Cheng Biao Yang has a long history in Seattle. In 2001, the chef opened Seven Stars Pepper Szechuan Restaurant in a small storefront on 85th Street in Greenwood. Two years later, he relocated it to a larger space in the International District. A few years later, Yang sold that restaurant and opened two others on the Eastside, Szechuan Chef in Bellevue and Spicy Talk Bistro in Redmond. Devotees of his fiery dishes like cumin lamb and Chongqing hot chicken followed him each step of the way. Yang eventually made his way back to the International District, where up until last year, he mesmerized diners by hand-pulling lamian noodles at Uway Malatang.
But the Szechuan tradition from which Yang cooks goes back even further. His latest project, Country Dough—a small sliver of a restaurant that opened in July, tucked deep inside Pike Place Market—makes this clear: “Over 1,800 years of history,” its sign reads auspiciously.
Dough is paramount here, and it shows up in three distinct forms: flatbreads, noodles, and crepes. All of them are excellent. And while Country Dough’s flatbread sandwiches are its most popular items, I’m actually partial to the crepes and noodles…
