Dishin’: Tripe, Intestines and Tendon at Hing Loon

We’ve been through this before.

With the ever-present smile still stretched across her face, our favorite waitress at Hing Loon asked, “Are you sure you can eat the organs?”

Well, c’mon, that’s why we ordered the “Lo Mein with Assorted Beef Organs” in the first place. We knew we wanted noodles (ignoring the zillions of specials handwritten on paper and taped to the walls), but even more we wanted those organs that come scattered on top. Tripe, squishy and chewy, each bite bursting with juice like some sort of beefy bubble wrap. Intestines, round and rubbery, with something mysteriously soft and slimy (and strangely satisfying) inside. And tendon, seductively sitting on the tongue until the fat melts down to the stomach--melting the heart along the way. (Mmm....can we get hearts on the noodles next time?)

Hing Loon is consistently crowded, often with a number of Caucasians. But they’re eating big pieces of boneless beef, chicken, and salmon. No bones, no fat, no skin, no cartilage.

And no fun? Who’s to say? But meat is more than what we see pristinely packaged in our supermarkets. Does it take guts to, well, eat guts? Come out of the comfort zone, we say, and discover some tantalizing textures and tastes. And perhaps one day this Caucasian Seattlest won’t worry the waitress when ordering offal.