The Melting Teapot

Here on the east side of Lake Washington, we have a mall that isn’t like most mega shopping centers:  Crossroads Bellevue.  While there are a  few standard department store chains in evidence, primarily this is a shopping center for local businesses and restaurants.  There is a big focus on community activities, with the P-Patch (a community  garden space), a weekly farmer’s market during the summer, and a small indoor stage that features local performers and open mic nights.

Local artists have provided wall art and sculptures around  the exterior, which you can see as you explore the interesting stores and restaurants on the outside of the mall.  Tea lovers -- take note of the nice Chinese tea shop nestled among Italian and Indian restaurants:

Perhaps the most popular and active part of the mall is the International Food Court. This is not a normal food court in a shopping mall.  You won’t see chains selling their preservative-filled cookies or heavily salted fried chicken sandwiches here.   Instead, there is a collection of small, mostly privately-owned eateries, representing a wide range of ethnic backgrounds.  Among others, you'll find Thai, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, Greek, Italian, Russian, Indian, Mexican, southern BBQ, an American diner, a coffee shop, and a place to get Bubble Tea.  I see that a local artisan chocolate maker is about to open a storefront here, and a new cafe with indoor and outdoor seating is coming in April.

My favorite spot to eat is Papaya, a Vietnamese cafe.

A great alternative to fast food dining, these cafes offer generously portioned meals at a cost of about $5-10 per person.  Recently, Jeff and I had a nice lunch for two, from Papaya, for about $15.  Sure, you have to carry your own tray to a table, but that’s part of the charm of the place.

Throughout the spacious eating area are a variety of tables and plastic chairs, all of which can be moved around and pulled together.  This is a happy thing for large families or various clubs that meet here.  I’ve watched book groups gather at the large round tables near the used book store, each person getting food or beverage from a different shop before seating themselves and beginning an animated discussion.

During weekday lunch hours, you’ll notice Microsoft badges attached to many diner’s belts and pockets, while earlier morning hours are characterized by the socializing senior citizens from nearby senior housing.

In one area of the vast indoor space, the tables tend to fill up with people playing chess, Magic, board games, or cards.  The anchor of the gaming area is a giant chessboard, which is always in use.

This neighborhood area of Bellevue has a large immigrant population, and Crossroads tends to have a multi-ethnic crowd.  At any given time you can hear at least 2 or 3 languages being spoken.  Throughout the year, there are International cultural events, exhibits, dancers, and singers.   The market stage provides a showcase for these and other performances, as well as open mic nights for anyone who’d like to take a turn on stage.

A branch of the King County libraries provides a free wireless connection throughout the mall.  This leads to many individuals seated at tables, sipping coffee or eating a lunch while they work on their laptop.  I’ve enjoyed doing this myself, sometimes needing that buzz of activity around me while I peck away at the keyboard.

Bring your own laptop and absorb the culture of Crossroads -- enjoy music, food, and people-watching.  Or, you might want to visit during what is sure to be a bustling weekend, March 26-28th.  That is when the 7th Annual Bite of Crossroads takes place.  There will be live music on stage all weekend, with samples from foods around the world.