The elk (chosen as part of Pacific House’s passion for Pacific Northwest ingredients) is crisp, chew-y, and jammy, like freshly dried jerky. The jalapeño kraut is the perfect crunchy counterpoint (along with chopped fresh cilantro) to the meatiness and sweetness of the elk. The corn tortillas are fresh and pliable. The side of black beans (topped with a bit of sour cream) are luscious and silky.

The char siu pork skewers are a good example of Wornson’s ability to take global flavors and play with them to create approachable, unique, bar-friendly food. The skewers are grilled cubes of pork tenderloin coated with a house-made Chinese-style barbecue sauce. The sauce is light and fresh — a perfect mix of sweet and sour. It opens up when mixed with the fragrant lemongrass ginger rice on the side.

According to Wornson, Pacific House’s goal is “to do a sports bar, but it really doesn’t feel like you’re in a sports bar.” Mission accomplished. Pacific House is a comfortable, neighborhood spot for great food and drink where you can watch the game or not. They take reservations, which is good, because when people find out this place has opened, it will be packed.

Rachel Pinsky can be emailed at couveeats@gmail.com. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @couveeats.