Calva Cafe - where to start? First of all, my fiance and I are long frustrated searchers of decent Chinese food in this town after moving here from the East coast. The owners of Calva Cafe have finally been able to satisfy our need for authentic Chinese cooking. The food is cooked using fresh vegetables and traditional Chinese elements as opposed to other places which just dump some chicken/beef and a few scallions into a vat of chili or peanut oil. For example, try the General Tzo's chicken. It's beautifully done, with a coating that provides just a bit of crunch and not over breaded, with a sublime but not overly sweet sauce. Or try the sushi, which is some of the highest quality albeit simply served fare in Seattle. Other favorites of ours are the Szechuan Chicken, Cashew Chicken or Chicken & Broccoli. All of the meals are made without any discernable amount of oil. Don't believe me? Refrigerate some leftovers and you wont find any grease in the food the next morning. Each day, they also make a different soup, using their own broth. Hope for the Hot & Sour when you go, but the miso is fantastic as well. The owners are recent transplants from the East Coast who know how to cook. The cafe has no decor other than the wonderful friendly proprietors, who make you feel like you are being welcomed into their home. I want to be selfish with this place and keep it a secret, but they deserve to be successful. Word around Queen Anne is slowly filtering out, but they deserve a wider audience.
Pros: Food is absolutely top-notch
Cons: There are only a few tables to sit-down; but it is impecabbly clean
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