The Sammamish community has developed its food scene over the past couple years by opening new eateries around the city! Papaya is one of the most recent additions in a trio of restaurants just up the hill from Metropolitan Market. Two of us stopped here for takeout one sunny day, ordering two lunch entrees and a couple refreshing drinks.
Right as I walked in the door, I couldn't help but notice how clean and orderly the restaurant looked. It's unfortunate that we couldn't dine inside due to the pandemic! The black floors shined and everything had its place on the front counter, from a basket containing menus to separate cups for "clean" and "used" pens. They also had a small cart by the entrance with bottles of sauces and condiments to purchase for home-cooking. The employee at the counter provided a warm welcome and after about 10 minutes, he kindly brought our order outside where we decided to wait.
+ Basil Noodles with Vegetables and Chicken ($16): The name of this item says it all. It was a well-rounded dish of lean chicken and veggies mixed with chewy rice noodles. A savory and slightly sweet sauce combined the essence of basil and an unexpected, but pleasant medium heat. I couldn't stop eating this and would definitely order again!
+ Crispy Honey Chicken ($14): Crispy, meaty chicken pieces tossed in sweet glaze and topped with crunchy bits of fried garlic... it was heavenly! The entree only came with a side of rice, and seemed to be missing something. Perhaps a cooked veggie or slaw would have paired well.
On a warm Summer day, I couldn't leave without trying the Guava Iced Tea ($4.5). While you can't adjust the sweetness of this particular drink, after the first sip, I realized I wouldn't need to anyway! It had a bright tropical fruit flavor and I didn't feel a sugar crash afterward. My lunch companion ordered a Coffee Milk Tea with Boba ($5) and loved it. Note that their boba is unsweetened, so keep that in mind if you choose to adjust the sweetness of a milk tea.
Papaya's menu includes pho, vermicelli bowls, a number of different rice entrees and more, so there's plenty to try! From a cost perspective, the entree servings are fairly small for sharing though, especially considering the steep pricing. Our two dishes along with two teas added up to $43 before tip... However, our food was delicious and bursting with flavor, so it was worth the splurge this time! read more