2 new Bellevue restaurants offer Sichuan noodles, crispy shawarma

You live here long enough, you're bound to eat at a restaurant that used to be something else. And while my colleagues do an amazing job of cataloging the great Seattle-area restaurant openings and closings, some things can slip through the cracks. Recently, I was in Bellevue checking out Wudu Noodle House, looking for some fresh tofu after reading Tan Vinh's recent opening roundup.

I parked in the strip mall lot, thinking how familiar the space felt. A friend and I walked inside, grabbed a table and after a few minutes I realized that I had been there, just six months ago, enjoying some of the best fish tacos I had eaten in months! I had to search my own archives to confirm that yes, Wudu was once Señor Taco, the Bellevue location of which closed in December.(Luckily, you can still get those fish tacos at the Federal Way location of Señor Taco.)

The space is now a place to have your taste buds absolutely annihilated in the best way through the power of Sichuan peppercorns. There are some traditional Chongqing-style dishes, pork feet soup ($14), sweet potato hot and sour noodles ($13) and braised pork intestine noodles ($18), alongside plenty of spice-infused dumplings, noodles and cold dishes.

I loved the numbing, spicy fresh tofu and ground pork noodle ($16), which featured long noodles bobbing in a fragrant broth with clouds of soft fresh tofu, green onion, Chinese broccoli, ground pork and tiny slices of spicy, pickled green beans. Ordering is done via QR code through your phone, and this dish allows you to pick spice level, noodle size and flavor strength. The only noodle available was the 2 millimeter, which was sized similar to spaghetti. We went for regular spicy and regular flavor, and the result was a perfect middle ground that had your lips pleasantly tingling.

Also great were the pork wontons in chili oil ($12); the bracing, crunchy pickled cabbage ($4); and the dandan rice noodles ($13). The dandan noodles had the option of being dry or in a soup, a customizable spice level and various add-ons like extra vegetables ($3). Again, we chose the regular spice level and dry. These were much spicier than the pork noodle, but bites of cabbage every so often helped break up the Sichuan burn.

And they were by no means the spiciest thingsyoucould get at Wudu! There's another spice level as well as pots of chili sauce on every table. And, if you are spice averse, we were told that all dishes could be made with no spice. Truly something for every palate!

Across Northeast 20th Street from Wudu is the newly opened Oskoo Kitchen & Bakery, located in another strip mall. This is the place garlic lovers should put on their list, for the crispy shawarma wrap ($16) alone.

Oskoo is a tiny space with a walk-up counter and two small tables. The Persian menu includes everything from kebab plates and sandwiches to rice dishes and homestyle stews.

The crispy shawarma wrap is stuffed with beef and lamb shawarma, pickles and creamy, garlicky hummus in a thin flatbread that has been brushed with a savory tomato sauce and grilled until crisp.

Also lovely is the combo plate ($25) with one koobideh beef skewer and one saffron chicken skewer, served over a substantial bed of saffron rice with a grilled tomato and your choice of sauce: mast-o khiar (yogurt, cucumber and mint) or mast-o musir (yogurt, garlic and shallot). Either one is a winner, as is the koobideh, the incredibly tender, well-spiced star of this plate.

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