The Boat

"This rickety little ship in the CID serves a short menu that includes Vietnamese fried chicken rice and waffles—a dynamic duo we’ve replayed in our minds over and over again like the Napoleon Dynamite dance sequence. The fried cornish hens are super moist, blasted with sizzled garlic, and topped with a crackly glazed exterior. That’d be enough for the brunch of the century, but then they go and add crisp-and-fluffy pandan waffles with salted whipped coconut and a peanut sesame crumble. Pair it all with stiff-and-sweet iced coffees, and we can’t think of a better early weekend meal." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley, gabe guarente

"After Phở Bắc Sup Shop moved out of a wooden boat located in their parking lot, it was mostly deserted for years. Now, they’ve reopened the rickety little ship solely to serve Vietnamese fried chicken rice and waffles—a dynamic duo we’ve replayed in our minds over and over again like the Napoleon Dynamite dance sequence. Pair it all with stiff-and-sweet iced coffees, and we can’t think of a better early weekend lunch. Despite being seemingly small from the outside, the boat has plenty of four-tops where you can kick back with friends on a Sunday afternoon." - aimee rizzo, carlo mantuano, kayla sager riley

"At this pink landlocked boat in the CID, the scent of fried garlic and chicken skin mixes with toasting waffles. You should settle down here at one of the small disco ball-lit tables or wrangle a stool at the bar to admire the hive of activity. The short menu offers garlic-flecked cornish game hen done three ways—with egg noodles, egg noodle soup, or pandan-infused rice (our personal favorite). Don’t forget to follow up your poultry with an order of fluffy pandan waffles dunked liberally in the accompanying salted coconut whip." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley

"There’s a lot to admire about a restaurant that basically does one dish (with slight variations) and does it right. That would be the Boat, which has earned acclaim for its garlicky fried chicken that’s fragrant with fish sauce. It’s available three ways: “OG” style with garlic rice, with a side of egg noodle soup, or with dry noodles spiked with Maggi pineapple pate sauce. For dessert, there’s a similarly blessed lack of options: Pandan waffles, anyone? The Boat shares a Little Saigon parking lot with sibling restaurant Pho Bac Sup Shop, where the pho tron (“dry pho”) is a true gem." - Jay Friedman

"For nearly 20 years, this Little Saigon landmark has remained a symbol of the Pham family’s growing pho-centric restaurant empire, which includes locations in Downtown and Rainier Valley. In 2022, Yenvy and Quynh-Vy Pham revamped the menu here to focus on exactly three items: Com ga mam toi, a sticky, garlicky chicken and rice dish; mi ga chien, that same garlic chicken served alongside a light egg noodle soup; and banh kep, chewy Vietnamese-style waffles, paired with a side of pillowy, salty whipped coconut cream. The waffles come in two varieties, pink pineapple and pandan (a delicate, almost citrusy flavor), and you’d be wise to do a half-and-half order. And the drinks! The Vietnamese-style coffees are showstoppers, and the cocktails are balanced wonders." - Sophie Grossman, Eater Staff