Express Cuisine

Where: 17629 Vashon Hwy SW, Vashon, 206.463.6626

Hours: 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday

Cuisine: Northwest seafood focus, some red meat and vegetarian items and Asian fare selections made with seasonally available produce and products. Menu changes very frequently.

Scene: Very casual, family-friendly eatery with open kitchen/cafeteria vibe. Locals all seem to know each other and share friendly banter. Communal and private table seating. Outdoor back patio for warm weather dining.

Drinks: Beer and wine, coffee, hot tea and iced tea, juices, soda.

Prices: $8.50 -$24.95 CASH or CHECK only

ANNOUNCER: Having first opened Express Cuisine almost two decades ago, owners Jim Riggsbee and Jocelyne Savoie took a break from the restaurant business in 2006. But it didn't last long. Riggsbee and Savoie reopened Express Cuisine in the restaurant's original Vashon Island location last year, picking up where they'd left off. In somewhat cafeteria-like fashion, customers order and pay at the counter then fetch their own silverware and water. Meals are delivered. 

JASON: Names can be misleading; I expected Express Cuisine to be a Chinese food drive-thru. It's not. We began with an herb-coated, baked montrachet appetizer. I smashed roasted garlic cloves on sliced baguette, added basil chiffonade, sun-dried tomatoes and smeared the goat cheese on top for a perfect bite.

JAKE: Wines varied - including French, Spanish, Italian, Argentine, and some from Washington, Oregon, California and a Vashon winery. Pinot noir from A to Z Winery transitioned, easily from vegan gazpacho to prime rib, complimenting both.

JASON: You mean the bowl of thin, poorly seasoned salsa? We were given bread, olive oil and balsamic, but I wondered where the chips were. Bits of herbs and other vegetables were visible, but only tomato flavor really registered. Cold soup on a hot day is a welcome option, though. I'm not knocking that.

JAKE: The prime rib came highly recommended by both islanders and mainlanders, and did not disappoint. Ordered from the anti-inflammatory menu (less meat, more vegetables and grains), a six-ounce cut was accompanied by roasted squash, sweet potato, carrot and red onion with side of garlicky green beans. Predominantly medium rare with a seasoned outer crust, horseradish wasn't necessary, but tasted wonderful with the juicy meat.

JASON: I agree 100 percent. That's a seriously good prime rib dinner for $18. My entrée of chicken and sausage paella was more of a French Cajun dish than an Italian one, due largely to rich saffron rice and sliced sausage reminiscent of a mild Andouille. Meats were plentiful, but the basil chiffonade, red onion, marinated artichoke hearts and bits of yellow and red bell pepper made that dish a killer. I ate until I was uncomfortable.

JAKE: And that is different from other times, how? I'm such a fan of citrus that I couldn't pass up orange prawns. Served on a bed of perfectly al dente fettuccine, nine plump prawns sang of orange zest, punchy ginger and savory garlic. The combination was sensational. This dish alone was worth the $20 ferry ride. Prawns were firm without being rubbery. I'm still not a fan of tail-on prawns in sauced dish.

JASON: Agreed, brother, agreed. It was almost so sweet that I didn't want dessert ... but who am I kidding? Some desserts at Express Cuisine are made in-house (key lime cheesecake and rhubarb coffee cake) while others (chocolate cake) are not. Against our combined better judgment and straining belt buckles, we split a piece of springy coffee cake. It was the right, if gluttonous, choice. I wish it had been heated a little.

JAKE: I enjoyed the whole hands-on, family business feel, but couldn't understand why the three women delivering food and clearing plates couldn't refill my water glass. They were nice enough, but it just seemed thoughtless. Why make me, the dining guest, get up several times, interrupting my meal, for refills?

JASON: I did not appreciate it either. I left the island more than satisfied with the food, if not the service or lack thereof. The five-hour roundtrip experience felt like a mini vacation that left the wallet $100 lighter.

NOTE: Express Cuisine will be closed for the month of September. Cash or check only.