Seattle Eats

This month, Seattle lost three iconic restaurants, including one in the heart of Chinatown. At the same time, the two hottest new restaurants in the region are Chinese spots in cities outside Seattle. On this episode, Tan and dining partner and writer Chris Solomon share some of their favorite bites at these new restaurants and discuss what this shift says about the region. 

Read more about the hottest new restaurants in The Seattle Times. 

Recommendations in this episode:

• Jiang Nan, Downtown Bellevue — Soup dumplings and Peking duck
• Triumph Valley, Renton and Shoreline — Prawn roll and salted egg yolk mochi 

Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible. Please consider joining and subscribing at kuow.org/eats and seattletimes.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eating out is getting pricier. But if you’re looking for a great deal at Seattle-area restaurants, all you have to do is adventure out on a quieter day. Many local eateries run deals during their slowest hours, like Monday evenings or mid-week lunch times. In this episode, Tan explains his list of the 5 best meal deals in the region.

Read more about Tan’s meal deal picks in The Seattle Times. 

Recommendations in this episode:

• Itadaki Yakiniku, Bellevue — $9.99 Wagyu cheeseburger (lunch only, M-F)
• STK Steakhouse, Bellevue — $9.99 Wagyu cheeseburger (lunch only, M-F
• Rupee Bar, Ballard — $20 dinner deal (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday)
• Cafe Lago, Montlake — $15 pizza (Mondays)
• Jack’s BBQ, various locations — $29 steak and sides (until the end of March)

Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible. Please consider joining and subscribing at kuow.org/eats and seattletimes.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is a new trend popping up all over the Seattle Pizza Scene:

Fusion pizzas. And we’re not talking about controversial toppings like pineapple or olives. Instead, think pizza topped with ingredients for a Seattle Dog, or a crust slathered in mac and cheese.

Tan is joined by Seattle Times Food Editor Trevor Lenzmeier for a breakdown of the best and wildest fusion pies in the city. 

Read Tan’s reporting on fusion pizzas in The Seattle Times.

Recommendations in this episode:

• Bar Flohr & Pizza Pies, Fremont — Mac and Cheese pizza
• Capitale Pizzeria, Capitol Hill — The Madrid, a tortilla española pie
• Dude’z, Portage Bay – The Seattle Dog
• KODE Pizza, Bellevue – Bulgogi kimchi pizza
• MOTO, various locations – Mr. Pig
• Pizza Rasoi, various pop-up locations  — The Achari Chicken Pizza
• Pizza by Ruffin, South Lake Union – A Fun Guy, mushroom and Jamaican curry
• Serious Pie, various locations – Spaghetti and Meatballs pizza (available on Sundays)
• Smoking Monkey Pizza, Magnolia – The Buffalo Soldier

Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible. Please consider joining and subscribing at kuow.org/eats and seattletimes.com.

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You’re not imagining it: Restaurant prices are soaring, particularly in Seattle. A combination of food inflation, bird flu and the city’s recent minimum wage hike mean many restaurant owners are raising prices and getting creative to stay in business. Tan explains how things might be changing at your favorite spot, and what budget-friendly dishes to look for if your wallet is feeling the sting. 

Read Tan’s reporting on the effects of the minimum wage increase in The Seattle Times. 

Restaurants we discuss in this episode:

• Geraldine’s Counter, Columbia City
• Merchant’s Cafe and Saloon, Pioneer Square 
• Jack’s BBQ, SoDo and South Lake Union
• Anchovies and Salt, Renton
• Off Alley, Columbia City

 

Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible. Please consider joining and subscribing at kuow.org/eats and seattletimes.com.

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our town was made for soup. The sooty dusks of December. The dampness of March. We dive into caldrons of smoking pho and ramen.

So, why not udon?

On today’s episode, Tan ventures out to find some of the best udon in Seattle. He visits Azuki in Madison Valley to learn about how Chef Ryuji Miyata makes his noodles by hand. Later, Tan recommends some more casual and budget-friendly udon places.

Read more about Tan’s udon picks.

Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible:

• Become a member today at kuow.org/donate/seattleeatsnotes
• Subscribe today at seattletimes.com

Recommendations in this episode:

• Azuki, Madison Valley
• Marugame Udon, Tukwila
• U:Don, University District and Capitol Hill
• Onibaba, Chinatown International District

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are 15 new bars and restaurants that Tan check-marked as must visit this year. But there’s one opening that just might be the most anticipated. It’s called My Friend Derek’s. A hotspot for Detroit-style pizza, run by self-taught baker Derek Reiff. It’s in the Tangletown neighborhood, just south of Green Lake.

On today’s episode, Tan visits Derek at his restaurant the day before it opens to talk about what Detroit-style pizza is and what it’s like to go from a pop-up sensation to a sit-down restaurant. Even though Derek's new at this game, he’s a bit of a perfectionist who considers a four star yelp review a failure.

Read more about My Friend Derek’s. 

Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible:

• Become a member today at kuow.org/donate/seattleeatsnotes
• Subscribe today at seattletimes.com

Recommendations in this episode:

• My Friend Derek’s, Tangletown

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are thousands of restaurants all over Puget Sound, and each of these restaurants serve different dishes. So how do you know which ones to pick? Well, The Seattle Times food team tried over 1500 dishes in the past year, so you don’t have to.

In this episode, Tan talks with Times food writers Jackie Varriano and Bethany Jean Clement about the best dishes they ate last year.

Read more about their favorite dishes here.

Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible:

• Become a member today at kuow.org/donate/seattleeatsnotes
• Subscribe today at seattletimes.com

Recommendations in this episode:

• Gold Coast Ghal Kitchen, First Hill
• Tivoli, Fremont
• Tacos Extranjeros, Ballard
• Birrieria Grumpy’s, Tukwila
• Paju, South Lake Union
• Jeff’s Texas Style BBQ, Marysville

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Costco is a great place to stock up on holiday staples, and nowhere is that more true than its wine selection. Tan and sommelier Owen Bargreen break down their picks for this year’s best wine offerings, and share tips on how to find them. 

Plus, a loophole at restaurants that lets you save money by bringing your own bottle of wine to dinner. 

Recommendations in this episode:

Sparkling wine: Kirkland brand champagne, $19.99

Red wine: 2022 Kirkland Signature Malbec, $6.99

White wine: 2022 Kirkland Signature Premier Cru Chablis, $18.99

Corkage deals:

Canlis, Queen Anne

Mainstay Provisions, Ballard and Denny Triangle

Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible. Please consider joining and subscribing at kuow.org/eats and seattletimes.com.

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

$20 burgers. $50 pizzas. Eating out in Seattle has never been so expensive – and there’s lots of reasons why. In this bonus episode of Seattle Eats, we share a conversation about the economics of restaurant prices with four local chefs and restaurateurs. 

 

Panel:

• Kristi Brown (Communion)
• Victor Steinbrueck (Local Tide)
• Ethan Stowell (Ethan Stowell Restaurants) 
• Rachel Yang (Revel, Joule)

Moderated by Jackie Varriano, Seattle Times food writer

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Food pop-ups, trucks and carts are blossoming all over Seattle – but not all of them are above board. The city is seeing a huge spike in mobile food vendors that aren’t permitted. Today we tell the story of how Tan found out about this trend thanks to the hottest food truck of the summer, and talk to Seattle Times reporter Jackie Varriano about how to tell if a food vendor is following health rules.

Plus, Seattle is having an al pastor taco moment. Tan shares tips for where to get a great bite. 

Read Tan and Jackie’s story in the Seattle Times.

Recommendations in this episode:

• Tacos La Cuadra – Rainier Beach, Mount Baker, Northgate
• Tacos Extranjeros – inside Fair Isle Brewing, Ballard

Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible. Please consider joining and subscribing at kuow.org/eats and seattletimes.com.

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.