Terracotta Red

A Modern Bistro Full of Tradition

When You Go 2820 Hewitt Ave., Everett terracottaredbistro.com 425.322.5132 Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday, 4 to 11 p.m.; Sunday, 4 to 9 p.m. Happy Hour, Monday through Friday, 3 to 6 p.m.

Terracotta Red is so much more than your average Asian fusion restaurant. It’s years in the making and its roots go back to a place more than 5,000 miles away from Everett — a village in the Toi San region, about three hours from Canton, China.  

The restaurant, opened in September 2008, serves traditional flavors from China, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, but with a modern flair. The food isn’t the only thing that’s traditional. Terracotta Red brings years of culinary experience built on family. Chef Alex Ma, the patriarch and wok master behind the scenes, ran a traditional Chinese restaurant in Bonney Lake for more than 15 years. His son, Andy Ma, is one of the owners. Andy’s wife, Allisa Hui, is the general manager. And at the center of it all is chef Jimmy Liang, Andy’s best friend since high school.

“Chef Jimmy and my husband Andy made a pact when they were young to create a business together. They were big dreamers,” Hui said.

After the culinary explosion driven by the Food Network, Liang was inspired. He decided to hone his skills at the Art Institute of Seattle. His study there landed him several jobs in great Seattle spots like Serafina and Mijo, but the ultimate experience was an internship at The Herbfarm. Former chef Jerry Traunfeld (who now runs his own place, Poppy, in downtown Seattle) trained Liang to appreciate fine fresh herbs and the layering of foods.

Liang’s experience in restaurants actually began in China when he was 13. He thought he’d be a waiter or in a position with a little more responsibility, but of course he was sent straight to the dish room. “It really made me humble, and I appreciated all the hard work,” says Liang. He explained that when he moved to the states, there really weren’t many jobs for immigrants. “For us, we had very few options. It was either work in a restaurant or be a seamstress. And lucky for me I had the restaurant experience,” he said.

The extended family had several discussions about where to begin their restaurant. They discussed Seattle and Bellevue originally, but they were dissuaded by the high amount of similar ventures that have met a quick demise. The family chose Everett because at the time, Snohomish County was experiencing tremendous growth. They purchased the building (a former women’s shelter), and everyone pitched in to help build, design and decorate the space. Every member of the family provided dollar equity and sweat equity to get the venture going.

“After we opened in September, I have to admit we knew it wouldn’t be easy. But we just wanted to focus on healthy food without compromising taste. We did well, but we weren’t expecting so much success,” Hui says. She believes that Terracotta Red fills a void in Everett because competition is scarce. “I think we really chose an excellent location, and the people in this city have been so gracious,” she said.

The restaurant is bright, modern and beautifully appointed. The interior has plenty of Asian design elements, giving off an incredibly soothing vibe. Patrons can relax in the Zen-like lounge while waiting for a table, or hang out in the intimate bar and enjoy the restaurant’s signature drink, the Terratini — a thirst-quenching concoction of Yazi vodka, fresh-squeezed lime and pineapple juice.

All the little details have impressed new customers and regulars, but like any good restaurant, it’s the food that keeps people coming back for more. Liang, or “Chef Jimmy” as family and regulars refer to him, has created a unique Asian fusion menu, served family style on small or large plates. You can order several small plates for a meal for yourself, or a few larger ones to share.

From the small plate menu, try the Terra wok seared baby ribs. The tender meat falls off the bones, and the mixture of flavors — five spices, cloves, cocoa, all served over pickled vegetables — will dance in your mouth. Customer favorites include the uniquely prepared chili-spiced calamari, served with Sichuan pepper salt and lime dipping sauce. Another favorite is the Dylan pork belly love, a recipe inspired by Liang’s good friend from his Serafina days, executive chef Dylan Giordan. This is a modern take on a traditional Chinese dish. The base is a roasted pork belly, the perfect mixture of crisp, salty textured pork-skin crackle with creamy pork fat goodness. The pork is rubbed with Chef Dylan’s special spice blend, and is served with pickled vegetables and crispy yams.

The larger plates include wok seared Galanga beef with crispy yam, cucumber salad and galangal, or wild ginger; caramelized tiger prawns with garlic, sweet onions, string beans and chili sambal; or the crispy drunken chicken, wok-tossed with spicy yuzu, or Japanese citrus, and yu-choy, a Chinese green. Be sure to order a side of Sichuan string beans.

Don’t forget dessert. Usually at the end of dinner at a Chinese restaurant, patrons are content with the fortune cookie that comes with the bill, but not at Terracotta Red. Try the Chinese donuts — crispy fritters rolled in cinnamon and sugar served with a passion fruit curl. The dish comes with five fritters, but be careful. You can’t eat just one. Other choices include deep-fried ice cream with marionberry compote and coconut crème caramel with toasted coconut and jackfruit, among others.

Chef Liang has a youthful but quiet, humble disposition. But when he speaks about his food, his passion is evident.

“This type of cooking is very difficult to duplicate. To make it a hundred percent like this at home? Not possible. You need high heat, and you can’t take any shortcuts because the wok is very unforgiving. One mistake and your dish is ruined. You need patience,” he says with an air of wisdom beyond his years.

Chef Ma, his counterpart on the wok, instilled a very traditional saying on all of the staff — “the breath of the wok is to be respected.” This means the food needs to be served to hungry customers immediately before the unique flavors that come from the wok go to waste. 

Hui expects Terracotta Red to begin serving a seasonal menu soon, but they plan on keeping several of their customer favorites available, too. She also hopes to work closely with local farmers in Snohomish County to get fresh meats, seafood and produce. For now, the family is content to maintain their success at Terracotta Red. Short-term plans include building on their event space upstairs, a space that currently holds about 100 people.

But in the future, who knows? Hui says if the family continues to be successful in Everett, they may look to expand to new locations. How about a Terracotta Blue in Issaquah, or perhaps a Terracotta Green in Medina? Stay tuned.

For the full story pick up the latest copy of 425 magazine. Subscriptions are available by phone at 425.646.1380 or you may order your subscription online.